Why Managers Are Burning Out First

🧠 Managers are burning out faster than their teams.

And it’s not just workload. It’s pressure, ambiguity, and the slow erosion of support structures around them.

This is the third post in my series unpacking the biggest post-Covid workplace trends—and how we as leaders need to respond.

According to Gallup’s latest data:
⚠️ Managers are more disengaged than the people they lead
📉 Only 21% of employees receive meaningful feedback each week
💔 And that feedback is a key driver of engagement and performance

This is what I call The Coaching Crisis.

And let me be clear: it’s not the managers’ fault.

They’re being asked to do more with less, lead through constant change, and hold teams together in a hybrid world—with little training or backup.

So what’s the answer?
💡 It starts with shifting from managing tasks… to coaching people.
For over a decade, I’ve been teaching leaders how to build a coaching habit—anchored in monthly, human-centric one-on-ones that drive clarity, trust, and performance.
🧩 But it’s not enough to talk about business as usual.

And it’s definitely not enough to just ask, “How are you doing?”
These conversations need to cover the full gambit of what people want from work—from purpose and recognition to career growth and work-life integration.

(If you’re not sure what that includes, check out this Tuesday’s newsletter, “The Never-Fail Recipe for Employee Engagement in 2025”—where I revisit and refresh my original 9 Currencies of Choice®, first developed in 2010.) Go here: https://lnkd.in/e6m4e9AG


✨ Managers are the engine room of culture and performance. But engines need fuel—and a little maintenance.

Let’s give them the tools, support, and space they need to thrive.
Because when managers rise, everyone does. 🙌

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