Half of your managers are fired up – and it’s not HR’s problem Graeme Cowan
Your bosses are working on nothing
Your bosses are tired. Almost half of them—47%—are currently experiencing severe burnout. Another 36% of workers are struggling around them (Wiley, 2025). Even more alarming, 55% of executives are looking for new roles, up from 44% (Gallup) just six years ago.
Read those numbers again. One of the two people leading your team is running on empty. This isn’t about work-life balance platforms or health apps. This is a real-time organizational problem, and it’s happening on your watch.
What does this problem really cost you?
Productivity decreases when tired managers cannot focus or lead effectively. Profit margins shrink as teams underperform and costly mistakes increase. Customer service deteriorates because tired leaders can’t motivate exhausted teams to deliver great performance.
Your top players – the ones you can’t afford – are the first to go. They have options, and are currently evaluating them. Employee turnover is fast, taking institutional knowledge and customer relationships with it. Legal threats multiply as psychological and social risks go out of control. Your employer’s reputation takes on a negative impact, making it harder and more expensive to attract talent.
And every day you wait to deal with this problem, the bill gets bigger. You don’t just lose people—you lose competitive advantage, market position, and shareholder value.
What your organization could look like instead
Consider a different situation. Your bosses wake up strong, not worried. They clearly lead instead of surviving on caffeine and energy. Group members feel really supported when they are struggling, not isolated and afraid to speak up.
Productivity increases when leaders have the tools to recognize stress early and respond confidently. Retention is getting better because people want to stay. Your employer’s reputation grows stronger as word spreads that your organization truly cares about its people. Customer satisfaction increases because your teams are thriving, not just surviving.
Legal risks decrease as you meet psychosocial risk requirements on an ongoing basis. Your top performers become your strongest advocates, attracting other top talent to join them.
How to prevent burnout before it becomes a problem
Preventing manager burnout requires a systematic approach that catches stress before it becomes a problem. Leaders need to identify early warning signs—when team members are sliding from thriving (green area) to focusing (amber) to surviving (red area). They must respond with compassion and practical support, not avoiding evil. This means normalizing conversations about well-being, accessing professional services when needed, updating work plans, and promoting sustainable practices.
Most importantly, this requires ownership at a high level. This is a board problem, not something you need to take to HR.
How can we help you take action this week?
That’s why I created practical solutions like the Red Zone Care keynote and Caring for Great Leaders a book. The keynote teaches leaders the ICARE framework to have confident, compassionate conversations with struggling managers and team members. It changes “Are you ready?” from the unusual to the ordinary, helping you meet the needs of mental and social risk with confidence.
Combined with WeCARE365’s customized eLearning, you can prevent burnout before it’s too late—not with another committee meeting, but with action this week.
Because while you’re planning the next meeting, your best managers decide they can keep doing this. And they already have options.
Graeme Cowan
Graeme is a keynote speaker helping leaders and teams become safer, stronger and more successful. He is also a founding board director of RU OK? and host of the Caring CEO podcast – ranked #2 worldwide in workplace mental health. Wiley’s new book “GREAT LEADER CARE: Building safe, strong, and effective teams” will be launched on April 1, 2026. To inquire about Graeme’s availability to speak at your event please email jenny@graemecowan.com.au
