Manager Burnout: What It Is and How to Handle It in 2025

Signs of Manager Burnout

There is a taboo around managers reporting burnout in their workplace. While most managers don’t even realize they are burned out, others hesitate to discuss it openly due to a fear that it may hamper their careers. 

For HR representatives and senior leaders, it is important to identify the signs of burnout during the early stages. This will help you intervene in a timely manner and remedy the situation.

Decreased ability to have compassion for colleagues: Managers need to empathize with those working with or under them. If they suddenly decide to get work done without caring for individual circumstances, burnout is a likely factor that is changing their behavior as a manager.

Low motivation: From diligently getting work done and actively participating in team activities, burned-out managers do just enough to get the job. Their motivation could be at an all-time low or even non-existent in extreme cases of manager burnout.

Dreading going to work: Signs are your manager is burning out if they lack the motivation to get to work on time. This may lead to them coming late or take sudden leaves, which is far from normal.

Generally not feeling like themselves: Managers are defined by the personality they bring to the table. Sudden changes to their demeanor can be signs of burnout. This can cause outward and social people may become cynical and negative, which can become evident among colleagues.

Exhaustion: Managers who show signs of physical and mental exhaustion may be experiencing the first stages of burnout. This can lead to less attentiveness at work or a constant coffee-drinking binge to keep them from dozing off on the job.

Decreased ability to regulate emotions: Managers often keep a cool head to help them make rational decisions professionally. If they experience sudden outbursts or uncharacteristic displays of emotions, you may be witnessing a manager burning out.

Circular and obsessive thinking patterns: Managers are meant to have a broader view and prioritize certain tasks over others. If they begin to lose focus and obsess about the small things that don’t matter, chances are they are in the initial stages of burnout.

Differentiating Manager Burnout from Regular Employee Burnout

Many of us wonder if manager burnout is the same as in the case of a normal employee. The short answer? No. 

Regular employees can tend to burnout due to several factors that could be more professional in nature. Difficult personal situations or a mismatch in expectations of how their career would pan out could be the main reason why they don’t find happiness in their jobs. This accelerates their burnout along with certain other factors in the office.

On the other hand, manager burnout can be attributed to factors mainly based on what happens in the office. From having to do too much to struggling with the ever-changing dynamics, they may find it difficult to regulate their emotions and stress during this period. This can actively lead to manager burnout and have a devastating impact on the company if not addressed quickly.

Causes of Manager Burnout

With manager burnout reaching all-time high levels in 2025, an organization needs to understand the various factors that cause this actively. Here are the leading causes of manager burnout in 2025.

Dual role of doing their work and managing

Managing is an additional responsibility that employees need to fulfill as part of their job. While the role entails significant benefits, it also implies a significant increase in workload for these employees.

Effective management requires constant multitasking throughout the day. Managers will have to switch from resolving issues and setting agendas for their team to completing their own tasks in the given time frame.

This can accelerate stress and fatigue in the office, especially when things don’t go their way. A constant build-up over a period of time can lead to the managers eventually burning out.

Heavy workload

Managers often spend long hours at work, dealing with a bunch of professional things on a daily basis. From running teams successfully to defining and creating timelines, the buck usually stops with them.

However, this creates a never-ending cycle of tight deadlines and organizational pressure. If this is not tended to, it can severely demotivate managers, leading to burnout setting in as time goes by.

Managing remote/hybrid teams

Most managers of the past dealt with teams where members shared the same physical space. With over 80% of staff preferring flexible hybrid models post the pandemic, traditional managers have faced unique challenges.

From organizing team meetings to creative effective communication channels, managers are being forced to adapt new technologies and tools that they are unfamiliar with. This also erodes their management style, especially those that depend on personality.

The professional responsibility of running hybrid teams smoothly has significantly increased the workload of managers. As a result, many of them could face potential burnout, especially older managers.

Lack of fairness

Managers can sometimes feel unfairly judged by their peers in the workplace. Be it criticism over certain decisions they made or favoritism with other managers in a similar role, they can have disastrous consequences on the morale of a manager. 

It can bring about the feeling of never being good enough, irrespective of their hard work. Over time, they stop fighting their circumstances and lose the drive to do their jobs well, leading to manager burnout.

Continuous distractions

Managers deal with a variety of situations when it comes to their teams. Being the ultimate authority in many situations, they can often be pulled away from their plan for the day and be forced to deal with other situations instead.

These unwanted distractions such as phone calls or a barrage of emails could lead to a significant drop in productivity. While it may seem insignificant, it ends up creating a work environment that accelerates manager burnout in the long run.

Changing manager role

The definition of a manager has evolved in recent times, much like everything else. From people who had the authority to assign tasks to their colleagues, managers have evolved to become leaders with the power to create a positive impact.

However, with great power comes great responsibilities, which demand a lot more time out of them. The effort required to be an impactful and effective manager can eventually take a toll on them, making them feel pressured and disengaged over time.

Lack of experience

Being a manager requires a certain set of skills and temperament to succeed. While individuals may enjoy the honeymoon phase of being a manager, things can get real quickly. Sometimes, this can mean things get really ugly too.

From enjoying the love and respect of their colleagues, they may certainly be put in uncomfortable situations facing the same people. They may also face pressure from higher-ups to deliver on certain targets. The sudden change in circumstances can frighten and wear down new managers quickly, leaving them susceptible to burnout.

Lack of support

Managing is a complex task that requires people with leadership skills and the right attitude. However, managers need a constant support system from the organization, irrespective of their experience.

This could involve guidance from senior executives about the goals and long-term plans of the company as well as a well-established feedback system. Not having this kind of support can make managers feel at sea in their professional environment. 

This lack of support can be detrimental to mental health and professional development, making it the perfect storm for manager burnout.

Lack of rewards

Managers have a job that is demanding and challenging in most companies. The success of the organization is inherently dependent on the work culture their managers create for their employees.

While many companies focus on constantly improving their managers, they often fail to recognize their achievements, big or small. This can lead to managers feeling like their actions are under constant scrutiny, irrespective of their best efforts.

As a result, they can lose their motivation and drive to give their best for the company. As time goes by, mental fatigue can set in and cause managers to burnout.

Lack of control

Managers require a degree of autonomy to make a personal impact. This includes tapping into their unique skills to find solutions and innovate in the workplace. As a result, they are required to have a level of control over how they spend their time at work.

However, this may be far from the truth in certain cases. Rigid schedules and constant meetings with clients and employees can strip a managers of their sense of freedom. This can make them feel like caged birds that have to adhere to company policy all the time.