Rising stress among leaders fuelling 'larger organisational crisis'

"The rising tide of individual stress is fuelling a larger organisational crisis," the report warned. 

It revealed that among the leaders under significant stress, 54% are concerned about burnout, while 40% have considered leaving their current role to improve well-being. 

It further found that burned-out leaders are 34% less likely to rate their effectiveness above their peers than those not experiencing burnout. 

They are also half as likely to be engaged in their roles as those who aren't burned out, according to the report, which warned that this disengagement can spread to their teams. 

Why so stressed? 

The DDI report said the "primary catalyst" for rising stress among leadership is time scarcity. 

"Critically, there is a direct correlation between time perception and burnout: when leaders feel they have adequate time, their concerns about burnout decrease," the report read. 

"Moreover, when leaders lack the information and tools needed to perform their roles effectively, they are 2X more likely to be concerned about experiencing burnout." 

The report also found that leaders who are onsite are more likely to be stressed (74%) than their hybrid (72%) and remote (66%) counterparts. 

However, the report found that hybrid (57%) and remote leaders (56%) reported the highest burnout rates, compared with in-person leaders (52%). 

What this means for organisations 

The findings unveil a "systemic vulnerability" in organisations, whose leadership pipelines are at risk of a structural breakdown, according to the report. 

It underscored the urgency for organisations to address stress management and ensure leaders have the time and support needed to effectively perform their work. 

One way to address stress at work is by equipping leaders with strong delegation skills. 

"Emerging leaders are struggling to transition from being 'doers' to 'delegators,'" said Tacy M. Byham, Ph.D., CEO of DDI, in a statement. 

"The good news is that delegation is a skill that can be developed. With the right training and support, organisations can empower leaders to build healthier, more resilient teams." 

Providing delegation skills 

Delegation skills refer to leaders' ability to assign tasks and responsibilities to team members, according to Indeed. Among the benefits of learning how to delegate responsibilities are: 

• Creating learning opportunities for team members to help them gain new skills and experiences 
• Relieving personal workload and achieving healthier work-life balance 
• Developing team members' sense of responsibility, as well as their confidence and ownership of their work 
• Empowering team members by giving them a sense of accomplishment for finishing tasks 

Julia Martins, a work management expert, previously outlined on Asana's website 10 delegation tips for leaders: 

1. Identify work to delegate 
2. Practice letting go and entrusting important tasks to others 
3. Prioritise tasks before delegating them 
4. Understand team members' strengths 
5. Provide context and guidance to team members to help them succeed with the delegated tasks 
6. Invest in training, such as teaching team members how to handle assigned tasks 
7. Prioritise communication and feedback by ensuring people can reach out with questions 
8. Focus on results and avoid micromanaging every step 
9. Trust and verify by setting up a review cycle to assess results 
10. Give credit to team members who accomplish their tasks 

"Learning how to delegate tasks effectively isn't just about assigning work — it's about empowering your team and recognising their success," Martins said.