Exhausted would fail to convey the extent of people’s plight, be they senior leaders or frontline workers. McKinsey & Company considers change management to be the core task of leadership.
However, what is the result when change spills into every corner of life, all at once? No wonder burnout is rampant, especially at the management levels. Based on the data, the average employee would be lucky to experience fewer than 10 program changes in a year. That’s a 5x rise within just a decade!
Just a year before, Gallup reported that 56% of leaders and managers are likely to experience extensive disruptive change compared to individual contributors. Whether an organizational change includes restructuring efforts or budget cuts, leaders are often the direct target, carrying the emotional and strategic weight of it all.
Sadly, many organizations account for leadership fatigue a little too late. Does it help to cry over spilled milk after the damage is already done? This article will share a better way out: preventing the problem altogether. We will explore three ways in which organizations can support their leaders through change to prevent fatigue.
Forge Resilience Before Change Demands It
Is it wise to prepare for a storm right at the moment it is knocking on the door? The same answer applies to organizational change and leadership. Effective preparation starts long before the pressure does.
Now, the sad reality is that many organizations invest in leadership development only after they face major disruptions. By then, the expectation is for leaders to guide their teams as they learn new skills on the fly. That sounds like burnout in the making.
Now is the time to take initiative in developing those much-needed skills. For instance, professionals seeking deeper preparation for enterprise-level leadership may consider academic study as a valuable option. One example is the Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership, designed for leaders who want to lead complex organizations.
As Rockhurst University notes, students are prepared to act as thought leaders who implement best practices based on learning theory. Since such programs focus on strategic leadership, organizational culture, and applied research, they help tackle workplace challenges without fatigue.
Practical Ways to Make it Happen
- Make leadership development a priority through mentoring, workshops, and executive coaching.
- See the organization as an interconnected whole to know the ripple effects of decisions in one area.
- Base decisions on more than external pressures or conjecture.
- Provide emerging leaders the opportunity to lead meaningful projects.
Encourage Stewardship Through Empowerment
The era of command and control leadership has passed. When power rests in a few hands, it only endangers an organization’s success. Tamla Oates-Forney, the CEO of SHRM Linkage, worded it accurately, “For too many years, I’ve seen how a top-down approach to leadership can be detrimental to employees, organizations, and productivity. It’s a model that limits innovation and slows progress.”
Now, the traditional approach almost happens by default during chaotic periods of organizational change. Perhaps leaders feel like they must play the role of the chief problem-solver, or things won’t work out.
The approach in itself stems from a place of responsibility; the effect? Not so much, as it usually gives way to decision fatigue. What’s the need of the hour? Shared ownership or leadership. In the SHRM 2025 State of the Workplace report, 27% of HR professionals considered leadership and manager development as one of their organization’s major priorities.
So, successful organizations rely on leaders at every level, not just on the top. It’s never counterproductive to have everyone capable of making good decisions, right? The good news is that it’s possible to free oneself of the burden of being the answer to every problem.
Practical Ways to Make it Happen
- Make it clear to managers which decisions require approval and which don’t.
- Expand leadership capacity through development programs that improve capabilities across the organization.
- Encourage employees to bring in potential solutions along with the issues they recognize.
- Let people know that you trust them to meet their responsibilities effectively.
Let Every Word Lay Another Stone
There is nothing surprising when organizational change tends to generate more questions than answers. Everybody is essentially anxious to understand what the future holds for their respective team. As for leaders, they shoulder the additional task of managing rumors and panic.
How long before the avoidable fires are prevented through transparent communication? Yes, this remains the surest path to stability. Plus, leaders can spare themselves the burden of having to operate in crisis mode 24/7.
Timely updates and clear direction of where things are headed will drop all speculations. When time is not spent addressing uncertainty, it is directed towards meaningful goals. If anything, real-world events like the Boeing fiasco should be studied as lessons.
In 2025, CEO Kelly Ortberg acknowledged that the company’s challenges were not merely operational, but also cultural. She considered Boeing to be too “insular,” sharing concerns regarding a lack of proper communication among teams. Every organization’s challenges may be different, but transparent communication is still the universal answer.
Practical Ways to Make it Happen
- Communicate right from the start and at regular intervals.
- Explain to everyone the purpose behind decisions.
- Make room for employees to ask questions and share feedback.
- Avoid mixed signals by keeping the messages clear.
- Be transparent even about uncertainty, acknowledging when a concrete answer isn’t available.
FAQs
Why is leadership fatigue becoming more common during organizational change?
Leadership fatigue is becoming more common because organizational change is no longer an occasional event. During such periods, leaders are expected to manage technology adoption, restructuring, budget constraints, and whatnot. When responsibilities increase without adequate support, many leaders experience fatigue and burnout.
What is the most effective way to support leaders during periods of change?
There is no single solution. The most effective approach combines leadership development, delegation, and transparent communication. When leaders are prepared for disruptive changes, they can make better decisions under pressure. At the same time, managers and employees should feel empowered to take ownership of their work.
Can leadership fatigue affect organizational performance?
Yes, leadership fatigue does affect organizational performance by slowing down decision-making, weakening communication, and reducing employee confidence. When leaders become overwhelmed, organizations may experience lower productivity and resistance to change.
Recent Data Related to Leadership Fatigue and Organizational Change
| McKinsey & Company on change management | Considered to be the core task of leadership An average employee experiences over 10 program changes in a year, which is a fivefold increase since the past decade |
| Gallup report on leaders and managers experiencing disruptive change compared to individual contributors | 56% more likely |
| SHRM 2025 State of the Workplace report | 27% of HR professionals considered leadership and manager development as one of their organization’s top priorities |
| 2025 report on stress and time to fulfill leadership responsibilities | 71% of leaders said that they experienced considerably higher stress since they stepped into their current role Only 30% felt like they had enough time to fulfill their responsibilities |
Organizational change, as disruptive as it may be, is becoming the new normal. It’s time to reconcile the two realities and prepare accordingly.
According to a 2025 report, 71% of leaders said that they experienced considerably higher stress since they stepped into their current role. Only 30% felt like they had enough time to fulfill their responsibilities. These findings expose leadership fatigue for what it truly is: an organization-wide problem.
The points we have discussed are focused on building resilience. There is no better time than now to view it as a strategic investment rather than a personal responsibility.