5 red flags of your boss’s behavior you should not ignore

Burnout is particularly perilous among leaders because it doesn’t just affect them individually, but reverberates throughout the entire organization. Leaders set the tone, culture, and standards for their teams, and when they’re off their game, that impact is both measurable and contagious. According to Gallup, employees with burned-out managers are 50% more likely to burn out themselves.

Leaders are often reluctant to admit burnout because it challenges their sense of competence and resilience—traits they’ve worked hard to cultivate. The irony is that many traits valued in leaders—drive, ambition, status orientation, and perfectionism—are the very ones that can make them more susceptible to burnout.

When a boss experiences burnout, it often leads to shifts in leadership effectiveness, communication, and decision-making. A burnt-out boss may unintentionally affect the mood and morale of the team. Detecting burnout early helps address the issue before it negatively affects the entire team’s energy, motivation, and enthusiasm.

While detecting burnout in your boss is more art than science, science can inform and improve your approach to spotting the typical indicators of burnout in your boss. Indeed, here are some subtle, science-backed signs that your boss might be experiencing burnout, along with strategies for how to support them effectively:

A waning vision

A strong vision is the beating heart of effective leadership. Leaders thrive on ambitious goals, a sense of purpose, and the belief that they drive meaningful change. However, the leader’s sense of purpose becomes blurred when burnout sets in, and their visionary spark dims. Instead of focusing on strategy and big-picture thinking, they become overly preoccupied with day-to-day survival, and long-term goals take a backseat.

According to studies on burnout’s impact on executive functioning, burnout impairs cognitive flexibility and decision-making skills, making it harder for leaders to think creatively or take calculated risks. A burned-out leader might react by avoiding risks altogether or by resorting to a rigid, shortsighted approach to problem-solving.

Detecting the sign: Notice if your boss stops talking about the “why” behind projects (a critical marker of vision), shies away from strategic conversations, or resists discussions about long-term growth (a sign that they are checked out). Are they defaulting to maintaining the status quo, prioritizing what’s expedient over what’s innovative? This could be a sign they’re burned out.

Supporting the boss: Help reignite their visionary spark by facilitating brainstorming sessions where you and your team explore new ideas. Offer gentle encouragement for high-level discussions, focusing on the bigger picture rather than immediate outputs. Even brief engagement with creative conversations can lift them out of the burnout rut.

Emotional withdrawal and disconnection

Burnout often strips leaders of their emotional resources, leaving them drained and disengaged. Leaders who once demonstrated high emotional intelligence might suddenly appear closed off, moody, or even irritable. And, if they were moody and irritable when times were good, you don’t want to know how they come across when burned out.

This detachment is a defense mechanism—a psychological wall that protects them from the emotional demands they can no longer meet. Like humans in general, leaders can lose these essential social skills when they’re under chronic stress, not due to a lack of commitment but as a natural response to exhaustion. They may appear withdrawn or take on a stoic, detached attitude as a way of coping.

Detecting the sign: If your boss used to be emotionally available but now seems uninterested in team morale, distant, or no longer receptive to concerns, burnout might be taking a toll. Look for other cues, such as reduced openness to feedback or a lack of interest in personal conversations with team members.

Supporting the boss: Extend empathy without pressing them to open up. One way to do this is by normalizing small breaks and occasional team check-ins, where there’s an opportunity for informal, relaxed interaction. Be supportive in subtle ways, like offering to help with tasks or expressing appreciation for their work. Small gestures of support can act as a gentle reminder of the team’s care.

Fluctuations in energy and motivation

Typically, leaders are known for their energy and drive. They motivate others by setting the pace, embodying dedication, and displaying enthusiasm. When burnout seeps in, however, their energy becomes inconsistent. They may exhibit spurts of frenetic activity followed by long stretches of fatigue or disengagement.

The burnout phenomenon detailed in Maslach’s research, suggests energy and motivation can wax and wane when they face chronic stress, making them appear uncharacteristically sluggish. This phenomenon can lead to micromanagement on some days and complete detachment on others, as they attempt to navigate an unsustainable workload.

Detecting the sign: Observe if your boss’s energy fluctuates unpredictably. Are they hyper-focused on details some days, then uninvolved or unresponsive on others? Inconsistent energy can lead to disorganization and confusion for teams, as they struggle to adapt to the leader’s shifting moods.

Supporting the boss: Provide structure and consistency within your own work to help stabilize the team environment. Encourage routines that promote resilience, like regular project updates or weekly recaps, which can offer predictability and ease the leader’s cognitive load. Suggest delegation where possible, taking on tasks or projects to help distribute their workload more evenly.

Reduced curiosity and adaptability

Burnout doesn’t just drain a leader’s energy, it stifles their curiosity and desire to learn, which is linked to leadership effectiveness. A good leader constantly adapts, seeking new information, and applying innovative solutions.

When burnout is present, they may exhibit a fixed mindset, becoming less adaptable and less willing to consider new approaches. Leaders affected by burnout may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of learning something new, interpreting it as an additional burden rather than a growth opportunity.

Detecting the sign: If you notice that your boss is unusually resistant to trying new methods, tools, or workflows (when they are usually not!), burnout could dull their innate curiosity. They may dismiss new ideas, fall back on tried-and-true routines, or seem overly concerned with minimizing change.

Supporting the boss: Respect their need for stability, but try suggesting low-stakes learning experiences—ones that don’t require them to overhaul existing processes. Introduce new approaches gradually or suggest minor innovations that have proven immediate benefits. This allows them to engage with fresh ideas without feeling overwhelmed.

An erosion of personal boundaries

Many leaders wear their hard work as a badge of honor, identifying strongly with their professional work persona. However, when burnout hits, they often fail to maintain healthy boundaries, feeling that they need to be “always on” to meet the demands of their role. Burnout convinces leaders that taking time off or delegating is a sign of weakness, creating an unhealthy cycle of overwork that exacerbates their symptoms.

Leaders high in conscientiousness or perfectionism are more susceptible to this form of burnout, as they find it hard to step back and allow for a more balanced approach. Leaders may start emailing late at night, working weekends, or failing to take necessary time off—all signs of blurred boundaries.

Detecting the sign: Notice if your boss is habitually overextending themselves, working longer hours, or becoming overly involved in small details. This pattern often reflects their struggle with balancing demands and managing stress healthily.

Supporting the boss: Encourage rest and reinforce the idea that taking time off is necessary for long-term performance. Suggest that the team can handle things in their absence, and gently remind them that effective delegation is a strength, not a weakness.

While it’s important to sense your manager’s likelihood of burning out or experiencing overwhelming stress and pressure at work, it is even more important to remain immune to it if you can. Just because your boss is showing signs of pressure, stress, burnout, and worsening their behavior, doesn’t mean you should go along with it. In fact, the more vulnerable your manager is to these circumstances, the stronger you must be to remain focused on your job and phlegmatic in those adversarial circumstances. Don’t let your boss sink you, too.