New report finds seven in 10 leaders worldwide under increased stress
Organisations across the world face the risk of a leadership exodus in the wake of rising stress among leaders due to time scarcity.
This is according to the Global Leadership Forecast 2025 from DDI, which surveyed 2,185 HR professionals and 10,796 leaders from over 2,000 organisations across the world.
It found that 71% of leaders have experienced a significant increase in their stress levels since they stepped up in their current role. This is up from the 63% recorded in 2022.
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:
Identify work to delegate
Practice letting go and entrusting important tasks to others
Prioritise tasks before delegating them
Understand team members' strengths
Provide context and guidance to team members to help them succeed with the delegated tasks
Invest in training, such as teaching team members how to handle assigned tasks
Prioritise communication and feedback by ensuring people can reach out with questions
Focus on results and avoid micromanaging every step
Trust and verify by setting up a review cycle to assess results
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.
https://www.hcamag.com/au/specialisation/mental-health/rising-stress-among-leaders-fuelling-larger-organisational-crisis/531573
