8 leadership mistakes that’ll burn out your team

8 leadership mistakes that’ll burn out your team:

(and how to avoid each one)

1) Being Unclear About What Matters
↳ Vague goals create anxiety and confusion.
↳ Start every week by aligning on 1–3 key goals.

2) Ignoring Natural Strengths
↳ Overlooked strengths fade and disengage.
↳ Regularly ask your people what work energizes them.

3) Avoiding Hard Conversations
↳ Unspoken tensions slowly erode trust.
↳ Schedule monthly 1:1s and ask, “What’s not working?”

4) Making Fear the Driver
↳ Fear of failure kills creativity fast.
↳ Celebrate smart failures in retros or all-hands.

5) Hoarding Every Decision
↳ Centralized control drains energy and drive.
↳ Set clear boundaries, then get out of the way.

6) Ignoring Burnout Signs
↳ Stress signals grow into serious issues.
↳ Adjust workload or timelines when needed.

7) Forgetting to Recognize Effort
↳ Lack of recognition demotivates your best people.
↳ Give specific praise in public every week.

8) Demanding 24/7 Availability
↳ Always-on cultures exhaust everyone.
↳ Set the norm: no replies after 6 pm or on weekends.

– – – –

Dear leaders,

Your team isn’t burning out because they’re weak.

They’re exhausted because the system is broken.

And it’s your job to fix it.