Fewer than 1 in 5 leaders demonstrated the ability to delegate, which is the “most effective skill for preventing burnout,” DDI said in a report released April 8.
DDI, a leadership consultancy, surveyed nearly 10,800 leaders worldwide and found that 80% of leaders said delegation is the most important skill for mitigating burnout — an important issue, as burnout continues to hit leaders “at alarming rates,” the company said.
Stress levels vary between leaders depending on a number of factors, the report noted. For example, leaders who work on-site tend to report higher stress levels than those who are hybrid or remote. “This is likely due to face-to-face interactions that create constant emotional management and direct exposure to workplace tensions,” the company said in a release.
However, hybrid and remote leaders reported the highest levels of burnout, which may speak to the particular challenges of working off-site, DDI said.
Burned out leaders are half as likely to be engaged at work compared to those who do not report burnout, according to the report — and burned out leaders may spread that disengagement to their own teams if employers do not notice it and step in.
But delegation can help leaders better manage their rising workloads and engage with their teams, leading to development of direct reports and a more collaborative atmosphere, DDI said in a blog post about the report.
“Many leaders struggle to delegate because they fear losing control or worry that passing work to others makes them look weak or inefficient,” the post said. “This skill gap often becomes apparent when professionals are promoted to leadership roles based solely on their strong technical expertise or high personal output.”
Leaders who are enabled to distribute their responsibilities and trust team members, however, can reduce their stress, DDI said.
“The good news is that delegation is a skill that can be developed,” Tacy Byham, CEO of DDI, said in a statement. “With the right training and support, organizations can empower leaders to build healthier, more resilient teams.”
Manager stress and burnout may already be on HR’s radar; according to Top Workplaces and Energage, manager burnout will be one of the most pressing challenges of 2025.
