Working With a Leader Who Is Overwhelmed

A leader who is overwhelmed by tasks, problems, and expectations is more than simply distracted.

Juggling too many balls can create stress, edginess, and an inability to focus. They typically don’t remember much of what they tell others or retain the information shared with them.

Overwhelmed leaders often struggle to convey directions or priorities clearly, while also showing up late or unprepared to important meetings. Their ability to make decisions becomes impaired, while their impatience with others rises.

Leaders buried by a mountain of tasks often start avoiding difficult conversations, leading to unresolved issues within the team.

As they disengage from team activities, everyone wonders when they will break. They normally don’t. They can endure the crush and stress for months, even though their productivity and leadership suffer.

Leaders who are underwater present a unique challenge for those who work with them. Even getting a few minutes of uninterrupted time with them is never easy.

And when they do engage, their impatience, distraction, and irritability become painfully clear. Team members are left pondering what to do.

Here are a few things to consider when managing an overwhelmed leader:

First, acknowledge their stress and offer to take something off their plate. The likelihood is they won’t know what to offload, but they will greatly appreciate the gesture and feel better about your relationship in the process.

Next, team members must create a paper trail for anything discussed, decided, or agreed to. Do this not to protect yourself from conflict, but because your leader won’t remember what they have committed to. You can easily remind them if you have documented commitments and updates.

Third, be highly mindful of your timing. Avoid bringing up non-urgent issues when the leader seems stressed. When you do raise issues, be concise and clear. Get right to the point. Try your best not to provide details or information they can’t handle or don’t want.

Fourth, update them frequently so they don’t have to worry or think about where things stand. Keep them informed so they don’t have to ask questions or seek more information about progress.

Lastly, be sure to show up with solutions, not problems. When elevating an issue, be prepared to describe what you would plan to do about it. Demonstrate your initiative and reduce their burden at the same time.

Don’t let their anxiety stress you out. Stay calm in the face of their impatience. Just because they are frazzled doesn’t mean you need to be. Do your best not to let the tax of their distraction take you off your game.