Managers occupy a difficult position in the modern workplace. They are expected to deliver results, support their teams, manage performance, navigate change and provide reassurance when uncertainty is high…that’s a mouthful to say, let alone achieve. Yet an important question that is often overlooked is who is supporting the managers themselves?
The latest data suggests this deserves more attention. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2026 found that 40% of employees globally experienced significant stress during the previous day in 2025. Manager engagement also fell significantly, with just 22% of managers engaged compared with 31% in 2022.
These figures should not be interpreted as evidence that being a manager inevitably damages mental health. Rather, they highlight a growing responsibility for organizations that if managers are expected to be the first line of support for their employees, they need support themselves.
Naturally,managers can find themselves caught between competing expectations.
Senior leaders want results, productivity and progress. Employees want understanding, flexibility and effective leadership. Managers have to translate both sets of expectations into something workable, often while dealing with their own workload and pressures.
They may also be the person an employee approaches when they are struggling, experiencing burnout or dealing with a personal difficulty. Managers do not need to become therapists, and organizations should never expect them to, but they do need the confidence and skills to respond appropriately.
The World Health Organization recognizes manager training as an important component of workplace mental health support, alongside organizational interventions and individual support. It also identifies inadequate managerial and organizational environments, excessive demands and lack of support as potential risks to mental health.
One of the most useful things an organization can do is redefine what good management looks like. A manager should not be expected to absorb every problem that reaches their team. Nor should being constantly available be treated as evidence of commitment.
Instead, organizations can equip managers with clear boundaries, appropriate resources and access to support when situations exceed their expertise.
Training can help managers recognize signs that someone may be struggling, understand how to start a sensitive conversation and know when to involve HR or specialist support. Just as importantly, managers should know that asking for help themselves is a sign of responsible leadership, not weakness.
There is also another opportunity here: creating a culture in which managers can acknowledge their own challenges.
Leaders often feel pressure to project confidence, particularly during periods of organizational change. But there is a difference between providing stability and pretending that everything is easy.
A manager who can say, “This is a challenging period, so let’s talk about what we need from each other,” can create a more honest and psychologically safe environment for their team.
That does not mean oversharing or transferring emotional responsibility to employees. It means modeling healthy, sustainable leadership.
Perhaps the biggest mistake organizations can make is responding to manager stress by giving managers another initiative to implement. Instead, ask whether the organization is giving managers the conditions to succeed.
Are spans of control realistic? Do managers have sufficient autonomy? Are priorities clear? Is administrative work preventing them from actually managing people? Do they have opportunities to develop their leadership skills? Are senior leaders modeling the same behaviors they expect from managers?
These are organizational questions, not simply individual wellbeing questions.
If you would like to discuss how we can help ensure your managers are able to strike the best balance in their roles and prevent burnout, please get in touch with us today.
