We’re Expecting the Wrong Things From Leaders And It’s Causing Leadership Burnout: A #straightfromcait episode.

About this episode

Cait Donovan discusses the unrealistic expectations placed on leaders and how it contributes to their burnout, offering insights from her research and upcoming book.

If you're a leader who's exhausted, this one's for you. Cait Donovan, host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast has spent over a decade coaching leaders through burnout — and the pattern is clear: expectations have skyrocketed, but support hasn't followed. In this episode, she draws on real stories, her upcoming book *The Match Move*, and 10+ years of field research to break down exactly what belongs on a leader's plate and what doesn't. Key Topics Covered - Why leaders are burning out at unprecedented rates and why it's not their fault - The growing gap between what leaders are expected to be and what they're actually supported to do - Why burnout and stress are biologically contagious and what it means when leaders hit their limit - A real story about a manager who said "no" and changed an employee's entire understanding of leadership - The four things leaders ARE genuinely responsible for: workload, clarity, resources, and culture - The things leaders are NOT responsible for: being a therapist, life coach, nutritionist, or sleep consultant - The "match/mismatch" framework from the upcoming book *The Match Move* - Why working on your own alignment isn't selfish, it's true leadership…

People in this episode

Host: Cait Donovan

Topics covered

• leadership burnout
• expectations of leaders
• support for leaders
• biological contagion of stress
• responsibilities of leaders
• alignment in leadership

Keywords

• burnout
• leadership
• expectations
• support
• stress
• responsibilities
• alignment

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Match Move

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• Toxic or Just a Bad Fit? How to Tell the Difference at Work with Leanne Elliott of Truth, Lies, & Work · May 24, 2026 · 55 min
• Burned Out and Managing Multiple Generations? What Leaders Get Wrong About Generational Conflict at Work with Kristin Scroggin · May 10, 2026 · 59 min
• Why Giving Your Best Employees More Autonomy Sometimes Backfires (And What to Do Instead) A #straightfromcait Episode · May 3, 2026 · 12 min
• The Career Structure That's Actually Burnout-Proof (And Why More Execs Are Moving to It) with Ilana Golan · April 26, 2026 · 1h 2m