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

More episodes of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast

• The 4 Behaviors of A Toxic Workplace a #straightfromcait episode · May 31, 2026 · 9 min
• 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

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the FRIED. The Burnout Podcast podcast page.