3 Signs You're Heading Toward Burnout as a New Manager (And What to Do Before It's Too Late)

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If your career path is anything like mine, you started your job making something—let's call it "the product" for simplicity. You were so good at making this product that your company promoted you (SCORE!), and now you're managing people who make this product. Suddenly, you're being asked to inspire, not do. Lead, not micromanage. Be the signal, not the noise surrounding the signal.

But here's the problem: How do you actually do this? How do you manage—or better yet, lead—without a roadmap? And how do you keep on doing this to achieve the outcomes and goals your company has?

Here's the truth: You aren't alone. Almost 60% of first-time managers never received any training when they stepped into leadership (12 Common Challenges of New Managers | CCL). So in its absence, what did you do? Likely what I did too—I winged it! And how did I wing it? Well, I based it on what was role-modeled to me through good (and bad—hello, let's not do that!) bosses. Ha! Was this the cause of my burnout? No, likely not the full story, but it was the start of several years' worth of habits and building blocks I repeated over and over again until 15 years later, I imploded.

If you're reading this and nodding your head, you're in the right place. Let's walk through 3 concrete signs you're heading toward burnout—and what you can actually do about it before it's too late.

SIGN #1: You're Doing Two Jobs (And Drowning in Both)

Ok, you've made it—you have people to manage, whether directly or indirectly. But you still find yourself back doing the work you used to. Your hands are deep in the product-making, and you find yourself struggling to get out of the weeds. Your calendar is back-to-back, but you're also trying to finish your own deliverables.

And here's the other challenge: your team member taking over the work doesn't do it like you did. You need time to train them, and that's time you don't have. It's a daily balance between doing it myself quickly (and right the first time) OR managing my team member through their learning curve. Decisions!

Here's the cruel irony: The exact behavior that got you promoted—being the person who gets it done, who delivers quality work, who can be counted on to do it right—is now the behavior keeping you stuck. You were rewarded for doing so; your brain is wired to keep doing. But now your job is to enable others to do. And nobody taught you how to make that switch.

Almost 60% of first-time managers never received any training when they transitioned into leadership (12 Common Challenges of New Managers | CCL). So you're left trying to unlearn the very habits that made you successful, without a roadmap for what should replace them. It feels risky, even reckless, to let go of work you know you can do well. What if your team member messes it up? What if it takes too long? What if you look bad because they aren't ready?

So you keep doing both jobs. And slowly, quietly, you start to burn out.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT:

• Delegate one task this week—and invest the time to teach it. It'll take longer now, but it pays off later. Pick something where "good enough" is actually good enough, and resist the urge to take it back when they stumble.

• Create a transition plan. List the tasks still on your plate. Which ones could someone else do? Who's ready to learn? Map out how you'll hand things off over the next 3-6 months—not all at once, but deliberately.

SIGN #2: You Thought You'd Be Good at This... But You're Not in the Business You Thought You Were In

You got promoted because you were really good at making the product (or closing the deal, or writing the code, or [insert your expertise here]). You knew your craft inside and out. You were the go-to person. The expert.

But now? Now you're spending your days navigating team dynamics, mediating conflicts, trying to motivate someone who's disengaged, and figuring out how to give feedback without crushing someone's spirit. You're in the business of people now.

Here's what nobody told you: The individual skills and work that made you effective and got you that promotion to management are not what bring future success as a manager who successfully leads others—the skills, knowledge, and perspectives that helped you get the new role are not necessarily what will help you excel (#1stTimeMgr - Center for Creative Leadership, CCL Boost™). You thought this next step would be an extension of what you were already great at, but it's not. It's a completely different job—one that's less about doing the thing and more about helping other people do the thing. And that requires a whole different skill set: emotional intelligence, communication, coaching, and conflict resolution.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT:

• Name your new business—and get the training you need. You're not in the business of [making widgets/closing deals/writing code] anymore. You're in the business of developing people. Once you name that shift, you can seek out the support to build this new skill set: books, courses, a coach, or peer managers who've navigated this transition. This isn't about being "bad" at management; it's about being untrained for it.

• Find one person who's been there. Seek out a mentor, coach, or peer manager who can normalize what you're feeling. Hearing "I felt that way too" can be life-changing. You're not faking it—you're learning. And learning requires admitting you don't have all the answers yet.

SIGN #3: You're Convinced You're Faking It (And Everyone's About to Find Out)

This stance can feel exhausting and, at times, exhilarating. Depending on how you're motivated (hello, Enneagram!), you may feel your imposter syndrome firing at an all-time high, or you might fully embrace a "fake it till you make it" mindset. If the latter is your orientation, you might be able to skip this sign. But if you, like me, wrestle with that nagging voice that can hold you back, this promotion comes with a downside: the belief that you'll be found out or let others down because you can't deliver on what they brought you in to do.

Here's the ugly truth about imposter syndrome: When you have it outside of a burnout cycle, it can be draining. But in the midst of a burnout cycle? It can be debilitating. If left unchecked, these distorted perspectives leave you feeling like each decision is high-stakes, needs to be second-guessed, and validated. You blame yourself—and perhaps the system you're working in, too. Nothing is off the table.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT:

• Name your imposter voice. Give it a persona. Mine is Pepper. Once I named her, everything changed. It's not "I'm not good enough"—it's "Pepper is telling me I'm not good enough." That distance is everything. Now I can challenge Pepper instead of believing every accusation she throws at me. So give your inner critic a name, and start talking back.

• Ask three questions when your inner critic shows up. When Pepper starts spiraling, I stop and ask: Is this actually true? (Not "does it feel true"—is there real evidence?) What would I tell a friend who said this about themselves? (Because I'd never be this brutal to someone else.) What's a more realistic thought? Replace "I'm faking it and everyone's going to find out" with "I'm learning, and most new managers feel this way." These three questions dismantle the lies faster than anything else I've tried.

The Bottom Line

If you recognized yourself in two or more of these signs, here's what I want you to know:

You're not broken. You're not failing. You're not alone.

Burnout happens when you're exposed day in and day out to the demands of your current role without the proper support scaffolding to help you evolve. Most new managers are promoted without training, expected to figure it out, and then blamed when they struggle. That's not on you. That's on the system.

But here's the good news: burnout isn't inevitable, and you don't have to push through it alone.

The behaviors that got you promoted won't get you where you need to go next, though. Managing people requires a different skill set, a different mindset, and—most importantly—support. Whether that's a mentor, a coach, training, or simply permission to admit you're still learning, you deserve help navigating this transition and redefining what success looks like—for you and your team.

If you're ready to stop surviving and start leading sustainably, let's talk. My 1:1 coaching program and Burnout Beta are designed for leaders like you—people who are capable, committed, and completely overwhelmed. Together, we'll figure out what needs to change so you can lead without losing yourself in the process.

You don't have to have all the answers. You just need to take the first step.

Sources:

• 12 Common Challenges of New Managers | CCL

• #1stTimeMgr - Center for Creative Leadership

• CCL Boost™ for New Leaders