Stress at the Top

We often imagine business leaders are confident, driven and in control. They make huge decisions, push companies forward again and again, many times with the weight of others upon them. But in reality, there are an untold number of leaders who do it all while feeling isolated.

In our new study through Willingness, in partnership with the Malta Chamber of Commerce, we posed a simple, if little discussed question – Who is taking care of the boss? The answers we received were something to behold. For all the ambition, conviction and sheer stubbornness behind much of Maltese business-class thinking, there is a growing, hushed sense of detachment and emotional exhaustion.

They have a certain psychological profile in common. Our sample suggests, that Malta business owners and senior managers are high in conscientiousness, extraversion and emotional stability. These are hardworking good communicators- they communicate clearly- and take personal responsibility seriously.

They also demonstrate an internal locus of control — meaning when things go wrong, they do not point fingers at external circumstances. They look inward. They ask what they could have done differently, how may have gone better, and where was their slack or lacking. While it is necessary for good leadership, though – for the good, it also can become a heavy burden.

When everything becomes one’s own responsibility, it makes it more difficult to step away. Leaders come to absorb the company’s emotions of their team, and the constant desire to deliver. Over time, this creates a sort of distinct isolation that few outside leadership circles truly know.

One of our strongest research finds this week is that while people are surrounded by many leaders, emotionally, we’re still alone. We call it the “lonely at the top experience”. Although they are typically physically present in meetings, team events and decision-making rooms, they feel emotionally distant from those around them.

There are several reasons for that. First, leaders may find it difficult to express vulnerability. Concerns or doubts can seem risky. They are afraid to seem weak or incompetent, particularly under high-pressure conditions. Second, the qualities that allow them to thrive — independence, confidence and self-drive — can mean it’s harder to ask for help or acknowledge when they’re having trouble.

One business owner we met in our focus group had an observation that struck me: “I have a lot of people who depend on me but I don’t have anyone I can talk to about the pressure I feel.” This quote encapsulates the toll that many leaders bear, unspoken, emotionally.

Burnout is commonly described as an issue that affects employees, but from our data, it’s clear that the same is true of leaders. Burnout is just as real–if not more so. Fifty-four per cent of the managers we surveyed said they felt symptoms of burnout, and more than 30 per cent told us they could see that their boss was too stressed to be able to lead effectively.

This matters because when leaders burn out, it diminishes them, employee morale, staff retention, and even the company’s performance. Teams become anxious. Communication suffers. People start leaving. Ironically, the ones who are trying to keep everything together wind up watching everything fall apart.

This is particularly problematic with medium-sized establishments in Malta. Leaders here are juggling huge responsibilities without the same help from bigger companies and are often expected to do HR, ops, marketing, and strategy all at once. We found no surprise that 90 per cent of managers in this category rated their workload “high” in our study.

We also need solutions. One of the strong takeaways of our research is that leaders require safe spaces in which to speak. Whether through coaching, supervision, or peer-to-peer networks, leaders should not have to go through everything alone.

Businesses can do their part by building mechanisms for open communication. Board-level check-ins, executive leadership development programmes with emotional support and mental health training for senior staff are all critical first steps. There was also a culture shift necessary here to where vulnerability in leadership isn’t perceived as weakness but instead as self-awareness and strength.

It is time we began to normalise the fact that the leaders they have in charge and the people they control need care. Behind the strategy meetings and confident decision-making is a human being who, like everyone else, requires rest, support and connection.

If I took away one from this project, however, it is this – that leaders in Malta are very resilient. But resilience does not equal invincibility. It only means bouncing back; to bounce back, you need space every once in a while to fall apart.

Developing a culture that nurtures the well-being of leaders is not just good ethics, it’s good business. When leaders feel that they are emotionally connected, heard and supported, they lead better, develop better teams, build more organisations where, in the end, everyone can win instead of just the employees.

Stop expecting our leaders to be superheroes, just give them the human support they deserve.