Your Exec is Overwhelmed—Now What?

How to spot the signs of burnout, support your leader effectively, and protect yourself in the process.

You’ve seen the signs creeping in.

The tone in their voice is shorter than usual. Meetings are getting rescheduled last-minute. They’re not sleeping well, their calendar is full of urgent catch-ups rather than strategic time blocks, and when you ask if they’ve eaten today, they just blink at you.

Your exec is overwhelmed.

And while it’s your job to support them, what happens when the emotional load becomes too heavy? When your calm efficiency is met with chaos, or when their stress starts to seep into your own work and wellbeing?

This article isn’t about how to be a hero. It’s about recognising what’s going on, stepping up where you can, and drawing clear boundaries where you must. Because burnout is contagious—and you can’t support anyone effectively if you’re collapsing alongside them.

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The Early Warning Signs (That Aren’t Always Obvious)

Burnout doesn’t arrive with flashing lights. It tends to whisper before it screams. The earlier you notice the signs, the more proactive you can be—not just for their sake, but for yours.

Here are some subtle but telling shifts:

• Erratic scheduling: Meetings are being double-booked, cancelled last-minute, or added in the middle of the night.

• Increased irritability: They're short in tone, seem distracted, or are snapping at people they normally get on well with.

• Decline in communication quality: Important details are missed. Responses get briefer. You’re doing a lot of chasing.

• Disconnection: They’re not as present in meetings. They’re skipping key updates or delegating critical decisions out of urgency.

• Withdrawal: Social events are cancelled, cameras stay off, and lunch breaks disappear.

• Loss of enthusiasm: They sound flat when talking about initiatives they used to be excited by.

These aren’t necessarily signs of bad leadership—they’re signs of overload. Many execs are under relentless pressure, and high performers are often the last to acknowledge they’re struggling.

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The Emotional Toll on You

Let’s not sugar-coat it. Supporting someone through burnout is emotionally draining.

As their EA, you’re often the first to notice something’s wrong—and the last person they’ll want to ‘burden’ with their struggles. But you’ll feel it. In the urgency. In the unspoken expectations. In the way their stress starts to reshape your own day.

You might find yourself:

• Picking up tasks they’ve forgotten

• Becoming their emotional buffer or therapist

• Re-prioritising constantly as their mood shifts

• Absorbing anxiety that isn’t yours to carry

This is where things get dangerous. Because you’re not only their assistant—you’re also a person. With your own boundaries, workload, and wellbeing.

Supporting your exec does not mean losing yourself in the process. I’m going to walk through some of the things you can do—without burning out too.

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How to Support Them Practically

You can’t fix burnout with colour-coded calendars alone—but structure can bring clarity to chaos. Here are ways to offer real, tangible support:

🔍 Step Into Triage Mode