The Leadership Balancing Act: Supporting Staff Without Burning Out

As a leader, you’re expected to support your team, ensure high performance, and create a positive working environment. But how do you do that without stretching yourself too thin? The answer lies in lies in prevention rather than cure, through nurturing staff well-being—not just by offering quick-fix solutions, but by embedding a culture where well-being is a leadership priority, not an afterthought.

Why Staff Well-Being Matters

A team that feels supported and valued will perform better, stay engaged, and contribute positively to the wider culture of the workplace. When well-being is neglected, leaders face:

• Increased staff absences due to stress and burnout.

• Lower engagement and motivation, leading to reduced productivity.

• High staff turnover, as people seek workplaces where they feel cared for.

Prioritising well-being doesn’t mean taking on everyone’s emotional load—it means creating an environment where staff feel safe, supported, and empowered to manage their own well-being so that when they do need your direct support, it is for a specific purpose and is based on a foundation of proven mutual respect and understanding….They will come to you already knowing that they can trust you, and that you value their wellbeing.

Strategies for Leaders to Support Well-Being

One practical approach to managing workload that I used during my time as a head teacher, is the 'One In, Two Out' Rule. For every new initiative, protocol, or expectation introduced, I removed two existing processes that impact overall workload. The SLT would identify any redundant tasks that the new initiative overrode and consult staff to highlight duplications from an operational perspective. This ensured a streamlined approach to workload management and reduced unnecessary burdens on staff. Staff in turn knew that this was a two-way street, and would offer up their own suggestions of where they felt from an operational level they were duplicating tasks.

Another critical aspect of leadership well-being is ensuring that leaders themselves have structured spaces to process challenges. Leadership is often isolating; decisions are made, energy is given to others, and yet there is rarely a formal structure in place to replenish and support senior leaders.

This is why I advocate for supervision for senior leaders, rather than traditional one-to-ones. When structured as coaching conversations, supervision provides a dedicated space for reflection, emotional processing, and strategic thinking. Leaders who engage in regular, structured supervision:

• Experience greater clarity in decision-making.

• Reduce the risk of burnout by having a space to offload and gain perspective.

• Are more effective in delivering KPIs and implementing development initiatives.

In my leadership consultancy work,  I teach leadership teams how to hold effective supervision sessions as part of their leadership approach.  When supervision is embedded into a leadership culture, it strengthens wellbeing, enhances resilience and ultimately leads to more positive outcomes across the organisation.  A leader I worked in a school I joined as a Head shared with me her experience of this approach:

“When I became a senior leader I was anxious about my new role and had imposter syndrome. After 18 months in post I began working with Maureen as my new head. Through questioning and allowing me space to reflect, she challenged me to delve deeper into the reasons behind my actions and develop my leadership values - And I realised leadership was not about doing everything for my team, but empowering them to be leaders in their own areas. Through this support I gained confidence, and the ability to face any challenge set.”

Supervision, when done well, creates a ripple effect—leaders who feel supported are better equipped to support their teams, creating a healthier and more sustainable leadership culture.

1. Model Work-Life Balance

If you’re sending emails at midnight and skipping lunch, your team will assume they should do the same. Set a positive example:

• Leave on time when possible—your team will feel they have permission to do the same.

• Encourage staff to take breaks and actually model this yourself.

• Avoid glorifying ‘being busy’—productivity isn’t measured by exhaustion.

2. Create a Culture of Psychological Safety

Your team should feel they can speak openly about challenges without fear of judgment. Foster an environment where:

• Well-being check-ins are part of regular meetings (even just asking ‘How’s everyone doing this week?’).

• Staff know that they can raise concerns without fear of repercussions.

• Leaders genuinely listen, rather than rushing to ‘fix’ problems.

3. Embed Well-Being into Work Practices

Well-being isn’t an ‘extra’—it should be part of daily operations. Consider:

• Flexible working solutions where possible to support work-life balance.

• Shared responsibility for well-being, with staff contributing ideas to improve team culture.

• Practical workload management, ensuring staff aren’t overloaded with unrealistic expectations.

  
  

A Lesson from My Leadership Journey

During my time as a headteacher, I saw first-hand how well-being (or the lack of it) shaped a team. At one point, I had a highly dedicated but exhausted staff, working late and taking work home on weekends. The culture unintentionally encouraged overworking. Realizing this, we made small but impactful changes:

• I made it clear that I expected the building to be empty by 5.30pm so the site manager could lock up at 6.

• We updated the staff handbook and code of conduct to require any emails sent between 5.30 pm and 7.00 am to be scheduled for 'delayed send' to hit inboxes at 7.00 am. This allowed those who preferred evening emails to maintain their workflow, while protecting others’ work-life balance.

• We introduced well-being activities for staff to take part in after school on a voluntary basis, including art classes, cooking classes, and even a Couch to 5K group. These activities were scheduled within directed time for teaching assistants, recognising the differences in pay and working conditions between them and teaching staff.

These initiatives created opportunities for staff to unwind, process the day, and interact with colleagues they might not typically spend time with in a more relaxed and informal setting. The result? Staff felt more empowered to prioritise their own well-being, productivity improved, and the overall school culture became more sustainable.            

What’s Next?

This marks the final week of my Developing Staff Relationships series, but the work doesn’t stop here! Subscribers to my mailing list have exclusive access to a Well-Being Toolkit, filled with practical resources to help leaders create a culture of well-being while protecting their own energy.

📩 The complete kit contains the following exclusive resources:

• The Trust-Building Checklist

• The Feedback Conversation Starter Kit

• The Collaboration Strategy Guide

• The Well-Being Toolkit (new this week!)

  
  

Let’s continue this conversation. What’s one well-being initiative that’s worked well in your team? I’d love to hear your thoughts!