Issue 14: Before your team burns out
Your team’s well-being is your most important deliverable
Lenny Rachitsky released findings from a sweeping survey of over 8,200 tech professionals. It covered everything from roles and remote work to seniority and satisfaction. One stat in particular hit home for the design community:
Designers and researchers, integral roles in the tech industry, are among the most severely affected by burnout.
It's not surprising. But it is validating—especially for those of us who've felt the weight of burnout creeping in for a while, even if we couldn't always name it. This shared experience in the design community is a powerful validation of our feelings.
Why creative work burns you out
Creative work isn't just about solving problems; it's about solving ambiguous ones. Design teams are often expected to navigate constant critique, justify decisions, align with shifting business goals, and get stakeholder buy-in—all while meeting compressed timelines.
It's a role built on uncertainty. And when the target is constantly moving, it becomes hard to feel grounded. That ambiguity, when left unmanaged, creates a low-grade anxiety that designers often carry silently.
Studies suggest that creative professionals often experience higher levels of cognitive strain due to the inherent complexity of their work and the continuous demand to reframe problems and produce novel solutions. This type of mental load can accumulate over time, contributing to burnout and fatigue.
The pressure of perfection
On top of the ambiguity, there's the relentless pressure to be perfect within their peergroup. Design, more than most functions, ties professional worth to a single dimension: craft.
We glorify polish. We celebrate aesthetic brilliance or create a rabbit hole of polarizing hot takes (looking at you, Liquid Glass). And we place unspoken expectations on ourselves and each other to measure up. But at some point, you have to ask: What does chasing perfection get us?
Sometimes, an obsession with craft can lead to toxic behaviors. We gaslight each other under the guise of "standards." We might discredit good work if it doesn't present itself in a certain way in a portfolio. We often forget that context and constraints can shape outcomes more significantly than talent alone.
Truth is, there are many ways to drive impact—and not all of them look shiny and result in a high-fidelity mock or prototype.
The enterprise wasn't built with modern design organizations in mind
Unlike our PM, engineer, and marketing counterparts, designers often don't have a clear educational or career track with a built-in reward system. PM and engineers teams often inherently own headcount budgets, IC levels are directly tied to clearly defined charters. Many come from structured programs with MBAs and CS degrees—that provide them with access to networks, playbooks, and startup capital.
Design doesn't have that (although there is a growing movement for design-founders). Even with a seat at the table, our role is still widely misinterpreted by our peers.
So what happens? We see PMs and engineers get promoted or publicly recognized for work that we directly contributed to. And unless we're willing to step up and tell that story ourselves, our role gets written out of it.
This can have a significant impact on morale, as well as compensation, rewards, and career growth.
Leadership matters more than we think
Here's where leadership becomes mission-critical.
According to Lenny's survey:
People with ineffective leadership are 4.3x more likely to be at risk of leaving.
Those with extremely effective leaders are 8.2x more likely to be committed to their role.
Folks "actively looking" for new jobs? They're 5x more likely to rate their manager poorly.
That's not fluff. That's a hard signal.
If you're leading a team, the environment you create matters—probably more than you realize. The way you recognize your team, set the pace, share credit, and define "good" has a direct impact on how people feel—and whether they stay.
I've always held onto a quote from Bill Walsh, legendary 49ers coach:
"For members of your team, you determine what their inner voice says. The leader, at least a good one, teaches the team how to talk to themselves. An effective leader has a profound influence on what that inner voice will say."
I think about that quote often—especially when interviewing design leaders. Many present polished portfolios showcasing what their teams built, but few speak to how they created the conditions for that work to thrive. It leads me to believe this is a muscle that design leaders haven’t quite mastered in the stories that we tell or value.
The environment is the product.
No one out-grinds burnout
Life happens. Burnout isn't something you hustle through. It's not a rite of passage. It's not a badge of honor.
You don't do your best work when you're depleted. You do it when you have the clarity, space, and energy to think creatively. And sometimes, that means taking a hard look at your environment.
Burnout isn't always about the work itself. It can be shaped by what's happening outside of it: the political climate, economic pressure, grief, depression. Sometimes it's family stress it might be the feeling of being underpaid or overlooked.
That's why it's so important for managers to identify it early and notice when something is shifting. Burnout doesn't always announce itself, and when it does, it's often been building for a while. You don't need to be a therapist, but you do need to be aware. Know what support and benefits are available. Sometimes, all it takes is a thoughtful check-in or a simple nudge in the right direction.
Clarity can reduce the weight of burnout
Building clarity is one of the most effective ways to prevent burnout. When people understand what is expected of them, how their work contributes to the larger vision, and how they'll be evaluated, they feel more confident and less anxious. Here's a quick checklist to help create that clarity:
Have you talked about what's expected from the team? Clarity on expectations helps reduce uncertainty and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Are goals clear, and do people know how their work connects to them? Reinforcing team priorities ensures that everyone is clear about their focus.
Is the focus for this quarter front and center so the team can prioritize what's immediate? Clear, actionable goals enable the team to focus on what is most urgent.
Have you reinforced OKRs or team priorities more than once and made them readily accessible? Repetition and easy access help people stay aligned and create accountability.
Is there clarity around how performance is evaluated. Specifically, how their deliverables are assessed? Knowing how you'll be evaluated reduces anxiety and ensures everyone is focused on the right metrics.
Have you created regular space for alignment, questions, and feedback? Regular check-ins and feedback loops help teams stay agile and responsive.
Burnout thrives in ambiguity. Offering clarity consistently and accessible helps people move with more confidence and less mental load.
Building morale and awareness
Burnout doesn't have to be the norm. I've been there, feeling the weight of deadlines, expectations, and constant pressure. Over time, I've learned that leadership isn't just about driving results; it's about creating an environment where people feel seen, heard, and valued. Here are a few things that have worked for me:
Recognizing wins, big and small: I've made it a habit to highlight my team's wins, even the small ones. It's easy to get caught up in what's next, but celebrating progress; whether it's completing a high-visibility project or resolving a complex edge case. If your team doesn't know what good looks like, how can they model it?
1:1s beyond delivery: Early on, I learned that 1:1s shouldn't just be about checking off tasks. I make sure to check in on well-being, too. It's about creating space to talk openly about stress, challenges, and how everyone's really doing, not just what's on their to-do list.
Modeling healthy work habits: I started modeling rest, clarity, and thoughtful decision-making myself. I realized that if I'm always pushing through without taking breaks or slowing down, my team will do the same. Now, I prioritize balance and encourage the team to do the same.
Fostering open dialogue: I've worked hard to build an environment where team members feel comfortable speaking up and providing feedback. It's not just about being receptive; it's about following up and making sure they know their voices matter.
Following through on support: When my team needs help, I make it a priority to follow through on their requests. It's not just about offering support; it's about delivering the proper support and being consistent in providing the resources they need to succeed. Also remember, its OK to say “I don’t know” if you are uncertain about something.
Design is demanding work. It requires emotional labor, creative stamina, and constant context-switching. But burnout isn’t inevitable. It’s often a symptom of what’s missing: clarity, recognition, support, and psychological safety.
You don’t need to solve everything overnight. But small actions add up. Create space for honest conversations. Be clear about expectations. Celebrate the effort, not just the outcomes. And when someone’s struggling, don’t wait for them to raise their hand—check in early, check in often.
Because over time, the environment you shape becomes the voice your team carries with them. Their inner dialogue, the one that says “I’m supported here,” or “I’m on my own” is influenced by what you do, and what you choose not to.
When people feel seen, supported, and steady, they do their best work.
And they’ll want to keep doing it—with you.
Let’s not wait for burnout to show up loud. Let’s lead in a way that helps people thrive from the inside out.
Technically Speaking is where I share reflections, insights, and conversations to help you lead with confidence, clarity, and community. Are you looking to level up your design leadership and management craft? Spend an hour with me for personalized 1:1 coaching to help you thrive in your role.