Middle Managers Are Burning Out and Walking Away in Record Numbers

Executive and Career Coaching for Burned-Out Leaders in Austin, Texas

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, July 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The management layer in U.S. organizations is fraying. Middle managers are experiencing unprecedented levels of burnout and many are choosing to exit the managerial ranks entirely.

According to new data from Future Forum and Gallup, 45% of middle managers report burnout, more than any other employee group and only 21% say they’re thriving. Additionally, those managers are now overseeing nearly double the number of direct reports they did five years ago, up from about three employees per manager in 2019 to nearly six in 2025

Further reinforcing the risk, DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast 2025 found that 40% of stressed leaders have considered leaving their leadership roles to seek better well-being. These trends aren’t just numbers they’re signs of a deeper problem. In a rapidly growing city like Austin, managers feel squeezed:

- Workloads have surged, support remains stagnant, and work-life balance is dissolving.
- Pressure to do more with less erodes engagement and team performance.
- Titles and compensation—the so-called “golden handcuffs”—no longer offset constant stress.

“Applause and even a paycheck doesn’t matter as much when you’re exhausted,” says Dr. Benjamin Ritter, executive and career coach based in Austin. “Leaders are walking away because the demands aren’t sustainable and that echoes across entire teams and organizations.”

Dr. Ritter specializes in guiding leaders to become fearless in their careers and create a job that serves them instead of the other way around. He works with managers, founders, and executives ready to pause, reflect, and rebuild a more sustainable path forward. His coaching through the LIVE System© focuses on:
- Reclaiming foothold, not quitting outright; pausing to reflect and refuel.
- Prioritizing values, connection, and mental resilience.
- Redefining success, embracing roles that fuel growth and fulfillment.

Ritter’s core recommendations for leaders on the edge:

- Block time for uninterrupted thinking, no screens.
- Rebuild boundaries between work and life.
- Refocus on mission and impact, not just output.
- Choose health and energy as non-negotiables.
- Lead deliberately, and authentically.

“As Austin’s skyline grows,” he adds, “so does the stress on the people holding it up. We need leaders who aren’t just surviving but thriving. That’s what I help build and what we need organizations to support and help cultivate.”

About Dr. Benjamin Ritter
Dr. Benjamin Ritter is the founder of LFY Consulting, author of the amazon best-seller, Becoming Fearless, and an Austin-based executive and career coach. He guides high-performing professionals to become fearless in their career, discovering clarity, and intentionally building fulfilling, values-aligned careers.

Benjamin Ritter
LFY Consulting
+1 224-766-0383
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