- Kevin Sanders
- Jul 19
- 5 min read
July 19, 2025
Read Time - 4 minutes
“The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate.” — Gruenter & Whitaker
We talk a lot about protecting our top performers from burnout.
But what happens when their reliability becomes a crutch for the whole department?
In one of my early leadership roles, I realized we weren’t just leaning on a few high achievers—we were depending on them too much.
And over time, that kind of imbalance doesn’t just exhaust your best people—it prevents others from stepping in. This week’s issue is about how to fix that.
Not by blaming individuals, but by building better systems that share leadership—and protect culture.
The Hidden Cost of Overloading Your Best People
In that early role, I inherited a few faculty and staff who were absolute all-stars.
They were proactive, reliable, and already doing far more than their fair share.
So when we needed someone to:
Chair a new initiative? They stepped up.
Launch a student program? They were on it.
Pick up a dropped ball? They caught it.
They were the engine of the department.
But when we launched a new strategic plan—one that required everyone to contribute—those same people were tapped out.
And here’s the nuance:
Some were clearly overburdened.
But a few? They had taken on so much for so long that letting go felt risky. Their reliability had become part of how our system functioned—and part of how they saw themselves.
We hadn’t just overloaded our best people.
We had unintentionally built a bottleneck.
If we were going to grow, we needed to stop leaning on the same shoulders.
That meant doing something harder than asking more from our top performers:
I had to challenge them to let go
I had to ask others to step up
And I had to stop avoiding hard conversations
It was a culture shift—and it started with me.
Leadership Takeaway:
When you don’t hold underperformers accountable, your best people carry the burden—and your culture pays the price.
It’s a common pattern in academic departments:
Leaders want to preserve collegiality and avoid conflict.
So instead of confronting underperformance, they quietly lean harder on their most dependable people.
But that sends two messages:
There’s no real consequence for not showing up
There’s no real protection for those who do
Culture doesn’t collapse overnight.
It breaks down slowly—through the steady, silent drift of unfairness.
The Counterintuitive Challenge: Over-Reliance Isn’t Loyalty—It’s Risk
Yes—some of your top performers are quietly burning out.
But others? They’ve simply been the go-to for too long.
Their consistency made them indispensable.
Over time, the system began to revolve around them—and they began to internalize that role. It wasn’t ego. It was structure.
And when one person becomes the default, everyone else stays on the sidelines.
Here’s the cost:
No one else gets to lead
No one else learns the system
The department becomes dependent on one person’s pace, preferences, and availability
And when that person leaves? You’re left with no leadership bench, no continuity, and a team that isn’t ready.
That’s not just unhealthy—it’s risky.
As a leader, you have to name it:
👉 Over-reliance feels efficient—but it limits growth. It creates bottlenecks, stalls succession, and leaves your team vulnerable.
The goal isn’t to find someone who will get it done. It’s to build a team where leadership is shared, developed, and passed on.
4 Ways to Reset the Balance
If you’ve slipped into this pattern—or inherited it— Here’s how to course-correct without blowing up trust or morale:
1. Map the Load—Visibly
Create a database of all service, leadership, and informal “go-to” tasks.
Let people see who’s doing what. Imbalance becomes obvious when it’s shared.
Pro tip: Include hidden labor—chairing a committee, mentoring, student support, or emergency gap-filling.
2. Spot the Imbalance Early
When someone takes on five extra tasks, it’s not generosity—it’s a sign of a broken system.
Instead of simply thanking them, ask:
“What’s making this keep landing on your plate—and how do we fix that?”
3. Call People In—Then Call Them Up
Underperformance often stems from unclear expectations—not unwillingness.
Invite people into the fix. Define what’s fair, what’s expected, and how you’ll check in.
People often step up when they feel included—not blamed.
4. Support the Multipliers
Help your most dependable people shift from doing the work to building capacity.
“Leadership means bringing others along—not carrying it alone.”
Ask them to mentor, not just execute.
Encourage them to be the multiplier—not the martyr.
Pro tip: Create clearly defined roles for administrative, leadership, and service expectations. Guardrails help everyone know when a role is full—and when it’s time to pass the baton.
The Bottom Line
Culture is shaped by what you consistently reward—and what you quietly allow.
I’ve seen people turn things around in powerful ways:
The faculty member who once disengaged is now leading.
The staff member who used to do just enough to get by is now anticipating needs.
But that didn’t happen by looking the other way.
It happened because someone named the problem, approached it with fairness—not blame,
and expected more because they believed people could grow.
So, don’t just lean on the dependable few.
Invite others in.
If you want shared ownership, you have to create shared opportunity.
Leadership means seeing the imbalance before it becomes resentment—
and having the courage to reset the system—by designing a culture where everyone has a chance to rise.
Try This Before Friday
Pull up your department’s service and committee list.
Highlight the names that appear more than twice.
Ask yourself:
Who’s carrying the load because it’s easier than confronting imbalance?
Who’s been quietly coasting—with no feedback?
Pick one person from each column.
Schedule two 15-minute conversations for next week:
One to affirm
One to challenge
👥 Ready to Help Others?
This goes out each week to leaders trying to build better systems, stronger teams, and healthier departments. If this helped you navigate your corner of campus, pass it on! 👉 Subscribe here.
Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
1.) Get the free guide: Lead by Design. Put an end to reactive leadership. Learn how to clarify decisions, streamline workflows, and surface expectations—so you can fix what’s broken and focus on what matters most. 2.) Coaching for Academic Leaders: A focused 1:1 coaching experience for higher ed professionals who want to lead with clarity, build smarter systems, and stay centered on what matters most. I work with a limited number of clients each quarter to provide highly personalized, strategic support. Send me a message. 3.) Professional Development Workshops: Interactive sessions for faculty, staff, and leadership teams that help reduce conflict, streamline decision-making, and shift culture with smart systems. Virtual and in-person options available. Sessions tailored to your campus needs. |