A leader I worked with generated at least ten new ideas a day — and quickly delegated them to her team. Unsurprisingly, her team felt overwhelmed. But on closer inspection, she was overwhelmed too. Unable to prioritize, she ‘outsourced’ both the thinking and execution – often with tight deadlines and little support or direction.

Her overwhelm trap: Too many ideas and a lack of willingness to prioritize them.

Her solution? Entrust a team member to assess the ideas, sort the priorities, and confidently ditch the rest.

Overwhelm wears many faces.

Do you recognize yourself – or someone you lead – in any of these?

The Achievement Addict

The ambitious goal-driven leaders who never feel it’s enough. They constantly move the goalposts to deliver even more impressive outcomes. Indra Nooyi, the former PepsiCo CEO drove the company’s transformation for over a decade, but also shared how she worked through the birth of her child and kept pushing boundaries.

Whilst Indra Nooyi is inspiring, this level of sacrifice isn’t always sustainable.

A solution? Set role boundaries and engage in assertiveness training. And as Steven Covey says, find a bigger ‘yes’ that allows you to say ‘no’ to the non-aligned.

The Last Person Standing

The person who behaves as though they are the only individual in the team. They want to do everything themselves, value their independence and may not trust others to deliver to their standards.

Some of the behaviours of Steve Jobs fit here – micromanaging design and marketing, rejecting work that didn’t meet his standards and saying things like, ‘’I’m the only one who sees the whole picture.’’

A solution? Developing or rallying trusted allies for collaboration and a rethink of what support means.

The Hyper-Connected Communicator

The ‘always-on’ professional, possibly in a global or digital role, such as Jack Ma who constantly travelled, engaged online, gave speeches, mentored young entrepreneurs and ran a highly complex business, working 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week.

Such leaders may struggle to focus for extended periods due to being constantly engaged in multiple digital channels – and may even develop FOMO when off the network.

A solution? Separate the channels – with only one for urgent and important requests.

The Lonely Islander

The leader working remotely from the bulk of their team, who doesn’t feel connected and may struggle to gauge progress or performance. At times they may be operating in the dark, or without the backing of seniors – possibly overthinking in the absence of external data. They may also suffer from the emotional cost of isolation – the proximity of human connection that people need.

Whilst not an exact lonely islander, Ratan Tata was at times a lone warrior, making some bold bets, often without the enthusiastic support of the Board and stakeholders – such as the Jaguar Land Rover acquisition.

A solution? Conscious inclusion in decision-making and feedback loops. Clear guardrails within which to operate.

The Misaligned Misfit

Leaders in roles that don’t match their values or strengths – who feel detached and tired – not from the workload but from something that feels ‘off’ and could related to a lack of meaning.

Simone Biles, though not a business leader, pulled out of the Olympic events citing mental health. She was on top – from the outside – but inside, she may have felt misaligned.

Even high performers can feel out of place when their work no longer fits who they are becoming.

A solution? The courage to step into reflection, step away from what is causing misalignment and work on what brings satisfaction and meaning.

Overwhelm isn’t always loud or obvious. Sometimes it looks like endless ideas, constant motion, or quietly holding it all together.

Recognizing how overwhelm shows up for you – and what drives it – is the starting point for making more conscious choices.

Whether that means setting boundaries, seeking support, or simply pressing pause. Small shifts can lead to great clarity.

What might your overwhelm be trying to tell you?