Article • Culture & leadership

The hidden strain: Why healthcare leaders are at highest risk of burnout

Blurred hospital corridor with staff in teal scrubs moving quickly; emergency exit sign above a door in the background.

Healthcare leaders are carrying more than ever — and the system hasn’t been redesigned to reflect that. Our latest research, drawing on data from more than 20,000 Australian healthcare workers, shows that senior leaders are the least able to switch off from work of anyone in the sector.

But this isn’t simply a story about individual stress. It’s about what happens when the demands placed on leaders outpace the structures built to support them.

Our latest health leader insights brief brings together our data and candid insights from senior healthcare executives across Australia’s public and private sectors. It explores the systemic drivers of leadership burnout and what can realistically be done.

Inside, you’ll find:

• Why fewer than half of healthcare leaders can consistently disconnect after hours
• How role overload, concentrated accountability, and system friction compound each other
• Three shifts that senior executives can lead to make a measurable difference

Document Name Category Solution File Type Link
The hidden strain – Why healthcare leaders are at highest risk of burnout

Explore why healthcare leaders face heightened burnout risk and what organisations can do to better support them.

Report Employee experience

PDF 1.26 MB

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