High performance can conceal an unsustainable job. A capable executive delivers by absorbing missing resources, unclear priorities and work that repeatedly extends beyond the intended day.
The result looks acceptable until the person can no longer maintain the arrangement.
Ask what the results are costing
Review the extra work needed to meet ordinary commitments. Which responsibilities have expanded? Which unresolved decisions return to the same person? What happens when that person is unavailable?
Avoid making the executive's ability to endure the situation the standard for everyone else. The arrangement may depend on circumstances others cannot or should not reproduce.
Change the recurring demand
Choose one part of the workload that can be reduced, transferred or resourced properly. State who will make the change and how exceptions will be handled.
Check whether stated priorities fit the available capacity. If every initiative remains urgent, a conversation about resilience cannot settle the conflict.
Burnout and persistent distress may require qualified professional support. Organizational action should accompany, rather than replace, appropriate care.
Evaluate whether ordinary work has become more manageable after the change. The objective is reliable performance under realistic conditions, not another demonstration that a valued employee can carry an unreasonable load.
