The Quiet Burden of Redundancies on Leaders: What Every Leader Needs to Acknowledge.
Uzo Ijewere
The Unapologetically Candid Coach at Augment Results: Executive Coaching | DEI Training | Keynote Speaking
?As organisations around the globe tighten budgets, the impact is felt in every boardroom, every office, and most heavily on the shoulders of leaders—many of whom had little say in the final call. But the reality is, even when the decision is out of their hands, leaders are the ones left to deliver the news, pick up the pieces, and navigate a team through the aftermath.
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Redundancies aren’t just a numbers game. Behind every headcount are real people, each with their own story and contributions to the team. And behind every redundancy is a leader, wrestling with the ethical and emotional toll of a role that can often feel painfully lonely. So, what happens to those leaders left holding the line, expected to maintain morale and composure in the face of devastating change?
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Worrying About Your People: A Common Strain, but a Heavy One
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If you’re feeling sick at the thought of redundancies impacting your team, you’re far from alone. Research from Gallup found that in 2023, leaders reported significant emotional stress related to workforce reductions, noting concerns about their team’s morale and security. For leaders who’ve built close relationships with their people, watching the team face an uncertain future can bring a deep sense of guilt and even powerlessness.
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Leaders are often portrayed as stoic, unwavering. But when you’ve invested years into supporting and developing people, the emotional strain becomes very real. You may worry about the families affected, the livelihoods disrupted, or how to manage the emotional fallout within the remaining team. The weight of knowing the impact, but feeling unable to prevent it, is a unique challenge. And yet, it's not one that’s often discussed.
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The Ethical Dilemma of Being Left Out of the Decision-Making
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One of the hardest realities of redundancies in large organisations is that many leaders don’t have any real say over who stays and who goes. Upper management makes the decisions, sometimes with little input from the teams directly impacted. For these leaders, the role can feel frustratingly removed from the actual decision-making process. They’re left to deliver outcomes they didn’t choose, answer questions they can’t fully explain, and rebuild morale under conditions they might not agree with.
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As a leader, you may find yourself questioning your own values, asking: “Am I complicit if I stand by and say nothing?” Yet, for many leaders, these are simply the terms of engagement in large organisations. No matter how ethically or personally challenging, leaders are expected to toe the line, knowing full well the human cost.
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One of the heaviest burdens of leadership during redundancies is the obligation to keep secrets. Knowing a round of redundancy is coming but not being able to disclose it—even to those closest to you in the team—feels, in many ways, like a betrayal of trust. Leaders often walk a tightrope, balancing honesty and company policy. Every one-to-one meeting, every casual conversation, and every discussion about the future becomes fraught, as you carefully monitor what you say and how you say it.
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While leaders often accept confidentiality as a necessary part of their roles, it can create a profound sense of inner conflict. For leaders committed to building trust, the necessity of withholding information feels like an erosion of their integrity, creating a quiet burden that persists until transparency can be restored. For leaders who prioritise transparency and trust, these restrictions create an invisible strain, an emotional tension that is carried silently until the truth is revealed.
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Acknowledging the Psychological Impact of Redundancies on Leaders
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We don’t often talk about it, but redundancies leave scars on leaders too. You’re left with the emotional weight of having to process your team’s reaction, maintain performance, and support the well-being of remaining employees, all while managing your own thoughts and feelings. These pressures are particularly high in large organisations, where the sheer scale of job cuts can amplify feelings of helplessness and disconnection from individual team members.
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It would be valuable to explore data on how many leaders are grappling with the emotional and operational fallout of redundancies and their susceptibility to burnout. The combined pressures of shielding their team from the brunt of organisational shifts, ensuring performance targets are met, and rebuilding team cohesion must lead to profound exhaustion.
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Navigating Through: Reflections for Leaders Under Pressure
While there is no easy solution, acknowledging this reality is essential. Leadership in times like these requires a rare balance of resilience, empathy, and composure. Here are some reflections for those navigating these challenges:
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Moving Forward with Resilience and Humanity
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There’s no “perfect” way to handle redundancy, nor is there an easy way to navigate the emotions that come with it. Leading through redundancies is one of the most challenging responsibilities a leader can face, and it often comes with little recognition of the internal toll. By acknowledging the complexity of these moments—caring deeply for people yet managing unavoidable change—leaders can navigate through with resilience and humanity.
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This journey isn’t about pretending everything is fine; it’s about acknowledging the difficulty, and, where possible, being a steady presence for those who remain. In times like these, showing up with calm and clarity is perhaps the truest mark of unshakeable leadership.