You’re Not Overwhelmed, You’re Under-Supported
- lorraineowolabi
- Aug 25
- 3 min read
A few weeks ago, I spoke with a CEO who admitted something to me: “I wake up at 3 am most nights to check emails. I know it’s not sustainable, but that’s just the life of a business owner, isn’t it?”
He said it with a smile, but you could hear the exhaustion behind it. And he’s not alone.
High-performing executives and business owners often carry a silent belief that feeling overwhelmed is part of the job description. They treat long hours, missed family time, and an overflowing inbox as unavoidable sacrifices on the road to success.
You’re not overwhelmed, you’re under-supported.
Burnout doesn’t happen because you’re lazy, unmotivated, or disorganised. It happens because you’re operating without the right systems and support in place.
Many CEOs fall into the trap of believing they must handle everything themselves:
Reviewing every email and responding instantly.
Managing their calendar down to the last detail.
Double-checking documents and presentations.
Personally chasing every follow-up.
At first, it feels like control. But over time, it becomes a bottleneck. You’re stuck in the weeds instead of leading from above them.
And the impact is costly:
Reduced productivity (because mental energy is spent on tasks that could be delegated).
Slower business growth (because you’re too busy to focus on strategy).
Higher stress levels (leading to burnout, decision fatigue, and strained relationships).
Many leaders end up blaming themselves: “I should just be more disciplined… more efficient… better at juggling everything.”
But overwhelm isn’t about personal failure. It’s about a lack of infrastructure.
The Emotional Reframe
This is where emotionally intelligent leadership comes in.
Instead of asking, “Why can’t I handle this workload?” ask,
Think about it: you didn’t scale your business by doing every task yourself. You hired specialists, built teams, and focused on your strengths. So why should running your daily operations be any different?
An Executive Virtual Assistant or strategic business support system isn’t just about managing admin, it’s about removing friction so you can focus on the work only you can do.
What Proper Support Looks Like
Support doesn’t mean losing control. It means creating a structure that works for you.
Here are a few examples of what effective support can cover for CEOs and executives:
Email & Diary Management: No more 300+ unread emails or double-booked meetings.
Travel & Logistics: Flights, hotels, itineraries, and last-minute changes, handled seamlessly.
Document Preparation & Presentations: Professionally formatted, polished, and client-ready.
Research & Data Gathering: Insights prepared so you can make faster, smarter decisions.
Lifestyle Organisation: Personal admin, appointments, and reminders, so life outside work flows too.
When these tasks are managed, you’re no longer buried under the noise; you’re free to operate at the level your business needs you to.
The problem isn’t you.
The problem is the structure around you.
Without systems and support, even the most capable leader will burn out. With the right infrastructure, you regain clarity, energy, and headspace to do what you do best: lead, decide, and grow.
If this resonates, take a moment to reflect:
What’s draining my time that doesn’t actually require me?
Where am I acting as a bottleneck in my own business?
What would it look like to have someone I trust handling the details so I can focus on strategy?
The shift from overwhelm to clarity doesn’t happen by pushing harder. It happens by building the right support around you.
Because CEOs and business owners don’t need to be superheroes, they need to be supported leaders.
Reflection for you: Where in your week could the right support create immediate breathing space?
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