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SHRM All Things Work

SHRM All Things Work

Fixer Fatigue: Why Solving Everything Yourself Is Wearing You Out

Aug 19, 2026 · 39 min · 11 segments

Being the go-to problem solver might feel like strong leadership — until it quietly burns you out and stalls your team's growth. Middle managers especially feel this pressure, expected to be…

Being the go-to problem solver might feel like strong leadership — until it quietly burns you out and stalls your team's growth. Middle managers especially feel this pressure, expected to be available, adaptable, and ready with an answer. But that always-on approach comes at a cost. Julie Armstrong, founder of 3H Leadership Consulting, and Leah Marone, a mental wellness expert, unpack "fixer fatigue," middle manager exhaustion, and why an open-door policy can backfire on everyone. In this episode, you'll learn how to set boundaries without pulling back from your team, spot the signs your limits are too thin, and ultimately make the critical mindset shift to: Support, Don't Solve. Subscribe to the All Things Work newsletter to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/fg444d  --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Being the go-to problem solver might feel like strong leadership — until it quietly burns you out and stalls your team's growth. Middle managers especially feel this pressure, expected to be…

Top entities: Leah Marone×14 Society for Human Resource Management×16 Orlando×2

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Amazon Music Website

Speakers: Leah MaroneGuestJulie ArmstrongGuestAnne SparacoHost

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeBiasNot politicalAudience≈185k followers

Supportive Relationships and the Open Door11:33 – 15:00

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:33

So the first thing we wanna do is bring clarity.

A

Anne SparacoHost

11:37

Mm.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:37

And then middle leaders rely on, um, what I call enabling, in the positive way, relationships.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:45

[laughs]

Leah MaroneGuest

11:47

[laughs]

A

Anne SparacoHost

11:47

[laughs]

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:47

The kinds of supportive relationships.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:49

[laughs]

Leah MaroneGuest

11:49

You had to make that clear.

A

Anne SparacoHost

11:51

Yeah.

A

Anne SparacoHost

11:51

[laughs]

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:51

[laughs] Especially with their senior leader, that is a critical relationship.

A

Anne SparacoHost

11:59

Mm-hmm.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:59

Because middle leaders sit at the hinge of the organization.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

12:03

They have perspective to the strategic future and the operator, operational reality.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:09

Mm-hmm.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

12:09

So they need to have access to their senior leaders as well as their peers, and be supported to have strong relationships with their teams as well.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:19

well.And in those strong relationships, so Leah, um, you know, there's this long-held belief that a great manager has that open door policy.

Leah MaroneGuest

12:27

Mm-hmm.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:28

'Cause they wanna be, they wanna build that trust with their team.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:31

They wanna make sure that they are attentive to everything their team members need, uh, always available, always ready to help.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:37

But you actually challenge that idea in your work.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:40

I found it interesting.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:41

So why can constantly being available actually backfire on both the leader and the team?

Leah MaroneGuest

12:47

Right, and it does.

Leah MaroneEntity
83%14 mentions
Society for Human Resource ManagementCompanyProfessional association
50%16 mentions
OrlandoCityCity in Florida
17%2 mentions

Human ResourcesBusiness
Team DevelopmentBusiness > Management > Leadership > Middle Management
CoachingBusiness > Organizational Behavior > Workplace Culture
Employee EngagementBusiness > Organizational Behavior > Workplace Culture > Coaching
Skill DevelopmentBusiness > Human Resources > Leadership Development > Training
Stress ManagementPsychology > Workplace Psychology
Workplace PsychologyPsychology
Personal DevelopmentPsychology
Emotional IntelligencePsychology > Personal Development
ManagementBusiness
LeadershipBusiness > Management
BurnoutPsychology > Workplace Psychology > Stress Management
TrainingBusiness > Human Resources > Leadership Development
Self-AwarenessPsychology > Personal Development > Emotional Intelligence
Leadership DevelopmentBusiness > Human Resources
ResiliencePsychology > Workplace Psychology > Stress Management > Burnout
Boundary SettingPsychology > Personal Development > Emotional Intelligence > Self-Awareness
Organizational BehaviorBusiness
Psychology
Business
Middle ManagementBusiness > Management > Leadership
Workplace CultureBusiness > Organizational Behavior

Supportive Relationships and the Open Door11:33 – 15:00

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:33

So the first thing we wanna do is bring clarity.

A

Anne SparacoHost

11:37

Mm.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:37

And then middle leaders rely on, um, what I call enabling, in the positive way, relationships.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:45

[laughs]

Leah MaroneGuest

11:47

[laughs]

A

Anne SparacoHost

11:47

[laughs]

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:47

The kinds of supportive relationships.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:49

[laughs]

Leah MaroneGuest

11:49

You had to make that clear.

A

Anne SparacoHost

11:51

Yeah.

A

Anne SparacoHost

11:51

[laughs]

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:51

[laughs] Especially with their senior leader, that is a critical relationship.

A

Anne SparacoHost

11:59

Mm-hmm.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

11:59

Because middle leaders sit at the hinge of the organization.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

12:03

They have perspective to the strategic future and the operator, operational reality.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:09

Mm-hmm.

Julie ArmstrongGuest

12:09

So they need to have access to their senior leaders as well as their peers, and be supported to have strong relationships with their teams as well.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:19

well.And in those strong relationships, so Leah, um, you know, there's this long-held belief that a great manager has that open door policy.

Leah MaroneGuest

12:27

Mm-hmm.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:28

'Cause they wanna be, they wanna build that trust with their team.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:31

They wanna make sure that they are attentive to everything their team members need, uh, always available, always ready to help.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:37

But you actually challenge that idea in your work.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:40

I found it interesting.

A

Anne SparacoHost

12:41

So why can constantly being available actually backfire on both the leader and the team?

Leah MaroneGuest

12:47

Right, and it does.

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