At work, there’s always a high performer who becomes the go-to problem solver. They have a deep sense of ownership, take initiative, and put in extra effort. With their strong work ethic, they can’t stand to see things go wrong when the Company still has a chance to fix it. They will happily go beyond their job scope and take on problems outside their control to ensure positive outcomes.
But this is where things start to get ugly. They find themselves constantly fixing last-minute crises, stepping in where others won’t, and carrying a weight that’s not fully theirs. Over time, this definitely leads to high stress, exhaustion, and burnout. Sometimes, they even feel used, like the only one who is always available. 😔
Sound familiar? If your heart is silently screaming “YES”👌🏻, then this article is for you. Let’s explore how to shift from a very stressful “fixer” to a leader who empowers others and avoids burnout.
The fixer trap
You might frequently ask yourself, “Why, even after switching companies, am I still stuck in the same cycles, overload, fighting alone at work, and exhausted?”. Why does this keep happening? Here is probably why:
- You are a high achiever and that’s okay – You deeply care about the results, so you take ownership and feel responsible. Others may not share the same standards, urgency, work ethic, or strategic thinking. Others might even assume you will handle it anyway.
- Others over-rely on you – Some colleagues don’t realise they are over-relying on you. But others might take you for granted, knowing you will always step in before things go bad.
- You have a strong sense of belonging – You might not intentionally play the hero. You’re simply dedicated and trying to do what’s right. However, this leads you to carry the burden alone, instead of creating a culture of shared accountability.
- The hard truth, it feels good to be needed – Tough question to contemplate, “Are you afraid that people might stop relying on you?” 😩
I am not saying that you should lower your standards and stop caring about results. But to break the burnout cycle, you do have to step up your leadership skills, even if it’s related to other departments. It’s not meddling, it’s collaborating.
Build influence, not reliance
A key step to shifting from a fixer to a leader is building influence rather than encouraging reliance. How to do that? I will be honest with you, I don’t have the perfect answer. I’m not writing this as an expert, but as someone who is repeatedly falling into this burnout cycle (and I know I’m not alone). You will surely hate me if I tell you a buzzword and impractical advice: “Just be brave to say no!”. 😂 Luckily, I had an excellent discussion with ChatGPT, and I don’t do gatekeeping 😎. Here are key takeaways from our intellectual chats, corroborated by my own experiences:
1. Shift from Doing to Influencing
- Fixer: You see a problem in another department and take it upon yourself to ensure it doesn’t go wrong.
- Leader: Instead of owning the issue yourself, highlight the risk, provide strategic recommendations, and make accountability clear.
Example: Instead of saying → “I’ll follow up and make sure this doesn’t fail.”, try → “Based on the data, this could cause X issue. What steps are you taking to mitigate this? Do you need my team’s support in this?”
💡 This makes others take responsibility while positioning you as a strategic thinker rather than a fixer.
2. Influence preventive action, not just emergency fixes
- Fixer: Step in when things are already critical.
- Leader: Start influencing before things go wrong through strategic discussions and insights.
How to implement this:
- Create presentation decks for management and colleagues that proactively highlight red flags.
- Frame insights in a way that encourages management to enforce corrective actions and others to take ownership.
Example: Instead of saying “We might run into a cash flow issue if you keep delaying customer collections.”, say “We’ve projected a potential cash flow risk in 3 months if collections don’t improve. What’s your plan to address it?”
Influencing management and colleagues can be a challenge. I will write about it in another post. But here are a few action plans you can implement to improve influencing skills:
| No | Aspects | To Management (Directors) | To Colleagues (Other Departments) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goals | Securing decisions & leadership push | Gaining collaborations & shared accountability |
| 2 | Best approach | Data-driven, strategic framing, impact-based | Practical, easy-to-implement, mutual benefits |
| 3 | Potential barriers | Limited time, need concise & high-level reasoning | Different priorities, resistance to extra work |
| 4 | Success indicator | Directors take action, delegate, or push others | Colleagues start collaborating, take ownership & follow through |
| 5 | Key factor | a. Make the decision process easy for them b. Always connect your insights to business impact c. Position yourself as a problem solver, not just a problem reporter | a. Make it easy for them to say yes b. Position it as something that benefits their team, not just yours c. Celebrate small wins to build momentum |
| 5 | To do: Before presenting an issue, ask yourself some queries | a. What’s the financial or operational impact? b. How can I phrase this as a strategic opportunity instead of a complaint? (Instead of “this is a problem,” frame it as “this is a chance to improve X”) c. What decision am I asking my directors to make? (Be clear: approval, budget, policy change, or prioritization?) d. How does this align with their priorities? (Make sure the issue is relevant to what matters most to them) | a. How does this impact their work? (Make it relevant to them) b. What’s the benefit for them? (Faster process, fewer errors, better efficiency?) c. How can I phrase this as a shared solution, not just my request? d. What small, low-effort step can I propose first? |
| 6 | To do: Use these templates in meetings, reports, and emails | a. Frame the issue with impact & urgency: “Our data shows that [problem] could result in [impact]. Should we [solution]?” b. Create a sense of risk vs. reward: “If we don’t [solution], we risk [negative consequence]. What’s the best course of action?” c. Make the ask clear & actionable: “To achieve [goal], we need [action]. How do we move forward with this?” d. Provide choices to make decision-making easier: “We have two options—[Option A] which costs [X] but brings [Y benefit], or [Option B] which is faster but requires [Z trade-off]. Which direction do you prefer?” | a. Frame it as a collaboration, not a demand: “I noticed that [problem] is affecting [impact]. If we try [solution], it could help both of us by [mutual benefit]. What do you think?” b. Highlight how it makes their work easier: “If we adjust [process], it could reduce [pain point] for your team and speed up [goal]. Would you be open to trying it?” c. Make them feel involved in the solution: “I’d love to hear your thoughts—how do you think we can improve [issue] so it works better for both teams?” d. Use social proof to create momentum: “The [other team] started doing [small change] and saw [benefit]. Maybe we could try something similar?” |
| 7 | To do: Observe how they respond and adjust accordingly | a. Do they take ownership of the decision? (If not, make the next step even clearer) b. Do they delegate action instead of waiting for you to fix it? (If they don’t, push for accountability) c. Do they start pushing other departments for accountability? (If not, suggest the next steps to get other teams involved) | a. Do they see the benefit for their team? (If not, reposition it with a clearer advantage) b. Do they agree but hesitate to take action? (If so, offer a small first step) c. Are they resistant? (If yes, listen to their concerns and find a middle ground) d. Do they start taking ownership? (If so, reinforce their contributions and celebrate every progress) |
💡Now, instead of firefighting, you become the trusted advisor.
3. Escalate issues the right way
- Fixer: You see a problem, feel responsible, and personally fix it. *sometimes with a little anger towards the troublemaker wkwkwk
- Leader: Escalate wisely, not as a complaint, but as a structured business concern.
How to do this:
- Frame issues with business impact – Instead of “This is a problem”, explain how it affects the company’s financial health or operational stability.
- Use decision-makers’ language – Your Directors care about risk, efficiency, and profitability. Frame issues around these factors.
Example:
Instead of saying → “The operations team is slow, and it’s affecting our payments.”, try → “Our data shows that delays in operations are impacting revenue recognition and cash flow. If this continues, it could reduce our profitability by X%. Should we consider a process improvement discussion?”
💡 This moves you from being a “complainer” to a “thoughtful business advisor”.
4. Take care of your mind
For some, stepping away from the fixer role requires very strong willpower and a massive habit change. You might worry about being seen as interfering when trying to influence preventive actions. Others might feel uncomfortable when they’re no longer the center of solution attention. Some might even struggle with unhealthy ownership, leading to internalising failure when outcomes are not as expected. Thus, I think one important key step is shifting our mindset about our roles and ourselves:
- You’re NOT “meddling”, you’re proactively collaborating to ensure the company’s success.
- You’re NOT just fixing things, you’re strategically planning for long-term improvements.
- You’re NOT overstepping, you’re stepping up as a leader who mitigates risks.
- You’re NOT less valuable just because people stop coming to you for every little fix. Your real values lie in your growing influence and strengthened leadership skills.
- You’re NOT having everything within your control, you also held others accountable for their parts of control.
- You’re NOT relying solely on your personal efforts, you’re empowering others to create systemic change.
💡 The goal isn’t to fix everything, it is to build a system where you don’t have to. 😊
Career should be an enjoyable ride. We dedicate *at least 25% of our lives to work (*that’s not even counting overtime). If it feels like a burden, that means a quarter of your life is spent in stress and exhaustion. If you live to 70, that’s 18 years of burnout. Who wants to live miserably for almost 2 decades?
Transforming from the fixer to a leader is not easy, but you can choose your pain: the pain of endless burnout or the pain of growing as a leader. I think we can all agree that the latter is a much wiser and rewarding path. So, which one will you choose?
The Hayyan Chronicle 
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