Overworked and Under-Promoted: Why Being Reliable Isn’t the Same as Being Recognised
You’re the steady one.
Praised for being calm, dependable, strategic.
The go-to for urgent fire drills, last-minute escalations, and high-stakes deliverables.
You show up.
You deliver. You hold it together — at work, and often, at home too.
Which often means:
First one people turn to in a crisis.
Last one they think of when recognition is handed out.
You’re not imagining it — you’re reaching your limit.
You’re doing too much, for too many, with too little clarity.
And still, you worry that speaking up will make you look unproductive.
You wonder:
I’m always busy… but am I actually moving forward?
You notice:
My day’s packed with urgent tasks — but none of them help me grow.
You’re exhausted. Overworked. Under-promoted.
Table of Contents
It’s Not Just You: It’s the System You’re Operating In.
You’ve likely been told to “prioritise better” or “manage your time.”
But that advice misses the point.
The problem isn’t your calendar. It’s the invisible load you’re carrying:
- Tasks no one owns — so you pick them up
- Decisions that land on your desk by default
- Work that’s emotionally loaded, but not clearly defined
We call this the “buffet of leftovers” — misaligned, reactive tasks that pile up over time and drain your focus.
Your role wasn’t designed with intention. It evolved out of urgency, attrition, and inherited gaps.
You’ve ended up with a patchwork of:
- Orphaned tasks
- Emergency escalations
- Unwritten responsibilities
- Endless meetings
- Work that stretches beyond hours but never feels complete
It’s not your fault.
But it’s not sustainable either.
Rethinking Job Design: The Healthy Plate Analogy
Just like your body needs protein, fibre, and carbs — your job needs a mix too:
- Variety that keeps you engaged
- Purpose that makes your work feel meaningful
- Autonomy that lets you decide how (not just what) to deliver
- Tangible progress that fuels your motivation
But most mid-career professionals — especially in project-based or operations-heavy roles — end up with something else entirely:
- Reactive tasks with zero learning
- Constant switching between projects
- Emotional labour and unspoken expectations
- The feeling that everything is urgent, but nothing is fulfilling
When your role feeds only urgency, it starves your leadership.
Being the Reliable One is Costing You
If your calendar is full, but your career feels stuck — you’re not alone.
Maybe you’ve found yourself thinking:
- “I’m busy all the time, but not progressing in my career.”
- “I can’t think strategically when my day is full of meetings.”
- “I don’t even know what I want next — I barely have space to think.”
That’s not a personal failing.
It’s the result of a work system that rewards output and availability — not vision, insight, or growth.
You’re showing up for everything…
Except your own growth.
This pattern leads to more than just fatigue.
It leads to quiet stagnation.
And it’s one of the biggest reasons high-performing professionals stay overworked and under-promoted.
And if you’re a manager or project lead in a fast-paced, high-responsibility role, it’s even harder to step back and ask:
What do I actually need to work sustainably — and lead strategically?
Being stretched thin doesn’t mean you’re not capable. It means you’ve been operating in a system where reliability gets rewarded — but not recognised.
What you need is a way of working that creates space to:
- Think clearly
- Decide quickly
- Lead without burning out
That’s why I created:
The Resilient Manager System™ — A Free Guide for Ambitious Professionals
This free guide will help you:
✔️ Focus on what matters — even when everything feels urgent
✔️ Reclaim breathing space — without slowing your delivery
✔️ Handle invisible responsibilities and blurred boundaries
✔️ Regain energy and clarity — without overcomplicating your day
✔️ Start showing up like the strategic leader you already are
This is not about telling you to “just take a break.”You don’t always need to slow down.
But you do need to stop carrying the chaos inside you.
It’s about building a way of working that:
- Grounds you when everything feels chaotic
- Helps you manage invisible responsibilities without resentment
- Puts you back in charge of your day
You Can Be Reliable — Without Being a Sponge
Being strategic means knowing what to absorb — and what to redirect.
It means knowing:
- When to say no (and how)
- When to design a better process (not just do the broken one faster)
- When to lead — even if no one’s handed you the title yet
The Resilient Manager System™ will help you get there.
Because you’re not just a task machine.
You’re a leader.
And it’s time your systems supported that.
4 Ways to Build Leadership Resilience
Resilience isn’t about staying calm when things are easy.
It’s about staying steady when everything feels like too much.
According to Harvard Business School, resilient leaders don’t just bounce back — they grow through stress. And that growth is non-negotiable in fast-paced, high-responsibility roles.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Know yourself under pressure
It starts with self-awareness.
What drains you? What patterns show up when you’re stretched?
That’s how you stop reacting and start choosing. - Stay open to growth — even when it’s messy
The best leaders treat mistakes like data.
They don’t aim for perfect — they aim for progress. - Anchor in something bigger
Purpose doesn’t need to be profound.
Sometimes it’s just: “Why does this matter to me?”
That’s what helps you lead through ambiguity. - Don’t do it alone
Leaders with strong networks are seen as far more effective — by their teams, their peers, and their managers. Read the Forbes research
As Professor Nancy Koehn says:
“Resilience is the capacity to not only endure great challenges, but get stronger in the midst of them.”
It’s Time to Create Space for You
Resilience isn’t about pushing harder.
It’s about working in a way that protects your energy, honours your leadership, and leaves room for what’s next.
Because you’re not here to just survive the day.
You’re here to lead.
About Sara
I’m a strategic coach for high-performing professionals and certified coaches navigating complex careers and big ambitions.
With a background in engineering, supply chain, and digital marketing, I blend systems thinking with emotional intelligence to help clients lead with clarity, confidence, and calm.
Before coaching, I spent nearly a decade in global supply chain management — managing multi-million dollar product lines, global launches, and constant escalations.
That experience taught me that resilience isn’t about pushing through. It’s about working in a way that protects your energy and creates space to think and grow — even under pressure.
After corporate, I built a sustainable fashion brand, trained as an ICF-certified coach, and have since supported 300+ professionals and entrepreneurs in building careers and businesses that don’t come at the cost of their health, ambition, or values.
