Managers are juggling the dual burden of pressure from superiors and the well-being of their teams amid return-to-office mandates, massive layoffs, tariff threats and economic uncertainty. Experts speculate that these pressures have caused a rise in snow plow managers--a trend where managers overload themselves with employee responsibilities, instead of delegating to their teams, and burn out in an effort to ensure success.

Last year I wrote a story for Forbes.com on the six things a good manager never does (1) give only negative feedback, (2) Micromanages (3) Develops impersonal connections (4) Provides unclear communication (5) Creates Non-inclusive cultures (6) Considers emotional intelligence a weakness.

I would like to add a seventh: Refrain from delegating to employees. No wonder a Gallup report found that managers are more likely to be stressed, angry, sad and lonely than non-managers, given the huge responsibilities that fall on their shoulders, coupled with the 2025 challenging economic, political and social climate. A notable 36% of managers feel burnt out and 24% consider quitting their jobs in the next six months, compared to non-managers.

According to a meQuilibrium report, well-supported employees are 25% less likely to struggle with somatic symptoms of stress, 33% less likely to have a hard time getting motivated in the morning and 56% less likely to have high work stress. The prevalence of burnout is 58% lower among employees who experience strong manager support for mental well-being. Employees who don’t feel well supported by their manager are 4.5 times more likely to be a retention risk.

Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs, believes what appears to be managerial support may, in fact, be snow plow management leading to 55% higher stress levels among managers. “While snowplow managers believe they’re being helpful, they’re actually hindering their team’s development and success,” Weishaupt told me.

“True managerial effectiveness means helping subordinates grow and thrive. When managers consistently step in to do work, they deny employees critical learning opportunities and skill development," he explains. "This creates a dangerous dependency where team members can’t function independently or solve problems without managerial intervention.”

Weishaupt is concerned that only 62% of managers have been adequately trained to manage remote/hybrid teams. He interprets these statistics to mean that many managers don’t know how to effectively support their team’s growth. They may hover, micromanage, and rarely delegate tasks, creating more stress for themselves.

Snow plow managers are akin to snow plow parents, who remove as many obstacles from their child’s life as possible to minimize failure and ensure success. In so doing, snow plow managers cut employees off at the knees. They tend to be perfectionists who envision their employee’s success as a reflection on them, and they hover in an effort to achieve perfect results.

The achievements of their employees make them feel accomplished, and they measure their own career success and esteem by the success of their employees. The idea of failure creates anxiety for snow plow managers. So they complete tasks that employees can do, removing obstacles, solving problems or overseeing every aspect of an employee’s work life to ensure their success.

"You may have a snowplow manager if your supervisor rarely delegates meaningful tasks, instead handing off smaller, administrative work to your team while they handle bigger, more significant projects themselves," according to Weishaupt. "In meetings, they dominate conversations and frequently override team input with their own solutions. Snowplow managers often request constant updates and check-ins, showing their lack of trust in their team’s abilities. They will also frequently use phrases like ‘I’ll just handle this’ or ‘It’s faster if I do it.’ Most tellingly, despite their intense work ethic, their team shows limited growth in capabilities over time.

If you’re a perfection-driven snow plow manager, in order to change your habits, you must first recognize and underscore the value your employees bring. Affirm their skills and talents. Give them the autonomy to explore, make mistakes and self-correct on their own so they can grow.

Recognize that holding up an employee is like a crutch that holds them back, making them incapable of standing on their own two feet. Get comfortable with the inevitability that employees will make missteps. See mistakes as opportunities for career growth and course correction, instead of career failure.

Recognize your own value, independent of the employees you supervise. Clean your side of the street, and let them clean their own side of the street. Reel in your worry and ruminating on things that could go wrong and refrain from managing for a place of risk aversion.

A strong manager doesn’t get involved in the details of every problem the team faces. While it’s important to be hands-on, supportive managers make sure team members have enough autonomy to make decisions and grow professionally. They are honest and trustworthy and know that leaving team members alone to carry out their responsibilities builds reciprocal trust and respect.

Weishaupt points out that employees under snowplow managers may feel undermined and underutilized, which decreases their engagement and increases turnover of high-potential talent seeking growth opportunities. A snowplow manager's good intentions can actually rob employees of the satisfaction that comes from navigating challenges and achieving results through their own efforts.”

If you have a snow plow manager, Weishaupt advises that you consider five proactive steps to address the situation:

1. Initiate a constructive conversation with your manager about your development goals. If you face resistance when trying to discuss taking on more responsibility, Weishaupt says you still have a few more options.

2. Try looking for smaller, lower-risk projects that serve as an example of your independence. He believes it can help build your manager's confidence in your abilities.

3. Propose shadowing your manager on tasks he or she is reluctant to delegate, creating a learning opportunity that might gradually lead to transfer of responsibility.

4. Focus on building trust through great execution of your current responsibilities to build the foundation for expanded autonomy.

5. Consider having a career development conversation with HR or exploring internal mobility options as a last resort.

Weishaupt concludes that going through this process with snow plow managers, it’s important to maintain professionalism and remember that changing entrenched management behaviors takes time and consistent demonstration of your capabilities.