It's not about workload. It's about everything unresolved that a leader carries in their head — and the performance cost that compounds quietly underneath.

Leadership stress isn't about working too hard. It's about carrying too much — for too long — with no real outlet. At the senior level, it's invisible, relentless, and rarely talked about. Here's what it actually looks like, why high performers are the last to recognize it, and what to do before it starts costing you.