How to Run an ERG Program Without Burning Out Your Leads

Most ERG programs don’t fail because of lack of passion.

They fail because the same small group of people is expected to:

• Organise events

• Communicate consistently

• Onboard new members

• Represent their community

• Track impact

—all on top of their full-time jobs.

Burnout isn’t a personal failure.
It’s a systems problem.

This article explains how organisations can run ERG programs sustainably—without exhausting the very people they depend on.

Why ERG lead burnout is so common

ERG leadership is often:

• Voluntary or lightly recognised

• Under-resourced

• Emotionally demanding

• Highly visible

Leads care deeply about their communities, which makes it harder to say no—even when the workload becomes unsustainable.

Common warning signs:

• Fewer events over time

• The same people doing all the work

• Quiet disengagement instead of clean handovers

• Communities stalling when a lead leaves

Burnout isn’t about effort — it’s about structure

Many ERG programs unintentionally create burnout through their structure.

What causes burnout

• Invisible admin work

• Single-point ownership

• Ad-hoc tools

• No continuity between leads

• Emotional labour with little support

What prevents burnout

• Clear roles and scope

• Shared leadership models

• Dedicated infrastructure

• Easy handover and continuity

• Organisational recognition and support

The difference isn’t motivation.
It’s design.

Mistake #1: Treating ERG leadership as “extra-curricular”

When ERGs are framed as passion projects:

• Work spills into evenings and weekends

• Admin effort stays invisible

• Recognition is symbolic, not structural

• Sustainability depends on goodwill

Sustainable ERGs require institutional support, not heroic effort.

Mistake #2: Making every lead reinvent the wheel

Without shared systems, ERG leads:

• Recreate onboarding materials

• Rebuild event workflows

• Lose history when roles rotate

• Start from zero each year

This wastes energy and accelerates burnout.

Mistake #3: Measuring commitment instead of capacity

High-performing ERG leads are often those with:

• Fewer caregiving responsibilities

• More flexible roles

• Existing organisational privilege

When availability becomes the selection criteria, burnout becomes inevitable—and diversity in leadership suffers.

What sustainable ERG programs do differently

Sustainable ERG programs are intentionally designed around continuity, not individual stamina.

They focus on five principles:

1. Make ERG leadership a defined role

Clear expectations reduce guilt and pressure.

Strong programs define:

• Scope of responsibility

• Time expectations

• What’s optional vs required

• What success looks like

This gives leads permission to prioritise—and to step back when needed.

2. Reduce admin before increasing ambition

Before launching new initiatives, remove friction.

High-impact areas to streamline:

• Event creation and promotion

• Attendance tracking

• Member onboarding

• Repeated communications

• Impact reporting

Every manual step increases burnout risk.

3. Build a bench, not a hero

No ERG should rely on a single person.

Sustainable programs:

• Encourage co-leads

• Rotate responsibilities

• Create light-weight volunteer roles

• Make contribution visible

Shared ownership spreads load and builds future leadership.

4. Design for lead rotation and continuity

ERG leads will change.
Your systems should assume that.

Design for:

• Easy handover

• Visible history of past initiatives

• Clear context for new leads

• Minimal dependency on personal memory

Continuity is the antidote to burnout.

5. Recognise effort in ways that actually matter

Recognition isn’t just shout-outs.

Meaningful recognition includes:

• Manager support and time allocation

• Career visibility

• Formal acknowledgment in reviews

• Access to leadership and sponsorship

• Budget or tooling support

When effort is visible, burnout decreases.

The role of infrastructure in preventing burnout

Most burnout isn’t caused by too much purpose—it’s caused by too much invisible labour.

Dedicated ERG infrastructure helps by:

• Centralising community activity

• Reducing manual tracking

• Preserving context over time

• Supporting leadership rotation

• Making participation and effort visible

This turns ERG leadership into something sustainable—not sacrificial.

Final thought

ERG leads shouldn’t have to choose between:

• Caring about their community

• Protecting their own wellbeing

If your ERG program only works when people overextend themselves, it isn’t sustainable—no matter how good the intentions.

The goal isn’t to do less.
It’s to design ERG programs people can lead for years, not months.