that is a serious bummer. Sorry to hear it.

They pile every little manual task on him, with an IMMEDIATE: RUSH urgency on it, and then ask why he hasn't achieved on his longer-term, higher-level goals.

I am living this (in a sense) at my new job. Luckily - it's not management that is doing it... it's a douchey, tight t-shirt wearing ass-clown in the "Customer Success" department who loves to throw my Technical Operations team under the bus. I take it on the chin, muddle through, and try to stay at a strategic altitude despite his attempts to drag me into the mud.

It's difficult to fly at two elevations simultaneously.

And I may lose the best boss I've ever had.

Does the review process include a 360 component that allows you to give feedback on your boss? Is there an avenue where you could go to bat for him and say things about the work that is bogging him down and making it impossible for him to get higher level work done?

Sorry man... I've been in your shoes... and I think I'm at least in half of his shoe now.