Lead Well: Burnout, Trust, and the Future of DEI

In Lead Well, we bring you the latest insights and tools to help you and your team navigate change, build stronger connections, and drive meaningful impact. In this edition, we’re sharing some of the interesting insights shaping leadership today - from mental health and burnout, to reinvention of work.

Management Impacts Mental Health. We all know strong leadership impacts well-being, but Gallup’s research reveals just how deep this connection is. Employees working under poor management are 60% more likely to experience stress than engaged workers. Furthermore, employees working under poor management report experiencing "a lot of stress" 30% more frequently than those who are unemployed. Read more.

Yet leaders themselves are under immense pressure. Many managers are struggling with burnout, juggling shifting priorities with limited resources. Solving this challenge requires a systemic approach, one that supports managers while enabling them to create positive work environments. ?Many managers don’t know where to start. MIT Sloan explores how to redesign work and prevent burnout, while McKinsey outlines steps companies can take to boost productivity and employee well-being.

Employees Stay Where Work Has Meaning: Purpose matters. A recent study found that employees are 160% more likely to stay with a company long-term if their work feels meaningful. This highlights the importance of helping employees connect their work and impact to the bigger picture, ensuring their contributions are valued. Explore the insights.

Trust is Declining: The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer shows a concerning decline in trust in politics, media, and even business. To rebuild trust, leaders must prioritize demonstrating transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership. See the full report.

What Comes After DEI? The future of diversity, equity and inclusion is uncertain. Many corporate giants have already communicated their exit from focusing on DEI and are seeking new approaches to foster inclusive workplaces. What comes after DEI? That's the question many are grappling with. This article offers a perspective and a framework.

Reinvention is the Strategy for 2025: PwC's CEO Survey highlights the major forces shaping the future: AI, geopolitical conflict, and climate change. Companies are prioritizing reinventing business models and integrating AI at scale. This requires leaders who are adaptable, innovative, and comfortable with ambiguity. Read more.

What’s New at IPL

We’re seeing a surge in demand for team development programs designed to strengthen trust, collaboration, and connection. As authorized partners of The Five Behaviors? and Everything DiSC?, we bring science-backed tools that help teams build trust, navigate conflict, and communicate more effectively. Contact us to learn more about these and our other science-based programs.