There’s a deep frustration in watching people leave, disengage, or worse—watching them sit idly, collecting paychecks without delivering.

Dear CEO or Business Leader,

I write this to you not just as someone who has worked tirelessly within multiple different types of corporate structures, but as someone who has also felt the frustration from leaders that comes from seeing the same business relationship dynamics or cycles play out time and time again.

And I know you have been frustrated too. Frustrated by unexpected employee turnover, a lack of passion or engagement, failed projects and momentum, and seeing unfulfilled potential of your teams. There’s a deep frustration in watching people leave, watching people disengage, or worse—watching them sit idly, collecting paychecks without delivering.

But the question I want you to consider is this: Why is this happening? You hired for initial passion. Why are we stuck in a system that repeats the same mistakes, over and over again? The truth is, the answer is right in front of us—and it's time we face it head-on.

Corporate and Government Wellness Mindset Is the Missing Piece

As business leaders, you work hard to ensure that your teams succeed, that goals are met, and that your company remains profitable. But without addressing the root causes of burnout, disengagement, and lack of commitment, these goals will continue to slip through your fingers. Your employees are not robots—they are human beings with lives, emotions, and mental health. When we (or our systems) fail to support them, or help them focus and support them in both business and personal values, when we treat them like cogs in a machine on repeat, people will burn out. They will feel undervalued. They will leave. Each single person has unique talents that come with unique rhytms of life.

I’ve seen it too many times: employees in roles that don’t align with their talents, trapped in outdated structures where their contributions are neither valued nor recognized. A growth mindset matters. Business ARR matters. Profit and shareholder returns matter. But humans need time to celebrate wins and prepare themselves for growth. A system that focuses on titles, on rigid job descriptions, and on rigid hierarchies and growth taken for granted will never unleash the full potential of your people. Instead, it suffocates them. And then we wonder why they quit. Why they don’t care. Why they don’t deliver.

The Failed Cycle: The System’s Downside

As a result of the many traditional hierarchy systems, where rigid roles and authority structures dominate, we are left with a culture of “tunnel vision” that doesn’t allow for individuality or personal growth. We keep people in the same roles year after year, underestimating their talents, and expecting them to do more with less.

Work is not 'sitting' on a desk. It's mental and physical fitness (brain neurons need similar workouts as traditional muscles).

Look at your CxOs who demand higher margins but show no accountability for results, who leave as soon as a project is done with no sense of loyalty. Or the hires who expect high wages but refuse to take responsibility for the company’s success. These are not just “bad hires” or individual failures; they are symptoms of a deeper systemic issue.

And here’s where it gets frustrating: This doesn't have to be the case. Wellness isn’t a “soft” issue—it’s a hard, measurable one. You can’t afford to ignore it anymore.

Naturally people want to explore their talent, potential and growth.

It’s Time to Stop the Pattern

Every time you lose an employee to burnout, every time you see disengagement, every time you watch a project fail because of lack of ownership, it’s a clear sign that something needs to change. And the solution isn’t just a better recruitment process or higher pay. It's about creating a culture that nurtures people. That values their well-being.

When your people are given the SPACE to grow (and take a step back as a learning process is never linear as any elite athlete knows), to heal, to learn, and to connect with their own purpose, they will overdeliver. They will stay loyal, not because they’re forced to, but because they choose to and are naturally nurtured. When wellness is embedded into the fabric of your company, it becomes a competitive advantage—a powerful force that drives results, creativity, and long-term success.

Corporate Wellness Is No Longer Optional—It’s Essential

It’s not just about gym memberships, free snacks, or wellness days. It’s about recognizing that the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of your employees directly impacts their productivity, creativity, and commitment. Without this FOUNDATION, you will continue to face the same frustration: high turnover, disengaged employees, and missed opportunities.

I know you’re tired of watching your teams fall apart. But I also know you want to make a change. You want to break free from this cycle. And the first step is to acknowledge that corporate wellness isn’t just a “nice-to-have” anymore—it’s a must-have if you want your company to thrive.

Let’s stop wasting potential. Let’s stop burning out our teams. Let’s start prioritizing what truly matters: the well-being of the people who make your company what it is. When you invest in wellness, you invest in the future of your business.

It’s time to break the cycle, and the solution is simple. Take the first step. Make wellness a foundational priority.

So Why Do Wellness Companies, Who Do Have These Cultures, Also Face Similar Challenges?

Even within wellness-focused companies, the road to success is rarely straightforward.

Here's why these companies can still experience the same difficulties, despite having a culture that prioritizes well-being:

1. The Wellness Culture Alone Isn't Enough: Having wellness at the core is a great step, but it can’t be the sole focus. If the company’s structure, leadership, or financial strategy isn’t aligned with that focus, the wellness culture may struggle to thrive. Companies often assume that wellness will automatically lead to success, but it needs to be integrated into the company’s broader mission, structure, and operations.
2. Overlooking Business Realities: Wellness is crucial, but it doesn’t replace the need for profitability and sustainable business models. Even wellness companies can fall into the trap of overemphasizing emotional health while neglecting practical aspects like business strategy, sales, and financial management. Without these grounded foundations, it’s hard to make wellness truly effective.
3. Inconsistent Execution of Wellness Practices: Culture doesn’t always translate into behavior. In some cases, wellness strategies are introduced, but they are not consistently applied across all levels of the company. You might have a company-wide initiative, but if leadership doesn’t model these behaviors or if employees aren’t genuinely bought in, wellness programs can feel forced or superficial.
4. Pressure to Deliver in a Competitive Market: Wellness companies are often operating in highly competitive markets where they need to consistently deliver results, innovate, and grow. The pressure to stay ahead can sometimes lead to burnout and misalignment between company values and practices. It’s difficult to maintain balance when growth is prioritized over well-being.
5. Toxicity from External Sources: While wellness is part of the internal culture, external forces, such as competitors or market instability, can create stress that undermines internal efforts. Cultural wellness is tested by external pressure, and if the business is constantly fighting external challenges, it can detract from the focus on personal and team well-being.
6. Lack of Clear Boundaries Between Wellness and Responsibility: Wellness can sometimes create a paradox, where employees or leaders feel “protected” from accountability because the culture is so supportive. While this sounds great in theory, it can backfire if there's no clear distinction between wellness and personal responsibility. Teams might feel encouraged to take care of their mental and physical health but neglect their core responsibilities.
7. Unclear Metrics of Success: Wellness companies sometimes face challenges in defining and measuring success. With a focus on the emotional and psychological well-being of individuals, it's easy to get lost in the "feel-good" aspects and lose track of measurable business goals. Without concrete performance indicators, it's difficult to ensure that wellness is actually driving the right results.
8. Over-Sensitivity and a Lack of Critical Feedback: When wellness is prioritized, there can sometimes be a fear of conflict or difficult conversations, which leads to unaddressed problems and inefficiencies. This can prevent growth, innovation, and necessary feedback from being given or received. Being too sensitive or protective of people’s well-being might hinder real accountability and feedback processes.
9. Burnout from Over-Commitment to Wellness: Ironically, companies that focus heavily on wellness might face burnout from the very culture they promote. When there’s an overemphasis on being emotionally and physically "well," employees may feel pressured to maintain a level of perfection that’s unsustainable. This can lead to burnout, stress, and the opposite effect of wellness.

In short, even wellness-centered companies aren’t immune to challenges, because well-being alone doesn’t solve the complex puzzle of a thriving, sustainable business.

The key is BALANCE —finding the right equilibrium between wellness, accountability, financial stability, and measurable results. Without this balance, even the best cultures can face similar obstacles.

What if you feel your culture is failing?

First off, it’s important to recognize that failure is not the end, but a redirection into a process of learning and growth, especially when you’ve put in the effort and applied a well-rounded approach like the one we’ve discussed. But if things still didn’t work out the way you hoped, it could be a number of factors at play. Here's an honest breakdown of why things might not have aligned despite applying all these concepts:

1. Cultural Mismatch: Even when you’ve created a great workplace culture, the surrounding environment or the broader industry culture may not align with your values. If your company’s approach to wellness, empowerment, and responsibility isn't shared by your clients or stakeholders, it becomes much harder to succeed. Many Western corporate cultures have inherent challenges that aren’t solved overnight, especially if other key players (like investors, board members, or other leaders) don’t share or understand the importance of wellness.
2. Not Enough Time for Change: Cultural change, especially one that prioritizes wellness and individual empowerment, doesn’t happen instantly. The shift from traditional management to a wellness-centered approach can take time—you’re up against decades of ingrained habits and mindsets. Even with the best strategy, results may take longer to manifest, and if the pressure is on for immediate success, it’s easy to feel discouraged.
3. Inconsistent Execution: It's easy to feel motivated and energized to implement changes, but executing consistently across the entire team can be a challenge. Small lapses or mixed signals can weaken your efforts, especially if employees or partners aren’t on board with the shift, or if wellness practices are applied in patches rather than being truly embedded into the core of your operations.
4. Misalignment of Expectations: Even with the right corporate wellness strategy, if the expectations of what success looks like weren’t clearly communicated or weren’t aligned with individuals' values and passions, they may not have felt fully connected to the mission. People need to see not just the process but the tangible results of their efforts in a way that resonates personally.
5. Mismatch in Personal Accountability: Sometimes, even with all the wellness strategies in place, individuals still need to take personal responsibility for their well-being and success. If you were committed to wellness, but if your hires or partners weren’t, there’s only so much you could do. If they weren't truly invested in their own development, wellness alone can't compensate for that lack of personal drive.
6. Lack of Sustainable Profit Models: If financial stability and revenue generation were not solidly in place or misaligned with the wellness focus, it can make it difficult to keep moving forward. Wellness doesn’t work in a vacuum—it's critical to balance the practical realities of running a business with the need to create a healthy environment. If your company is struggling with finances or operational inefficiencies, it could overshadow even the best wellness initiatives.
7. Emotional Drain from Toxicity: As we’ve discussed, a lot of frustrations stem from misaligned hires and team members who either didn’t align with the values you were building or actively undermine your company. Negative influences can be emotionally draining and can steal focus away from the bigger picture, preventing the success of your wellness initiatives. When people take advantage of your goodwill or lack personal accountability, it creates an imbalance that can severely impact your emotional energy, productivity, and ability to move forward.
8. Unforeseen Personal Challenges: Along with external challenges, personal circumstances and emotional exhaustion could also play a big role. No matter how well-planned the wellness strategies are, if you’re personally overwhelmed with managing everything, the results are affected. The sheer emotional toll of trying to carry everything f—especially if you have a history of being burned by others—can drain even the most resilient leaders.

What to Do Next

The key takeaway here is that failure doesn’t define you, and even with all these things not going according to plan, it doesn’t mean you didn’t put in the right effort. Here’s how you can shift:

• Reflect on the process: Take time to understand the why behind the failures. What did you learn about the gaps in your approach? What could have been done differently? Where were the sticking points, and how could you adjust for next time?
• Pivot and focus on smaller, more sustainable wins: Rather than trying to change everything at once, try small wins that are sustainable. Sometimes, focusing on the team you already have or on building stronger relationships with those who truly align with your vision will build momentum.
• Prioritize personal wellness: Make sure that your personal wellness isn’t sacrificed in the process. You are the leader, and your mental, emotional, and physical health needs to come first. Once that is aligned, it becomes easier to implement any other changes.
• Shift expectations around time: Success in creating a thriving culture takes time. Trust the process and give yourself the space to make long-term changes. Be kind to yourself, and remember that good things are often a matter of consistent, patient work.

Have a look at what a healthy culture CAN look like, introduced in our E-book: The CEO Dreamjob. PM or email me for a copy: [email protected]

Thank you

Griet Johanna

Founder Moov-IT.eu