If your best people are tired, this is why.   We love the employees who go above and beyond. Of course we do. The ones who step in without being asked, help teammates who are drowning, stay late when something needs to get done and genuinely care about the organization’s success.   And so, before long it becomes an expectation. When discretionary effort quietly turns into an unspoken job requirement, the very people leaders rely on most begin to burn out.   Organizational cit

Psychological safety has become one of the most important and widely referenced concepts in today’s workplaces. And rightly so. When done well, it creates environments where people feel safe to speak up, ask questions, admit mistakes and contribute without fear of humiliation or retaliation.   But lately, I’ve been noticing a troubling trend. I had an intriguing conversation with a colleague earlier this week and learned that she’d been seeing and hearing some of the same.  

Leadership has a way of quietly creeping into every corner of your life. You stay late to finish one more thing. You answer emails at night so nothing falls through the cracks. You step in to fix problems that technically aren’t yours because it feels easier than letting them linger. Before long, your calendar is full, your head is busy and your own wellbeing has slipped to the bottom of the list. Many leaders burn out because they care deeply about their work and the people

Some workplaces lift people up. Others slowly wear them down. In toxic cultures, even the most dedicated employees struggle to stay motivated because the environment itself becomes the barrier. While a healthy culture brings out the best in people, a toxic one slowly drains motivation, creativity and trust.   You can usually feel a toxic culture more easily than you can describe it. A toxic workplace feels like walking into a storm that never fully clears. It’s the tension du

When most people hear the term “fit for duty” they think of impairment related to drugs and alcohol. Maybe fatigue. Maybe physical limitations. But the reality of today’s workplaces is far more complex. Impairment isn’t just chemical, and it isn’t always visible. Stress, grief, burnout, anxiety, trauma, conflict and personal crises can leave someone just as distracted, exhausted and mentally checked out as any substance. And from a safety standpoint, impairment is impairment.

Most workplaces think they’re doing recognition right. There’s a pizza party lunch now and then, a few “great job!” emails, maybe even an...

You know the type: the one who always comes through in a crunch. Who spots the problem before it becomes a full-blown crisis. Who meets...

Legislative changes can feel daunting for employers — rewriting policies, retraining staff and keeping up with compliance deadlines. But...

You’ve probably heard of the “Sunday Scaries”: that creeping feeling of dread as the weekend winds down and the workweek looms. But did...