Burnout Nation: Why “Hope This Email Finds You Well” Feels Like a Sick Joke
The standard email greeting, “I hope this email finds you well,” often feels disconnected from reality, as burnout and disengagement plague numerous sectors. This widespread exhaustion prompts leaders and employees alike to question its origins and, more importantly, how to resolve it. Even workplace wellbeing specialists are grappling with this issue.
As Industrial-Organizational Psychologists with extensive experience in workplace wellness, we posited that current wellness programs might not align with employee needs or are simply following trends without proven effectiveness. Beyond identifying the problem, we aimed to discover actionable solutions for leaders to enhance employee, team, and organizational wellness. Our findings, though unexpected, offer clear strategies to combat workplace burnout.
Our research indicates that conventional workplace wellness initiatives like step challenges, mindfulness sessions, pizza parties, and yoga, while seemingly beneficial, have minimal impact. While these programs may benefit a select few with the time and energy, the majority remain overwhelmed by excessive responsibilities, toxic environments, and constant pressure to be available.
The real key to employee wellbeing, energy, and productivity lies not in perks but in leadership. Employees thriving in their roles consistently cited their leader’s behavior as a crucial factor. Analyzing extensive interview transcripts and survey responses, we found near-unanimously that leaders, not wellness programs, were key to employees’ health and wellbeing at work. To improve engagement and performance, organizations should shift from quick-fix programs to investing in better leadership.
Our research identified core strategies that distinguish exceptional leaders, whom we call “Generators.” These leaders consistently achieve results without causing burnout in their teams or themselves. One particularly effective strategy is demonstrating vulnerability and authenticity.
Contrary to expectations, employees don’t need superhero leaders. They seek genuine individuals who show up authentically, flaws and all. This authenticity fosters trust, creating a safe environment for employees to share challenges, enabling meaningful support and the development of real solutions, which in turn boosts productivity.
Consider a personal example of a Generator in action. Early in my career, I (Patricia) worked for Jill, a leader who exemplified the Generator mindset. I had a high-pressure, client-facing role that required frequent travel and executive presentations. The onboarding was rigorous, with intense presentation skills training, complete with practice sessions and relentless feedback.
Jill’s approach was impactful. She shared her own struggles during presentation training, admitting she hadn’t been a natural either. Her openness made all the difference. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I trusted her enough to be honest about my challenges, allowing me to improve more quickly than expected. Jill’s vulnerability wasn’t a weakness; it unlocked my potential.
Another strategy Generators employ is supporting employees as individuals with unique needs and personal lives. They see employees as whole people and work to build quick relationships to understand their needs. As part of that, they serve as boundary bouncers—helping employees set boundaries important to them, enforcing those boundaries, and blocking employees from people or situations that violate their boundaries.
Going back to Jill, she did a great job of supporting each of the team member’s needs and being a boundary bouncer. I distinctly remember a situation where a client needed someone to come onsite and the person assigned to the account was unable to go. I raised my hand and told Jill that I was happy to help and step in – since I didn’t have kids, I figured I had less responsibility than my colleagues and should volunteer. Jill took me aside and told me that my personal boundaries and needs mattered just as much as those who have kids. She said I could, of course, step in to help if I actually had the time. But she also urged me to stick to my own boundaries.
After that conversation, I really thought about my boundaries, shared them with her, and we worked together to protect them. Jill saw me as a whole person with a valuable personal life that deserved protection.
From our research and our personal experience, we can confidently say that these types of behaviors truly support employee wellness while leading to great results. Our study participants all shared that they worked harder with better leadership, and that investing in leaders isn’t just good for wellness—it’s good for business.