Stress has become a silent epidemic in today’s workplace. We have blogged about stress from the lens of resilience as well as work factors. Our most recent blog on the topic was in April during Stress Awareness Month. The focus of the blog was to stop managing stress on an individual level alone and to also start redesigning the systems impacting stressors.
As we’ve mentioned in the past, stress and burnout are at an all time high. This is true for managers and leaders as well employees. Managers are often caught between the pressures of executive demands and the needs of their team.
Leadership stress and demands are often overlooked yet both have a psychological and physical toll. In fact, 56% of leaders report symptoms of burnout.
The Brunswick Leadership Stress Index tracks ‘what keeps business leaders awake at night.’ The group uses quantitative and qualitative research methods to get at the pressures and stressors of business leaders around the world. The research includes data analysis, surveys of C-suite executives, and in-depth interviews with CEOs and senior advisors across the US, Europe, and Asia.
The Index tracks main stressors, such as:
- Social Stressors
- Tech Disruptions
- Commercial and Operations Pressure
- Public Health Risks
- Market Vulnerability
- Geopolitical Instability
- Economic Uncertainty
Termed ‘polycrisis pressure,’ these factors are causing higher pressure than even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A recent HBR article reported on the 2025 survey of 400 C-suite executives by the co-founders of the Center for Stress Intelligence (CSI). The authors noted that “more than half the respondents said they were very stressed. Nearly two-thirds reported that their stress level had risen over the past year, and a majority anticipated that it would increase further in the coming year.”
According to the Brunswick Group, “The findings paint a stark picture of leadership under strain: Pressure is intensifying, the pace of disruption is accelerating, and many leaders feel exposed and under-prepared for what comes next.”
The co-founders identify six common stress patterns, emphasizing that having a better understanding of how you experience stress can improve your performance and make you more resilient and effective. (6 Ways Leaders Harness Stress) The patterns identify whether:
- You perceive stress as an opportunity or threat and
- Whether your response is composed or more dynamic.
What leaders do with this information and how the solutions offered are practiced and harnessed are the key to adaptation and change. The stress and burnout experienced by executive leadership, managers, and stakeholders cannot be ignored. There is a ripple down effect that impacts safety, well-being, and the culture of the organization.
Do you know your stress response pattern? It is worth knowing! We believe the skills needed can be developed through,
- Practice,
- Self-awareness,
- Reflection, and
- Reframing
Photo by Uday Mittal on Unsplash