Why Don’t Leaders Care?

There’s no shortage of “be caring” advice for leaders — and for a good reason. Surveys show that about 50% of people don’t feel <a href="https://www.hrdive.com/news/workers-feel-undervalued-workhuman/639999/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">valued</a> at work, almost 30% feel <a href="https://www.workhuman.com/resources/human-workplace-index/human-workplace-index-the-price-of-invisibility" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">“invisible,”</a> and just 24% think their employer cares about their <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/390776/percent-feel-employer-cares-wellbeing-plummets.aspx" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">well-being</a>. For organizations, the caring deficit is consequential. Feeling disrespected and undervalued can be almost ten times more predictive of <a href="https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/toxic-culture-is-driving-the-great-resignation/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">turnover</a> than pay or benefits. One study found that “uncaring leaders” was one of the most <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/sustainable-inclusive-growth/chart-of-the-day/arrivals-and-departures" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">common reasons</a> people left a job without another lined up. For individuals, feeling uncared for by their leaders can be crushing. A <a href="https://workforceinstitute.org/managers-and-mental-health-the-workforce-weigh-in/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">new study</a> found that for 70% of people, their direct leader had a more significant impact on their overall mental health than their doctor or therapist. A <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-well-being/compounding-pressure-2021" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">2021 American Psychological Association</a> study found that 59% of employees experience adverse mental health outcomes because of work experiences. Between 2014 and 2018, rates of depression and anxiety among employees rose by 18%, and between 2022 and 2023, rates increased by 25%. A key <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07342829211049686" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">contributor</a> to a higher risk for clinical anxiety and depression is “anti-mattering” — feeling insignificant to others. <a href="https://zachmercurio.medium.com/why-leaders-dont-care-47d33e1a2e8c">Click Here</a>