The Modern Leader series: Employee wellbeing

Modern leadership attribute No.3: Prioritize Employee Wellbeing 

Seventy-six percent of employees and 63% of managers report feeling burned out or ambivalent in their current position. Yet managers aren’t recognizing just how overwhelmed their employees feel, with 89% saying their employees are thriving compared to the actual thriving figure of 24% — a more than 3-to-1 discrepancy, according to a 2024 study by The Grossman Group and The Harris Poll.

In other words, managers aren’t picking up the signs of burnout among their teams, which means employees aren’t feeling heard and getting the support they need.

One of the best ways to support employee wellbeing and be proactive in curbing burnout is to conduct wellbeing check-ins with employees.

These check-ins are a critical way to communicate with employees regularly, showing them that you are genuinely concerned about their wellbeing in and outside of work.

When employees know their wellbeing is a priority, organizations often see greater productivity, engagement and reduced turnover, ultimately contributing to the overall success of the organization.

To help you conduct wellbeing check-ins with your team, read this popular step-by-step guide.

About The Modern Leader series

Discover actionable insights released biweekly, designed to help you elevate your own leadership impact and drive the business results you seek.

So, how do you know if you’re a modern leader?

Modern leaders stand apart through their ability to balance head and heart in today’s complex workplace, integrating emotional intelligence with strategic thinking.

New research with The Harris Poll (publishing Summer 2025) shows only 30% of leaders truly meet their teams’ evolving needs — but that elite group leads with “their heart IN their head” and consistently demonstrates six key differentiators.

They:

• Lead with gratitude
• Listen and empathizes
• Foster an inclusive culture
• Communicate with context
• Connect strategy to employee growth
• Enable employees to meet the moment

To see additional ways you can differentiate yourself as a modern leader, check out the collection of modern leadership attributes (added bi-weekly) here.