The Gallup State of the Global Workplace Report (2026) lays bare a growing leadership crisis. While leaders report the highest engagement (26%) of all employees surveyed, they are also more likely to be stressed, angry, sad, lonely and laugh the least of anybody across their organisation. Rob Cross, Author and Coach, discusses the growing mental health crisis at the top – and what to do about it.
The data is clear. Leaders today are living in a paradox – simultaneously thriving and struggling. Research from Gallup shows that leaders are among the most engaged employees in any organisation, with a strong connection to purpose and greater influence over outcomes.
Yet that same group consistently reports some of the highest levels of stress and burnout risk. It seems that the very factors that drive engagement, including ownership, responsibility and impact, also create sustained pressure. Leaders are not just delivering results; they are carrying the emotional and operational weight of the organisation.
Gallup’s findings highlight that the role itself is the stressor. Leaders sit between competing demands, managing expectations from senior stakeholders while supporting and motivating their teams. They are required to make decisions quickly, often without full information, while maintaining performance and morale. Over time, that constant pressure begins to take its toll.
Energised and exhausted: Navigating a world that won’t sit still
To understand why this tension has intensified, you must look at the context leaders are operating in. The environment is no longer stable or predictable; it is defined by constant change and shifting priorities. Leaders are expected to navigate complexity not as an exception, but as the norm.
Whether driven by geopolitical instability, rapidly advancing technology – particularly AI – or the ongoing uncertainty of climate change, the draw on leaders’ attention is intensifying. While each trend is significant, together they create a level of complexity that stretches even the most capable leaders. The result is a leadership experience that is simultaneously energising, because of the opportunity to shape the future, and exhausting, because of the relentless pace and ambiguity.
The hidden drain: Cognitive overload
One of the most significant, but often overlooked, consequences of this environment is cognitive overload. Leaders are processing more information than ever before, often in compressed timeframes and under conditions of uncertainty. Even with AI enabled tools, decision-making has become both more frequent and more complex, leaving little room for pause or reflection.
This constant mental demand reduces what could be described as free cognitive capacity, leaving leaders with less space to think deeply, to step back or to make deliberate choices. Instead, many find themselves caught in a cycle of reaction, moving from one issue to the next without a sense of control.
Over time, this erodes both effectiveness and wellbeing. Even highly engaged leaders can feel drained, not because they lack motivation, but because they lack the mental space to operate at their best. This is where engagement and burnout begin to coexist, creating the paradox that Gallup’s data brings to light.
How to beat stress, escape burnout and live well
The answer is not to reduce ambition or step away from leadership. It is to approach leadership in a way that is more sustainable, starting with how you manage your own energy and attention. This requires deliberate choices about what matters, how you act and how you recover.
- Be clear on your purpose
In a complex and fast-moving world, clarity of purpose becomes a critical anchor. Knowing what you are trying to achieve, and why it matters, allows you to cut through noise and focus on what is truly important. Without that clarity, everything can feel urgent, and priorities quickly become blurred.
A well-defined sense of purpose provides direction when conditions are uncertain. It also creates a deeper connection between what you do and who you are, making the challenges of leadership more meaningful. This is not just about professional success, but about aligning your work with a broader sense of contribution.
- Be intentional
Purpose on its own is not enough; it needs to be translated into conscious action. Being intentional means making deliberate choices about how you spend your time and energy. It requires you to decide what you will prioritise, what you will delegate and what you will decline.
This shift from reaction to intention is powerful. It allows leaders to regain a sense of control in environments that often feel uncontrollable. While it does not remove complexity, it creates a clearer path through it, reducing the sense of overwhelm that comes from trying to do everything at once.
- Create space
Creating space is one of the most effective ways to sustain performance over time. Leaders often feel the need to be constantly available, but this this ultimately reduces effectiveness rather than enhancing it.
Time away from constant activity allows for recovery, reflection and better decision-making. It creates the conditions for clearer thinking and more considered action, helping leaders maintain their energy over the long term.
The challenge is often overcoming the belief that stepping back is a sign of weakness or lack of commitment. In reality, it is a necessary discipline. Creating space is not about doing less; it is about ensuring that when you are engaged, you are able to perform at your best.
Sustaining yourself in a complex world
The world is becoming more complex, not less. Leaders are at the forefront of that complexity, navigating uncertainty while shaping the direction of their organisations. This makes the experience of being both energised and exhausted almost inevitable.
The task, therefore, is not to eliminate this tension but to manage it effectively. Leaders who are clear on their purpose, intentional in their actions and disciplined in creating space are better equipped to handle the demands placed upon them, enabling them to sustain both performance and wellbeing over time.
Leadership is not a sprint, and it is not a marathon. It is an ongoing process of contribution, adaptation and impact. Approached in the right way, it becomes not just a role to perform, but a way to live well while making a meaningful difference.
Rob Cross is the author of Ask 3 Questions: How to Live Well in a Distracted World. Rob is an experienced leadership development coach who works with senior leaders and organisations to build high performance through clarity, purpose and effective leadership.
