Leadership is often described as rewarding, purposeful, even inspiring — and it is. But what’s rarely talked about is the mental load that comes with it. Leading people means carrying more than just a to-do list — it means carrying the emotional weight of others, too

Every organisation wants a culture of trust. It’s written into values, embedded in strategy documents, and echoed through leadership speeches. But here’s the thing: trust doesn’t live in policies. It lives in the everyday moments between people — the quiet check-ins, the honest feedback, the times a leader says, “I hear you.

It’s what makes people speak up, take ownership, and go the extra mile. But when trust is broken — through poor communication, inconsistent leadership, or unaddressed stress — everything slows down. Engagement drops, collaboration fades, and good people quietly disengage.

We talk a lot about performance, productivity, and engagement. But if there’s one thing that truly changes how people show up at work — it’s how much their manager genuinely cares. Care might sound soft, but it’s one of the strongest leadership tools there is. Because when people feel seen, supported, and safe, they don’t just work harder — they work better.

In modern workplaces, the role of a manager has expanded far beyond managing performance. They’re expected to recognise the early signs of burnout, support wellbeing, mediate conflict, and create psychological safety — all while hitting targets and managing their own workload.