Let’s call it what it is: life has become a lot. Global population growth has expanded our networks, technology has turbocharged our connectivity, and AI is rewriting the rules of engagement at work. This hyperconnectivity isn’t just changing how we work - it’s flooding our brains. We're bombarded with information and forced to process it faster than our human systems were built for.
As McKinsey’s Future of Work research notes, “mental overload is a growing barrier to productivity.” The more complex the world gets, the more critical it is for leaders to understand that confusion and disconnection aren’t just personal shortcomings - they’re systemic signals. If we don’t build performance systems that reflect this new reality, we risk burning out the very people we need to thrive.
We’re living in increasingly diverse and multicultural societies, which is incredible and also undeniably challenging for many workplaces. The real question isn’t whether we value diversity. It’s how well we’re equipping ourselves to work with it. True inclusion asks us to rethink social norms, to hold space for difference, and to create environments where varied perspectives feel like a strength, not a threat.
As Brené Brown puts it, “Belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.” Love this woman! When organisations create psychologically safe spaces where people feel respected and valued, performance flourishes. When they don’t, culture fractures and with it, the performance of individuals and teams.
The Accenture Pulse of Change 2024 Index named tech advancement, talent disruption, geopolitics, climate change, and social shifts as today’s biggest change drivers. Spoiler: they’re not slowing down. Our brains, however, haven’t evolved at the same speed. The structure of our nervous systems remains largely unchanged, meaning we’re trying to process exponential complexity with linear biology. No wonder we’re exhausted.
This widening gap between external pace and internal capacity is a core challenge for performance today. Leaders must account for this, not just in policies, but in the way work is designed. This is why I am so passionate about the integration of life skills and job skills for deeper growth and sustained performance. A nice segue into my next point.
Performance doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s the output of two interdependent systems:
1. The Organisational System
The structures, expectations, processes, and culture in which people operate. Think of it as the external environment - the map and terrain people must navigate.
2. The Human System
The internal world of the performer: their energy, mental and emotional state, beliefs, and sense of safety. When either system breaks down, performance suffers. Yet, in most workplaces, we still over-rely on the individual to “just figure it out,” while ignoring the friction in the system around them. A well-designed organisational system makes the path from A to B clear and supportive. It answers the WHY (purpose), WHAT (alignment), WHO (accountability), and HOW (parameters) - giving people the tools and trust to deliver.
Meanwhile, the human system must be supported through wellbeing, personal agency, and environments that strengthen, not drain capacity. Neither system works in isolation. Leaders need to tend to both.
Once upon a time, power sat squarely with the employer. Decisions were top-down, hierarchies were high, and questioning wasn’t exactly encouraged. Fast forward to now: flatter structures, direct engagement channels, and growing employee expectations are shifting the dynamic. Transparency is up. Tolerance for outdated systems is down. Numerous global events have caused people to reflect, reprioritise, and start choosing work that fits into life, not the other way around. Gallup’s 2024 Global Workplace Report noted another year of declining engagement in 2024, so it’s no wonder relationships with work are being rewritten.
What’s emerging is a new deal. One where wellbeing is a shared responsibility, leadership is distributed, care and performance aren’t opposites - they’re partners. Organisations that evolve with this new dynamic will attract and retain talent. Those that resist? Well, let’s just say the talent has options.
Let’s get real: inclusion is the unlock for human performance. Even so, the Diversity Council Australia's 2023 - 24 Inclusion@Work Index revealed that 27% of workers say their manager doesn't behave inclusively. That’s a quarter of your workforce feeling unseen.
Inclusion isn't a workshop. It's a culture. It starts with knowing your people - really knowing them. Understand your team's demographic makeup. Hold honest conversations about how inclusive your systems actually are (not just how inclusive you “think” they are). And please, don’t overthink it. Inclusion is built into everyday actions, not just in events or policies.
Ask yourself:
- Are all voices being heard in meetings?
- Are different needs being considered in learning?
- Are you making it safe for people to speak up?
This is the work. Quiet, consistent, culture-shaping work. Let’s also acknowledge that some countries have a more challenging road ahead with this work, as cutbacks on DEI programs and leadership roles dedicated to DEI diminish the overall support for DEI efforts. The future of DEI will depend on organisations finding ways to balance progress with the realities of resistance, while remaining committed to inclusion in a global context. To those finding it a tough slog, we see you.
If you’re trying to drive performance without learning, you’re just wishing. Learning that sticks isn’t crammed into a conference room once a year. It flows with the work. It’s timely, relevant, and matched to where someone is in their journey, not just where you hope they’re headed.
Think of learning as mapping to career moments:
- New knowledge? Deliver it before it’s needed.
- New skills? Create safe spaces to practice.
- New confidence? Build it in real-time, not just theory.
Too many learning agendas are still training-centric, not performance-aligned. And leadership learning? Often too narrow and outdated to meet today’s reality. The fix? Grow the skills to lead others and yourself in all people, not just team leaders. This includes emotional regulation, values-based decision-making, managing inner critics, etc. These aren’t “soft skills” - they’re
human (aka life) skills, applicable to all humans. And they’re the foundation for sustainable performance.
Performance now isn’t about driving harder - it’s about designing better. Better systems. Better relationships. Better learning. And better support for the humans doing the work.
Leaders, you’re not just managing output. You’re shaping the environment people operate in and the relationship they have with work. This isn’t a trend. It’s a turning point. So the real question is: Will you adapt with the times, or wait until you’re forced to?
Over to you, future shapers.
