Take Five: High burnout rates, fears of AI, the anti-trans agenda and rebranding DEI.

Take Five

1. Burnout rates are high. 

Recent studies show alarmingly high burnout rates reported by U.S. workers, affecting both their job performance and personal relationships. 95% of HR leaders reported feelings of being overwhelmed by excessive workload and stress. Remote work initially offered relief for some, but many professionals now work longer hours with blurred boundaries between work and personal life. Read More > 

Takeaway: Those wellness webinars aren't cutting it. Get practical. Look at your meeting culture. Are folks stuck in back-to-backs all day? Set clear boundaries for after-hours emails and create real consequences when managers violate them. Give your team permission to truly disconnect. 

2. White men lost the majority on S&P 500 boards. 

For the first time, women and minority men hold just over half (50.2%) of S&P 500 board seats, according to data compiled for Bloomberg by ISS-Corporate. This marks a historic shift from five years ago, when white men held nearly 60% of director positions. Women now account for 34% of board seats, while Black directors have reached 12%, roughly proportional to their share of the US population. However, Hispanic representation remains significantly underrepresented at only 6% compared to their 18% population share. Read More > 

Takeaway: This is a meaningful milestone, but I encourage my clients to go deeper than demographics. Having diverse directors is just the starting line, not the finish. Think – how else can we contextualize diversity beyond racial and gender identities? The boards that excel don't just count representation; they leverage it.

3. DEI professionals rebrand and shift focus amid political pressure. 

The DEI profession is undergoing dramatic changes as practitioners adapt to increasing political and corporate scrutiny. Many consultants and in-house DEI professionals are rebranding their services, removing client lists from websites, and repositioning their expertise to emphasize leadership development over demographic representation. Companies including Walmart, JPMorgan, and Google have replaced terms like "equity" with less politically charged language such as "opportunity" and "belonging," while scaling back or eliminating specific diversity initiatives. Read More > 

Takeaway: I'm advising clients to focus on outcomes, not semantics. Call it what you want – inclusive excellence, leadership development, or talent optimization – what matters is whether your initiatives actually improve decision-making and innovation. The clients getting this right are creating fair systems, not just demographic shifts. They're winning by including all talent, regardless of what politically charged terms might describe that work.

4. CEOs fear losing their jobs over AI implementation failures amid policy shifts. 

A new survey reveals nearly 80% of U.S. CEOs believe they could lose their jobs within two years if they fail to deliver AI-driven business gains. This pressure comes as the Trump administration has dramatically shifted AI policy, revoking Biden's 2023 executive order that focused on risk management and safety, replacing it with a new order emphasizing American AI leadership and minimizing regulatory barriers. Companies must now navigate implementation without clear federal guardrails while facing intense board-level expectations. Read More > 

Takeaway: Look, your organization needs its own AI compass right now. Every executive team I work with is feeling this pressure, but rushing into AI without thoughtful governance is a recipe for disaster. From my boardroom conversations, I recommend appointing someone to "own" AI ethics who can operate independently of regulatory requirements. Your leadership team should also create a reasonable roadmap based on what's technically feasible – not just what your competitors are claiming they can do. Your board expects results, but they'll appreciate honest assessments over inflated promises.

5. Supreme Court allows Trump's transgender military ban to take effect. 

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court permitted President Trump's ban on transgender people in the military to move forward. The court's order, which did not explain its reasoning, allows the armed forces to discharge thousands of current transgender troops and reject new recruits. The ban represents a significant shift from previous policy that allowed transgender individuals to serve openly. Three liberal justices dissented from the decision. Read More > 

Takeaway: This is a significant policy shift with ripple effects beyond the military, and for government contractors, scenario planning is crucial right now. Most importantly, check in with your trans and other LGBTQ+ employees who may be experiencing heightened anxiety. The organizations that navigate this well will stay focused on creating psychologically safe workplaces where all talent can contribute their best work.

In Other News

Here’s why this nonprofit made a $1.2 million decision to reject federal funding under Trump. 19th News >

I’m a refugee-turned-entrepreneur and Oxford professor. Here’s what we can all learn from the immigrant entrepreneurs who make America great. Fortune >

How Can a Perpetual Purpose Trust Build Community? NonProfit Quarterly >

How to measure narrative change: use this four-part framework to design and evaluate their narrative strategies. SSIR >

Upcoming Courses