Why Leader Health Is Declining And What It's Costing Your Team

In this episode of the 11 Ten Leadership Podcast, Rob Shields and David Spickard unpack one of the most concerning findings from the 2026 State of Leadership report: leader health is declining even as other leadership metrics improve.

The conversation explores the growing tension between external success and internal depletion, revealing how burnout, stress, overwork, and “always-on” leadership cultures are impacting both leaders and their teams. Rob and David discuss the ripple effects unhealthy leadership has on trust, morale, communication, and workplace culture and why organizations can no longer afford to ignore employee well-being.

They also tackle generational expectations around work-life balance, the hidden costs of hustle culture, and practical steps leaders can take to build healthier rhythms for themselves and their teams.

00:00 – Welcome + introducing leadership health

03:00 – Key findings from the State of Leadership report

08:00 – The hidden cost of success and burnout culture

13:00 – Generational differences and workplace expectations

19:00 – The ripple effects unhealthy leadership has on teams

23:00 – How overwork impacts families and relationships

27:00 – Practical ways leaders can create healthier rhythms

31:00 – Preview of next episode

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