The DEI Leadership Crisis You Can’t Afford to Ignore
Burnout is no longer just a personal challenge, it’s a systemic leadership issue with measurable business consequences. At the center of this crisis? Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) leaders.
Despite a return to “business as usual,” workplace pressures have only intensified. Today, 69% of Chief Diversity Officers report burnout, and average tenure in the role has plummeted to just 2.9 years. Without real investment, organizations risk losing their most strategic champions of inclusion and innovation.
Why It Matters:
-Burnout is driven by role ambiguity, emotional labor, and organizational misalignment (not individual resilience).
-Underrepresented leaders, including Black women and Gen Z professionals, face disproportionate burnout due to systemic inequities.
-The cost of inaction is staggering: up to $190 billion annually in healthcare costs, plus lost institutional knowledge and stalled DEI progress.
