Across the United States, many employees are navigating an era of nearly constant disruption. Some might posit this is not a new paradigm. But to the point, organizations are implementing artificial intelligence tools, restructuring departments, pursuing digital transformation, adapting to economic uncertainty, and asking workers to do more with fewer resources. In response, terms such as “quiet quitting,” burnout, imposter syndrome, disengagement, and change fatigue have become common features of workplace discussions. While these issues are often treated as separate problems, recent research highlighted in MIT Sloan Management Review suggests they may share a common root: unmanaged anxiety.
Most Americans think of leadership anxiety as a problem faced by CEOs and senior executives. However, the findings are equally relevant to frontline supervisors, project managers, team leaders, mentors, and even influential employees with no official authority – the de-facto leaders. In today’s workplace, leadership is often less about title and more about influence. Anyone whose actions affect the morale, performance, or confidence of others can either amplify workplace anxiety or help manage it productively.
Despite measures to avoid this paradigm, the workplace is arguably uniquely positioned to generate anxiety. Employees worry about job security, rising costs of living, technological disruption, and whether their skills will remain relevant in the future. Leaders face similar concerns while simultaneously carrying responsibility for the performance and well-being of others. Yet workplace culture often rewards confidence, decisiveness, and certainty. Admitting uncertainty can be perceived as weakness rather than wisdom. As a result, many individuals suppress their concerns, creating an environment where anxiety remains hidden but continues to influence behavior.
This dynamic helps explain the growing phenomenon known as quiet quitting. Contrary to popular belief, most disengaged employees do not suddenly decide to stop caring about their jobs. More often, disengagement develops gradually. Employees are asked to support new initiatives, embrace organizational change, and demonstrate enthusiasm. They invest energy and effort, only to discover that their feedback is ignored, meaningful problems remain unresolved, and leadership seems disconnected from frontline realities. Over time, cynicism replaces commitment. Rather than openly resisting change, employees begin doing only what is required, preserving their emotional energy and lowering their expectations. What appears to be laziness may actually be a protective response to chronic frustration and anxiety.
The same research also sheds light on imposter syndrome, a challenge that affects workers at nearly every level of an organization. Many employees privately wonder whether they deserve their position, whether they possess the necessary skills, or whether others will eventually discover their shortcomings. The study argues that such concerns are not signs of incompetence. They are signs that individuals care about their responsibilities and the impact of their performance on others. Anxiety becomes damaging only when people interpret it as evidence that they do not belong.
This insight is particularly important for new supervisors, emerging leaders, and professionals entering unfamiliar roles. Anxiety is often treated as a personal failing when it is actually a natural response to responsibility and uncertainty. Employees who understand this distinction are less likely to overcompensate through perfectionism, defensiveness, or micromanagement. Instead, they can view anxiety as information that deserves examination rather than embarrassment.
Another important lesson involves the dangers of what might be called “performative confidence.” Organizations frequently rally around appealing phrases such as innovation, agility, customer centricity, or digital transformation. These concepts may be valuable, but they can become problematic when questioning them becomes socially unacceptable. The research found that one warning sign of trouble is when enthusiasm replaces inquiry. Employees stop asking whether a strategy will succeed because the strategy itself provides emotional comfort and reassurance. In these situations, genuine leadership may require asking difficult questions rather than displaying unconditional support.
This responsibility does not belong solely to top-level management. Every workplace contains unofficial leaders whose influence exceeds their formal authority. They may be experienced employees, administrative professionals, technical specialists, nurses, teachers, or veteran team members whose opinions carry significant weight. These informal or de-facto leaders often shape workplace culture more powerfully than organizational charts suggest. Their willingness to acknowledge challenges honestly, seek facts, and support colleagues can either reduce anxiety or contribute to it.
The encouraging conclusion is that employees do not need executive authority to make a positive difference. Every worker can help create a healthier environment by encouraging honest conversations, resisting blame-based thinking, asking thoughtful questions, and recognizing signs of exhaustion in coworkers. Small acts of authenticity can interrupt cycles of fear and cynicism before they become embedded in organizational culture.
Ultimately, the most important lesson for American workers is that anxiety is not the enemy. In a rapidly changing world, anxiety is a normal and often useful response to uncertainty. Problems arise when individuals feel compelled to hide it, deny it, or project it onto others. Organizations that encourage courage, curiosity, and care are better equipped to navigate change because they allow people to discuss concerns openly and address problems before they become crises.
The future of effective leadership may rely on developing the emotional maturity to recognize anxiety, learn from it, and help others do the same. In that sense, managing anxiety is not merely a leadership skill. It is a workplace survival skill for everyone.
Fitzsimons, D., Petriglieri, G., & Petriglieri, J. (2026, September 1). How leadership anxiety derails transformation. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-leadership-anxiety-derails-transformation/ [sloanreview.mit.edu]
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