One thing I think organizations dramatically underestimate:
Employees can feel leadership exhaustion.
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
It shows up everywhere.
In:
- rushed communication
- emotional reactivity
- delayed decisions
- conflict avoidance
- urgency culture
- inconsistent follow-through
- shallow listening
- “quick chats” that somehow destabilize entire teams
Leadership nervous systems shape workplace culture constantly.
Which is partially why one of the most popular Office Lore stickers says:
“Your team can feel your nervous system.”
Because they can.
Modern workplaces spend a lot of time talking about:
- productivity
- resilience
- efficiency
- innovation
While quietly ignoring the emotional atmosphere employees are operating inside every day.
And emotional atmosphere matters.
People notice:
- when leaders are dysregulated
- when inclusion work becomes performative
- when accessibility is treated like inconvenience
- when exhaustion becomes normalized
- when urgency replaces intentionality
Employees are extraordinarily observant.
Especially employees from marginalized communities.
Because people who have historically needed to assess safety quickly become experts at reading environments.
That’s why emotionally intelligent leadership matters.
And honestly?
That’s also why Office Lore resonates.
Because humour creates a gateway to conversations.
Sometimes a sticker saying:
“Burnout is data.”
Allows someone to acknowledge exhaustion without immediately entering defensiveness.
Sometimes:
“This meeting could’ve been a shared document.”
Creates more honest workplace reflection than a leadership retreat ever could.
Tiny emotional artifacts.
Massive workplace truths.
That’s the whole idea.