If managers are the bridge between strategy and execution, what happens when the bridge starts to crumble? 

In this special second episode with returning guest Dr. Katie Gaebel, we kick off a new 3-part Heliona Insight series called The Manager Crisis. Katie, researcher, speaker, and culture strategist, joins me to unpack Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report, with a focused lens on the manager crisis outlined between pages 7–25 and 94–98. 

We explore what’s really driving disengagement, why burnout among middle managers is rising, and what organizations must do to support the people they rely on most.

Katie brings a powerful blend of data and humanity to this conversation, reminding us that behind every performance metric is a human being, often a manager, trying to hold it all together. 

If you lead people, report to someone, or are simply curious about what’s breaking (and what could fix it), this conversation is essential.