Why DEI Leaders Are Burning Out — and How Organizations Can Help

Our in-depth interviews with 23 HR and DEI professionals across various industries in the United States offered evidence that the mantle of DEI work is emotionally taxing. These professionals shared vivid accounts of stress and frustration and expressed the need for near-constant emotional regulation in the face of others’ apathy and negativity about their roles. “My emotions are a roller coaster, with lots of highs and lots of lows, and that’s okay,” one Black male diversity officer told us. “But…also, my emotions are oftentimes stifled, and that’s not okay,” he elaborated. A Black female diversity officer shared, “I can’t tell you how many times in training, somebody will say something, and I have to keep on my game face. I just nod, and I go hmmm…. Because I focus so much with my associates on neutrality, I have to model that…I have a very expressive face, and I work really hard at work not to let my face show my emotions.”