What the Pandemic Taught Us About Leadership, Culture, and Well-Being

Every year, we collect so much data through our Community Surveys that it is impossible to touch on everything in one report. This is the second in a series of quick dives into our 2021 Workplace Well-Being Report data to discuss interesting findings that caught our eye and deserve some of the spotlight, but didn't quite find their way into the final report.

If there was one clear takeaway from the pandemic, it is this: The pandemic affected every person at every level of every organization in some way.

Many employees on the front lines had to address the shifting realities of an evolving pandemic head on: continuing to show up in their workplaces, donning PPE, and interacting with the public in-person. Many others were shifted to remote working environments for what they thought was a short-term change, and now years on, many continue to work from home. Supervisors and managers had to tend to the new and ever-changing needs of their teams, while leadership teams had to set new strategic directions and adapt their organizations to new financial, operational, and personnel challenges.

COVID-19 didn’t just disrupt operations — it upended the way we experience work across every role, team, and level. And while the day-to-day details varied widely, our data tells a story of shared struggle — and a chance for shared empathy.

Different Roles, Different Cultures

In our 2021 Workplace Well-Being Report, we heard from 1,851 working adults across our communities — employees, supervisors, managers, directors, and executives. And one thing became clear:

Leaders and employees experience workplace culture differently.

Across four key indicators — feeling valued, recognized, trusted, and being able to give upward feedback — front-line employees consistently reported lower scores than leaders.

To add some additional context to these differences, we use the following benchmarks in our data:

• Unhealthy Scores range from 1-60. These scores suggest a long-term risk of burnout and well-being challenges
• Adequate Scores range from 61-76. These scores show no immediate threat of long-term concerns, but also no long-term health benefits
• Healthy Scores range from 77-100. These scores indicate that work is having a positive effect on employee well-being

And when we dig into these scores with this context, front-line employees don't score just a little lower — they were hovering in or near the “Unhealthy” range.

By contrast, leaders generally landed in the “Adequate” or “Healthy” range. That means they’re more likely to feel appreciated, empowered, and heard. And that gap matters — because when employees don’t feel recognized or trusted, it affects motivation, engagement, and retention.

In other words: There seem to be clear cultural benefits to being a leader in an organization, and employees are less likely to experience these benefits.

Don't Overlook Your Supervisors

One surprising finding? Supervisors tend to score more like front-line employees than managers or directors.

Why? Our hypothesis: supervisors are often tasked with more responsibilities — but without the authority, support, or recognition given to higher-level leaders.

If your organization has a significant number of supervisors, take this as a cue to check in. This “forgotten layer” of leadership might need more support than you think.

Well-Being Was The Great Equalizer

Here’s where things get interesting.

While there were clear differences in how people experience culture, we saw remarkable similarities in how they experience well-being.

Across all roles — from employees to executives — people reported similar levels of:

• Overall well-being
• Mental health
• Physical health

The drop in well-being was dramatic and universal. Compared to pre-pandemic data:

• The percentage of people with unhealthy scores more than doubled
• The percentage of people with healthy scores dropped by over half

And this is the interesting part. Despite the clear differences in our experiences of organization culture, we all experienced significant challenges to our well-being – across all levels of our organizations.

These scores are remarkably similar – and while there are some minor differences across these groups, the differences are not statistically significant.

So while our experiences of culture might vary, the emotional and physical toll of the pandemic has been shared — and that gives us a unique opportunity.

A Moment For Empathy - In Every Direction

At YMCA WorkWell, we believe that data is only meaningful if it leads to meaningful action. So what are some of the main takeaways from these findings? And what can we start doing today to address them? Here are some places I think we can start:

For Employees: Extend Empathy Upwards

Leaders are people too. They’ve been navigating tough decisions, supporting teams, and often carrying unspoken weight.

When we ask leaders how they’re doing, one of the most common replies is: "Honestly, no one’s asked me that in a while.”

If we want empathy from the top, we have to offer it across all directions. A simple check-in — “How are you really doing?” — can go a long way.

For Leaders: Appreciation Isn't Optional Anymore

The need for more appreciation was a big takeaway from our 2021 Workplace Well-Being Report and it was a big takeaway from our first Short Report too, so I understand that I might be starting to sound like a broken record here. But, creating a culture of appreciation is one of the simplest and most effective ways to support employee well-being in your organization – and this data suggests that it is a pressing need of employees and supervisors in particular.

Employee recognition focuses on what someone has done, but employee appreciation focuses on who someone is. To truly build a culture of appreciation, organizations need to be mindful of both. 

For Everyone: Don't Forget The Supervisors

Supervisors often hold the most tension — between the demands of leadership and the needs of their team. Make sure they’re not falling through the cracks. Schedule a real, human conversation. Ask them what’s working and what’s not.

The Bottom Line

The pandemic introduced unforeseen challenges to our workplaces. But it also gave us an opportunity: to build workplaces that are more honest, human, and connected.

My two cents: Let’s focus on that. Let's make sure we focus on those similarities while we actively work on improving the employee experience for everyone. Let’s approach all of our relationships with empathy and grace, and let’s show appreciation for those around us – regardless of someone’s role. Because at the end of the day, that might just be the quickest way to improve organizational culture for everyone.

If you’d like to read more deep dives into our community data, check out the first installment in this series of YMCA WorkWell Short Reports: You Care About Your Staff, But Do They Really Know That?

Want to experience how different roles experience your workplace? Our Insights Survey can help. Book a free consultation today and collect some data together!