The Anxious Achiever How Can You Improve Your Team's Mental Health? It's Not Rocket Science! with Rita McGrath, Poornima Luthra & Andrew Barnes
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Apr 30, 2026 
Poornima Luthra, DEI expert tackling bias and intersectional inclusion. Andrew Barnes, four-day workweek pioneer who tested shorter workweeks. Rita McGrath, strategy professor focused on scaling humane systems. They discuss why work structures drive burnout, how shorter weeks and fewer interruptions boost wellbeing, why fairness and control matter, and practical changes leaders can make to redesign work.
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Fix Burnout By Removing Its Drivers
- Address burnout by removing its known drivers rather than offering perks.
- Focus on workload, control, toxic bosses, recognition, community, fairness, and values alignment to prevent burnout.
Four Day Week Pilot Drove Engagement And Fewer Sick Days
- Andrew Barnes launched a four-day week pilot asking teams to match output while paid for five days.
- Auckland University research showed engagement up 40% and sick days halved during the trial.
Eliminate Busywork To Unlock Productivity
- Cutting unproductive work (meetings, interruptions) raises output; Microsoft Japan cut meetings and saw ~40% productivity gain.
- Andrew links reduced busyness to cognitive recovery from frequent interruptions.
