The Problem Everyone's Dancing Around

Your Team's Political Stress Is About Biology, Not Beliefs

This week, a leader confided in me about the state of their team: "My Slack channels are a minefield of political articles. Half my team is diving into every debate, while the other half is quietly disappearing from meetings. And I'm frozen—afraid anything I say will make it worse."

Photo by Chris Sabor on Unsplash

This leader isn't alone. According to a recent report by BetterUp, what's happening in their organization could cost up to $900,000 in lost productivity. Their data shows that between June and August alone, the share of employees reporting negative impacts from political divisiveness jumped from 56% to a staggering 95%. That's not a gradual shift—it's a tsunami of workplace stress.

But here's what everyone's missing: this isn't primarily about political disagreement. It's about our nervous systems' response to perceived threat.

Look around your workplace, and you'll see it playing out in real time:

• Some people flood (posting political articles, jumping into every debate)

• Others flee (quietly skipping meetings, turning cameras off)

• Many freeze (walking on eggshells, avoiding decisions)

• Leaders often fawn (trying to please everyone while addressing nothing)

None of these are character flaws or performance issues. They're biological responses to feeling unsafe. And they're happening at a system-wide level.

So, what can leaders do?

Start by shifting your perspective. Instead of trying to manage political discourse, focus on managing collective nervous system activation. This looks like:

1. Name the Reactions, Not the Politics
   Instead of: "We need to keep politics out of the workplace"
   Try: "I notice our team seems more activated lately. Some of us might be feeling overwhelmed or shut down."

2. Set Boundaries Based on Biology
   Instead of: "Political discussions are off limits"
   Try: "To help us stay regulated and focused, let's keep our shared channels centered on our core work. This isn't about policing opinions—it's about protecting our collective capacity to engage."

3. Create Containment Without Suppression

• Acknowledge the reality of the moment

• Provide clear structures for engagement

• Maintain focus on shared purpose

This isn't about avoiding difficult conversations. It's about creating conditions where people can actually show up and do their best work.

Your job as a leader isn't to resolve political differences or pretend they don't exist. It's to create conditions where your team can function even when the world feels chaotic. This isn't about politics—it's about biology. And biology needs boundaries to function.

Photo by camilo jimenez on Unsplash

The coming weeks will test every leader's capacity to maintain team cohesion. Teams don't need political alignment to function well. They need nervous system regulation.

By focusing on biology instead of beliefs, you're not avoiding the problem—you're addressing the real one. And that might be the most important leadership skill for our current moment.