By Mike Pearson
If you’ve been working in leadership for any length of time, you’ll know change isn’t slowing down. In fact, the pace of work, technology, and now expectation, has shifted so fast that it can feel like the goalposts are moving daily.
While some leaders respond by doubling down on control – tighter deadlines, stricter processes, “business as usual” at all costs. Others try to simply ride it out – hoping that one day stability will return. But the uncomfortable reality is that stability, as we once knew it, is gone.
What makes the difference now isn’t resilience in the old sense of “gritting your teeth and getting through it.” It’s psychological flexibility – the ability to pause, adapt, and choose a better response in the face of change. This skillset helps people bend under pressure, rather than snapping, and is one of the most important human capabilities leaders can cultivate right now.
What do we mean by psychological flexibility?
Psychological flexibility (Psych Flex, for short) comes from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based approach developed by psychologist Steven C. Hayes in the 1980s. Hayes and his colleagues found that people who could adapt their thoughts and behaviours in line with their values (even when under stress) experienced far better outcomes in wellbeing, performance, and relationships.
In simple terms, Psych Flex is about:
- Noticing when you’re getting “hooked” by unhelpful thoughts
- Creating space to choose your actions, rather than reacting on autopilot
- Staying aligned with what really matters, even when circumstances shift
It sounds deceptively simple, but it’s a powerful shift.
Imagine a manager in back-to-back meetings. An urgent issue crops up, emotions are running high, and they feel the instinct to shut the conversation down or lash out. A psychologically inflexible response would be to follow that impulse. A flexible one would be to pause, notice the stress, and choose a more constructive action – always keeping the bigger picture in mind.
And it’s not just in meetings. We’ve all had that email, the one that makes our blood boil and our fingers fly furiously over the keyboard. Psychological inflexibility means hitting “send” in the heat of the moment. Psychological flexibility means pausing, taking a breath, and responding in a way that serves the relationship and the outcome, not just the emotion of the moment.
Why it matters more than ever
The modern workplace is a pressure cooker. LinkedIn research states 64% of professionals globally feel overwhelmed by the rapid pace of workplace changes, with 68% seeking more support than ever before. And these numbers are costing organisations dearly:
- Rising absenteeism as stress tips into burnout
- “Presenteeism” – people physically at work but mentally checked out
- Leaders stuck firefighting instead of leading
The good news? Studies show that psychological flexibility directly buffers against stress and predicts better work outcomes.
For example, a 2024 study published in ScienceDirect found that increased psychological flexibility was associated with improved stress resilience, reduced exhaustion, and increased personal accomplishment. Similarly, research among intensive care staff (adult and paediatric ICUs) showed that higher psychological flexibility predicted greater work engagement and helped mitigate the negative impact of distress. In other words, even in extremely high-stress roles, more flexibility = better engagement and lower burnout (National Library of Medicine).
So what does this mean for leaders and HR professionals?
A few key takeaways:
- Flexibility beats rigidity. You can’t control the pace of change, but you can equip people to respond better to it. Training leaders in Psych Flex skills builds capacity instead of resistance.
- It’s a learnable skill. Psychological flexibility isn’t personality-deep. With evidence-based coaching, simple practices, and conversation tools, teams can get measurably better at it.
- It prevents burnout. When people can notice stress without being consumed by it, they sustain their energy. That means fewer sick days and less pressure cascading onto already-stretched colleagues.
- It fuels innovation. Flexible teams are more creative because they don’t get stuck in rigid thinking. They can reframe problems, spot new possibilities, and adapt solutions.
What it looks like in practice
With the organisations we work alongside, we’re seeing tangible shifts when managers start to build psychological flexibility:
- Meetings change. Instead of spiralling into blame, leaders keep the focus on solutions.
- Conversations deepen. Managers have more capacity to coach, not just instruct.
- Teams feel safer. People know it’s okay to raise challenges without fear of being shut down.
What next?
If you’re a people leader or HR professional, this isn’t a call to add “one more thing” to your plate. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Psychological flexibility is the skill that makes everything else easier to carry.
Instead of pushing people harder, we can help them move smarter. Instead of burning out our best talent, we can keep them engaged and creative. Instead of breaking under pressure, we can bend and spring back stronger. As leaders, we can’t slow the pace of change. But we can shape how our people respond to it. And that might just be the biggest performance advantage you can create in 2025.
The future of work belongs to those who can flex. Are your people ready? Let’s chat.