What You Carry: The Invisible Load

/ Susan Hendrich

What are you carrying that nobody at work can see?

We talk a lot about workload. Meetings. Deadlines. Emails. Expectations.

But we don’t talk nearly enough about “the load.” Grief. Caregiving. Health concerns. Financial stress. Relationship strain. Parenting. Uncertainty.

The emotional weight of being the person everyone else turns to.

And leadership can add another layer: you’re carrying your own backpack while people are handing you pieces of theirs.

In this episode of imPERFECT: Better After Broken, executive coach and leadership consultant Jeff Servello PCC, RBLP-T, and clinical psychologist and executive coach Susan Hendrich, PsyD, explore what happens when workload sits on top of everything else we’re carrying.

We talk about the difference between being busy and burdened, the hidden emotional labor of leadership, why capable people often become very good at appearing fine, and how to care about people without absorbing what belongs to them. We also revisit the powerful Cleveland Clinic video, “Empathy: The Human Connection to Patient Care,” and the reminder behind it: we see people’s behavior, but we rarely know the whole story behind it.

So instead of immediately asking, “What’s wrong with this person?” What if we asked: “What might this person be carrying?” Compassion doesn’t mean lowering standards. Empathy isn’t the absence of accountability.

Understanding someone’s context can change how we enter the conversation while still being clear about what matters. And there’s another person whose load deserves our attention: ourselves. What are you carrying quietly? What has gotten heavier lately? Where might you need support? And what are you pretending is fine that isn’t?

NEW EPISODE: The Invisible Load of Leadership: What You’re Carrying That Nobody Sees.

Because nobody walks into work empty-handed.

Watch on YouTube: @imPERFECTBetterAfterBroken

#imPERFECT #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #Empathy #EmotionalLabor #WorkplaceCulture #InvisibleLoad

2 thoughts on “What You Carry: The Invisible Load”

  1. Mentioned in this episode: The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest-running longitudinal study in history, tracking the physical, mental, and emotional health of 724 men from diverse backgrounds starting in 1938.

    Core Findings

    • Relationships Matter Most: The single clearest message from the study is that good relationships keep us happier and healthier.
    • Quality Over Quantity: Close connections and relationship satisfaction at age 50 predict positive physical health at age 80 better than genetics, cholesterol levels, or social class.
    • Loneliness Kills: Social isolation and loneliness rival smoking and alcoholism as powerful risk factors for early mortality.
    • Brain Protection: Secure, reliable attachments buffer against physical pain and protect brain function as people age into their 80s and 90s.

    Study Design and Scope

    • Two Original Groups: It combined two separate cohorts in Boston—one consisting of 268 Harvard College sophomores (the Grant Study), and another of 456 disadvantaged teenage boys from impoverished Boston neighborhoods (the Glueck Study).
    • Expansion: Over decades, the research expanded to include more than 1,300 descendants and spouses of the original participants.
    • Methods: Researchers use repeat questionnaires, personal medical exams, blood tests, brain scans, DNA analysis, and in-depth video interviews.
    • Leadership: Current findings and modern direction are led by Dr. Robert Waldinger and Dr. Marc Schulz, highlighted in their book The Good Life.

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  2. Here’s the Cleveland Clinic video we discussed in this episode: Empathy: The Human Connection to Patient Care. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDDWvj_q-o8

    This 4-minute video from 2013 walks through a busy hospital setting, using digital thought bubbles hovering over people’s heads to reveal the hidden emotional battles, fears, and hopes of patients, families, and staff.

    Famous Closing Line: If you could stand in someone else’s shoes… hear what they hear. See what they see. Feel what they feel. Would you treat them differently?

    Impact: It went viral globally, becoming a staple in healthcare education to emphasize compassion, human connection, and the reality that you never truly know what another person is going through.

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