Rebuilding Workplace Trust: Leadership Strategies to Reduce Burnout
The University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies has released a new white paper titled Rebuilding the Social Contract, authored by TaMika Fuller, DBA, a researcher affiliated with the Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR), and Victoria Lender, DBA.
Both authors are graduates of the College. The paper explores how workplace burnout, stalled career growth, and a lack of perceived autonomy undermine trust in organizations—and outlines how leaders can restore engagement, loyalty, and retention amid rapid technological change and the rise of artificial intelligence.
Using insights from the 2025 Career Optimism Index—which surveyed more than 5,000 employees and 500 employers—the research underscores several key findings:
Both authors are graduates of the College. The paper explores how workplace burnout, stalled career growth, and a lack of perceived autonomy undermine trust in organizations—and outlines how leaders can restore engagement, loyalty, and retention amid rapid technological change and the rise of artificial intelligence.
Using insights from the 2025 Career Optimism Index—which surveyed more than 5,000 employees and 500 employers—the research underscores several key findings:
- Autonomy and burnout are strongly connected: Nearly 70% of employees who reported having little control over their work also experienced burnout, compared with 45% of those who felt they had greater control.
- Career stagnation increases burnout risk: Approximately 67% of workers who said their careers were not advancing reported feeling burned out.
“Trust in the workplace grows when organizational values are reflected in daily choices—particularly around workload, professional growth, and openness,” Fuller noted. “When employees feel micromanaged or trapped while adapting to constant change, burnout intensifies and trust erodes. Leaders can counter this by prioritizing skill-building, creating real opportunities for mobility, and embedding practices that protect employee well-being.”
Leadership strategies for rebuilding trust
The white paper presents actionable strategies leaders can use to address burnout and strengthen trust, including:
Leadership strategies for rebuilding trust
The white paper presents actionable strategies leaders can use to address burnout and strengthen trust, including:
- Promoting work–life balance through thoughtful workload evaluation, prioritization support, and tools that assess work–family strain
- Broadening access to wellness initiatives such as fitness programs, mindfulness training, counseling services, and professional development workshops to ease stress and reduce absenteeism
- Fostering stronger workplace relationships through open-door leadership, collaborative teams, and structured mentorship
- Amplifying employee input by using forums and focus groups that actively involve staff in decision-making and organizational change
- Advancing career development in an AI-driven workplace through practical training sessions, self-guided learning, role redesign where feasible, and clear policies governing responsible AI use
“Reestablishing the social contract requires improving organizational systems,” Lender said. “Trust grows when companies define transparent career pathways, invite employees into decisions that shape their work, and provide clear guidance on ethical AI adoption so individuals understand how technology will enhance—not threaten—their professional futures.”
Click here to access the complete white paper.
Click here to access the complete white paper.
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