Navigating Languishing - From Personal Reflection to Organisational Vision

It’s a strange feeling, isn’t it? You’re not burned out. You’re not failing. But somehow, you’re drifting. The spark that used to drive you feels... dulled.

This state—what psychologist Adam Grant termed languishing—has quietly become one of the most common emotional backdrops of today’s workplace. Especially for those in charge. Managers, directors, business owners—many are carrying a weight they can’t quite name. There’s energy, but little focus. Movement, but no traction.

And while languishing can feel personal, its ripple effects reach far beyond the individual. When decision-makers lack clarity or momentum, it subtly stalls the teams they lead and the organisations they’re trying to steer.

What Does Languishing Look Like in Leadership?

Sometimes it’s masked as busywork or a sudden obsession with small tasks. Sometimes it’s a reluctance to set new goals, not out of laziness but because the goals feel hollow. Other times, it shows up in leadership behaviours—less delegation, fewer courageous conversations, a hesitance to challenge the status quo.

And unlike burnout, which usually signals an urgent crisis, languishing flies under the radar. It’s quieter. But over time, it eats away at decision-making quality, innovation, and even revenue—because a lack of energy and vision at the top often reflects in team morale and client experiences further down the line.

From Fog to Flow: What Breaks the Pattern

The good news? Languishing isn’t permanent. What breaks the cycle isn’t necessarily a holiday or a change in workload. It’s flow—the sense of immersion and purpose that comes when you’re meaningfully engaged in something that matters.

But flow doesn’t just appear. For many managers, it starts with giving yourself the space to re-centre, reflect, and reconnect with what energises you.

That’s why we built our 7-Step Vision Development framework—not just for organisations, but for the people leading them. The goal isn’t to plaster over lack of motivation with targets. It’s to rebuild a sense of alignment between personal direction and organisational focus.

The Seven Strategic Thinking Modes

Each step of the framework draws from research in strategic foresight, design thinking, and executive coaching. You move through:

• Analytical Thinking, to clarify where things really stand.

• Utopian Thinking, to reconnect with what you actually want.

• Goal-oriented Thinking, to translate that desire into concrete direction.

• Realistic Thinking, to surface the blockers that get in the way.

• Creative Thinking, to shift what needs shifting.

• Strategic Thinking, to sketch the steps forward.

• Practical Thinking, to act on what matters—and let go of what doesn’t.

In practice, this structure supports both individual energy and organisational cohesion. Managers report not only clearer thinking and better emotional balance, but also a sharper sense of what their teams need—and how to lead with focus, not fatigue.

The ROI of Reconnection

Languishing might seem like a personal hurdle, but its impact is organisational. Think:

• Faster alignment when managers reconnect with their purpose.

• Fewer costly leadership mistakes rooted in low energy or ambiguity.

• Higher retention—because teams mirror the clarity and vitality they see in their managers.

• More resilient strategy cycles, where vision isn’t outsourced, but owned.

This isn’t just about individual well-being. It’s about safeguarding the mental and strategic capacity of those tasked with shaping the future.

Final Thought

You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from reflection. In fact, the leaders who prevent crises are often those who slow down just enough to sense when things are drifting. If you’ve been stuck in neutral, maybe this is your cue.

Languishing thrives in silence. But so does vision—if you give it room to speak.