I used to think the challenges I saw in mental health were unique to that work. They’re not. The exact same unhealthy, unproductive patterns show up in businesses and organizations all the time. It makes so much sense now—but y’all, I really didn’t know. Once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it. Suddenly, so much of what I’d witnessed and experienced over the years made sense.
It explains why teams stall out. Why the same issues persist and resurface over and over again. Why patterns that limit growth and effectiveness continue unchecked. Over time, it contributes to burnout, disengagement, and talent loss. It erodes morale, confidence in leadership, and overall job satisfaction.
Personally and professionally, we often respond the same way when something feels wrong: we put a sock on it and keep going. Let’s talk about that—and stop the cycle before the cost gets any higher.
Putting Socks On
“Stupid.” That’s what the patient told me when I asked what brought him to the physical rehabilitation center.
“Say more about that,” I replied.
“Stupid,” he said again, then explained. He had diabetes and developed a sore on his foot. Instead of getting help, he put a sock on. When it bled through and became uncomfortable, he put another sock on and kept going. Around the same time, he ran into financial trouble, couldn’t afford his medication, and still didn’t ask for help.
By the time he finally reached out, it was too late. To save his life—and healthy margins—part of his leg had to be amputated.
People and Problems
In many organizations, we do the same thing. There’s a known issue. Everyone talks about it behind closed doors, or in the meeting after the meeting. Sometimes customers and the community notice it too. But instead of addressing it directly, we keep putting socks on.
Maybe there’s a training here or a professional development session there—but nothing that truly gets at the root of the issue or creates space for a healthy reset and sustained growth.
In mental health, people knowingly live with a concern for an average of 11 years before seeking help. For some issues, it can be decades. That’s years of putting socks on while something important quietly deteriorates.
As I tried to make sense of the patterns I was seeing in organizations, it clicked. The same avoidance shows up at work. We apply the same ineffective strategies to organizational problems that we use in our personal lives—minimize, delay, distract—until we’re forced to deal with the consequences.
Prevention Is Leadership
- What if we didn’t wait?
- What if we could pause, take a breath, and address the issue head on?
- What if we moved year‑11 reactions to year one? What if we cut losses early and lowered the overall cost—to people, performance, and the organization as a whole?
Many of the challenges we tell ourselves are inevitable are actually preventable, or at least reducible. But prevention requires movement. Consistent, intentional movement.
A Call to Presence
- What is the current cost of putting socks on?
- What do you—or others—have to lose before you’re ready to stop?
- What could your team accomplish, and what impact could your organization or community have, if you addressed what’s underneath the sock?
- Would dealing with the issue directly yield better results than continuing on as things are now?
What To Do
- Notice – It starts with noticing. Recognizing early signs that something isn’t right—and choosing not to ignore them. If an issue is enough to be discussed repeatedly, lose sleep over, or generate anxiety, frustration, or resentment, it’s big enough to address.
- Narrative – It requires challenging the narratives that keep us stuck. Problems rarely resolve on their own. Time doesn’t magically fix them. Like garbage, issues sit, accumulate, and attract problems you didn’t plan for.
- Next – You don’t have to tackle everything alone. Often, progress requires support from people who can see what you can’t and help build the skills needed to move forward in a healthier way.
Closing the Loop
Choose not to wait years to intervene in something that can be addressed today. You don’t have to willingly—or passively—sign up for years of burnout, frustration, or stalled progress in your organization.
Lead proactively. Address issues directly and consistently. And here’s the added bonus: when organizations teach the right skills—presence, communication, self‑awareness, and problem‑solving—people carry them into their personal lives as well.
The result isn’t just better performance at work. It’s healthier, more fulfilled people—and a more sustainable organization.
About Dr. Leatrice Brooks
Dr. Leatrice Brooks is a psychologist, executive coach, and speaker who works at the intersection of mental health, leadership, and organizational performance. She helps leaders stop unproductive cycles, strengthen teams, and address challenges early—before they become costly. Her work centers on presence, prevention, and building healthier, more sustainable organizations. DrLeatrice.com, ChosenPLLC.com