Something doesn't add up.
The work is getting done. Performance looks steady enough.
But something underneath has shifted and you can feel it.
You might be noticing:
A quietness that wasn't there before.
Capable people carrying more than they should.
Strain that doesn't match the story you're being told.
A gap between how things look and how they actually feel.
Decisions being driven by urgency instead of clarity.
You're not imagining it. That's pressure.
It's invisible. It's being absorbed by your people. And most organisations have never been taught how to read it.
What is Pressure Literacy?
Pressure Literacy™ is an organisation's ability to read the pressure operating inside its systems and its people.
Most organisations track performance, engagement, and absence. None of those things tell you where invisible pressure is sitting, who's absorbing it, or what it's costing.
Pressure Literacy is not about eliminating pressure. Pressure is inevitable in any complex system. It's about learning to read it. So it can be managed intelligently instead of absorbed silently.
Leaders are already expected to understand financial literacy and risk literacy. Pressure Literacy belongs in the same category. It's a governance capability, not a wellbeing bolt-on.
Find out how The Pressure Gauge Diagnostic works
Seven truths about pressure every leader needs to hear.
1
Most organisational problems are system problems, not people problems.
2
Your most capable people are silently carrying the weight your system isn't holding.
3
A silent team is not a stable team.
It's a scared team.
4
Feedback is operational intelligence. Leaders who take it personally lose visibility.
5
Pressure leaves early signs. Most leaders were never trained to recognise them.
6
Wellbeing initiatives cannot resolve structural pressure.
7
Your people are not starting from the same place. Some are already carrying a full load before the working day begins.