Dr Kat Page: Why Fixing Work, Not People, Is the Leadership Shift We Need

Organisational psychologist Dr Kat Page has spent two decades researching workplace wellbeing and happiness at work. She is a Leadership Partner at ByMany, Adjunct Professor, and author of Good Work a book that makes the case that burnout is a design problem, not a people problem. In this episode of the Leadership Odysseys podcast, Dr Kat Page and Kirsty Ghahramani (Gee) explore what happiness actually means, how good leadership shapes the conditions people work in, and why designing better work is the most important lever any leader has. From a Goat Farm to a Life's Work Kat grew up on a 40-acre property in Benalla, Victoria, a writer from primary school age. When she landed on happiness research at Deakin University at 21, she knew immediately it was what she was meant to do. Two decades of organisational psychology research followed — and a book that needed all of it to be written properly. "I was just in my happy place, no pun intended, studying happiness." What Happiness at Work Actually Means Most people sit between a six and eight on the happiness scale regardless of what happens to them. The deeper form of happiness, flourishing comes from living in alignment with your values and feeling like your life matters. Kat's practical tip for leaders and founders: do a values card sort, rank your top three, and use them to make decisions. At any point in time, she says, there are only three values you can truly live by. "Happiness is really about having someone to love, something to do, and something to contribute towards." Why Fixing Work, Not People, Is the Answer to Burnout The central argument of Good Work is that poorly designed work not a lack of individual resilience is driving the workplace wellbeing and burnout crisis. Kat's Six Cs framework describes what good work looks like in practice: clarity, control, competence, connection, contribution, and care. Each one is a design choice. And each one, when absent, quietly depletes people who are trying to do a good job. "Work is a social determinant of mental health. Fix work, and you improve outcomes at scale." The Loneliness Nobody Talks About Kat admits she has experienced loneliness herself, despite being surrounded by people constantly. In a world of Zoom meetings, Slack messages, and back-to-back calendars, genuine human connection at work is increasingly rare. The antidote, she says drawing on researcher Zach Mercurio's work on mattering, is not more contact — it is the feeling that you matter to someone. "How rare it is to have someone say: I see you. I see how hard you have been working." The Me, We, Us Framework for Good Work Good Work is organised around three layers that every leader can act on. Me is your own energy, recovery, and non-negotiables. We is the space between people — connection, psychological safety, and how leadership is felt in the moments between conversations. Us is the organisational system: culture, work design, and the structures that either protect people or erode them. Knowing which level a problem lives at is the starting point for solving it. "Good work is not a luxury. It is a design choice and a shared responsibility."   This episode of the Leadership Odysseys podcast was recorded 1 May 2025. Good Work by Dr Kat Page is available now in print and audiobook. Connect with Dr Kat Page: LinkedIn | Website  ByMany: Linkedin | Website This episode is brought to you by: Naturally Glutenfree Connect with Kirsty Ghahramani (Gee):  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website   Mentioned in this episode: Zach Mercurio — The Power of Mattering Megan Wright — Spacious Mode Craig Hassad — Punctuating Your Day Sir Cary Cooper — Workplace wellbeing researcher and mentor Amy C. Edmondson — Harvard Business School, endorsed Good Work Life values card sort — search online for a free version