Your Greatest Operational Risk May Be the People You’re Overlooking

After 33 years in leadership, I’ve learned that some of the biggest costs in business never appear on a financial statement.

They show up in the people.

The experienced manager who suddenly resigns.
The frontline employee who starts making mistakes.
The team that was once energized but is now simply trying to get through the day.

We often call these “people” issues.

They’re not. They’re business issues and the data makes that clear:

In the U.S., untreated mental health conditions cost hundreds of billions of dollars every year. Globally, the economic impact is expected to surpass US$6 trillion by 2030. In Brazil alone, more than 546,000 employees took leave for mental health reasons in 2025, the highest number ever recorded.

Yet what concerns me most isn’t the numbers. It’s what I’ve seen throughout my career leading operations across Latin America.

Peak seasons don’t only test supply chains. They test people.

Demand increases. Hours get longer. Pressure rises. Leaders ask teams to do more with the same resources, often while dealing with infrastructure challenges, security risks, and constant operational uncertainty.

Most organizations prepare their networks for peak but far fewer prepare their people. And that’s where the real risk begins.

Mental health shouldn’t become a priority only after burnout, turnover or accidents start increasing. By then, the damage has already been done.

I’ve always believed that business performance and human wellbeing are not competing priorities. The strongest organizations understand they depend on each other.

So the next time your company prepares for a major transformation or peak season, ask one more question:

Is your operational plan preparing the whole business, including the engagement and recognition of your people?

The answer may determine whether your next peak season becomes another exercise in survival, or an opportunity to outperform, while emerging with a stronger, more united, and more energized team.

#Leadership #HR #MentalHealth #PeopleLeadership #SupplyChain #inclusiveLeadership