What Does the TV Show, Severance, Say About the State of Corporate Leadership

The show Severance won 10 Emmys at the 2025 Emmy Awards. The concept of the wildly popular show Severance is builtaround a dystopian workplace experiment in which employees undergo a surgical procedure called “severance,” which splits their consciousness into two separate identities: “Innie,” the version of themselves that exists only at work and has no memory of their outside life, And “Outie,” the version that exists outside of work and has no memory of what happens on the job.

A surprising new survey revealed that more than one-third of workers—and almost half of Gen Z respondents—would choose to be “severed,” just like characters in Apple TV+’s hit show Severance. According to research by Savanta for the mental health platform Unmind, 35% of respondents said they’d undergo a medical procedure to disconnect their work memories from their personal lives.

“This research is a stark reminder of the stress and pressure people face today. No one should feel the need to completely forget about their work lives just to cope. Rather than employees feeling they need to disconnect entirely from work to protect their mental health, leaders should build cultures where people feel able to bring their whole selves to work, without feeling overwhelmed or burnt out,” CEO and co-founder of Unmind, Dr. Nick Taylor, said of the findings.

Total Work-Life Separation — Literally

When employees enter the workplace, their brains switch to their “innie” mode. They can’t recall who they are outside the office, whether they have kids, a spouse, or even their real name. The same goes for the “outie” — they have no idea what they do all day at work. Severance uses a science-fiction premise to dramatize ideas that many people actually feel (or fear) about their relationships with work. It exaggerates them to provoke reflection—but its themes closely map to real psychological, social, and workplace experiences.

*Related – The Employee Experience Revolution Book

Desire for Separation/Detachment

Many people cannot be “off” from work mentally—even when they’re physically away from it. Checking work email after hours, being stressed about upcoming tasks, not being able to switch off. Severance literalizes the ultimate separation. In psychology, this idea is called psychological detachment (the mental ability to disengage from work during non-work time). Studies show good detachment is associated with better well-being, less stress, and better life satisfaction.

Alienation/Identity Fragmentation

Many workers feel like their job expects them to wear a “work self” that’s different from their “real self” (outside work). There can be pressure to hide parts of one’s identity, mask true feelings, or adapt to what corporate culture demands. Severance takes this to an extreme: there are two selves literally. Also, in surveys, people report having a “work persona,” feeling their job takes over part of who they are. Severance dramatizes this by making the separation literal. A survey shows that ~38% of workers say they have a “work persona” distinct from their non‐work self.

*Related – The Correlation Between Happiness at Work and Overall Life Satisfaction

Burnout, Overwork, Lack of Balance

The show highlights how demanding work can be, how one’s personal life can suffer, how people might give up so much of themselves. In real life, many report feeling constantly “on,” always reachable, always carrying work stress into home life—even feeling guilty or anxious when they try to disconnect. Research around job insecurity, emotional exhaustion, and the inability to recover (rest, mentally detach) shows that when you can’t “turn off,” your well-being suffers.

“We need to build a company that helps employees be their best selves and has opportunities for them to live their best lives.”

Powerlessness/Lack of Control

One of the leading causes of discontent in real jobs is that people feel they don’t have autonomy: they can’t decide how work is done, are micromanaged, or are stuck in roles where they don’t understand the bigger picture. Severance takes that to dystopian levels: the innies don’t even know their job (just “icrodata refinement” etc.) and have no control over their memories or personal life when at work.

Ethical Concerns and Corporate Control

The show emphasizes how powerful corporations can become over individuals—defining what counts as meaningful work, what is rewarded, what is punished. People in real life often worry about how their job aligns (or doesn’t) with their values, whether they are being exploited, whether the company’s goals are “bigger than them,” etc. Severance exaggerates but reflects that tension.

Why it Resonates

The show gives voice to frustrations many people can’t fully articulate: feeling like work demands too much, like you should be more than what your work allows you to be, like your personal life suffers, like you’re not seen for your whole self. It dramatizes the trade‐offs people imagine (if only I could separate work/person life, what would that look like?). It reflects growing societal concerns: burnout, mental health, the cost of “hustle culture,” work‐life balance, identity, and meaning in work.

A Leadership Opportunity

 “It is often said that our jobs don’t define us, but our jobs and careers are a huge part of who we are, and a significant amount of the time we spend alive. Every leader should realize that work needs to be rewarding in addition to the financial compensation one receives. Most of the world’s population cannot avoid working during their lifetime. Therefore, they must find value in what they do and who they do it for. We only have one life to live. We do not have a professional life and a personal life. It is one life. And if we don’t like what we do, it will be hard to live a meaningful life. As leaders, we need to build a company that helps employees be proud of their work and have an opportunity to live their best lives.”

“Senior leaders can create a step change in shareholder and social value by clearly articulating the sizable upsides to high job satisfaction, including educating managers on their

pivotal roles and embedding quality of workplace relationships into manager development and performance appraisals. They can also act as critical change agents by embracing servant leadership and approaching everyone in their organization with compassion and genuine curiosity,” state Tera Allas and Bill Schaninger, authors of the McKinsey article titled Work and well-being: A global perspective.

A strong leader instills a sense of caring, trust, and confidence in their team members. Love and trust can’t be demanded; they must be given to be received. In these cultures, employees feel empowered and are more likely to provide feedback on improving things. When employees are part of the innovation process, an incredible sense of ownership and buy-in occurs, as well as a significant increase in execution.

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