Maslow for the Modern Workplace
Relearning work, rewriting beliefs
Well, I jogged after my dreams, and it turns out Maslow was right. When I graduated, I was anxious about stepping more fully into the corporate or full-time job pool, but today I’m swimming. Allow me to explain, and if you don’t recognize the name we’ll get into that as well.
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If you’ve glanced at my LinkedIn, you know I’ve held a variety of jobs and have always been working, in some form or another. But at this point, I was on the edge of something different. I was ready to give my full time, full self, and finally start my career.
You’ve seen me talk about some of the craziness that I’d been through, work through my anxiety and my hesitation to actually want something and chase after my dreams, all while chasing after them nonetheless with your support, and the support of my husband and chosen family.
My work ethic was something that always stood out to the leadership or the owner or manager of the company that I worked at. Unfortunately, that brought its own share of trouble in toxic work environments. If you’ve read some of my past pieces, you know the toxicity I’m talking about wasn’t petty. It was criminal—not a case of someone crying because they had to do a spreadsheet, but of serious, systemic harm. This meant that along with other issues present, that I had ingrained negative beliefs around work which included:
Work is unsafe.
Authority is to be feared.
My needs won’t be prioritized.
My voice won’t be heard.
Employment means vomiting in the mornings.
You must surrender all control from 9-5 (if not longer).
So where does our boy Maslow come in? Who the heck was he? Why does he matter? Why is this beneficial knowledge for managers today?
What I Didn't Learn from My First Job, I Learned from Maslow
Having been around therapeutic ecosystems since I was about 5 years old, due to my complex family lore, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what people need. Whether that be on paper, in theory, in team meetings, and even when I’ve gotten called into managers’ offices for not dishonoring my own integrity that one weird fiscal quarter when I worked in a call center but went on to get a different job, I’ve done the work and self-work.
Enter Abraham Maslow. A mid-20th century psychologist, Maslow built what’s now known as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which is a motivational theory that maps out the five levels of human needs, starting from the most basic (food, water, safety) all the way up to self-actualization (the big-picture purpose stuff: growth, creativity, meaning). You’ve probably seen the pyramid: it’s Psychology 101. But what’s rarely explained is how relevant it still is to modern management and to people like me who are actively unlearning toxic beliefs around work.
What goes untaught is this, humans can’t function at a high level—can’t be creative, confident, collaborative, or generous—if our lower-tier needs aren’t met first. That means…
You can’t pursue excellence if you don’t feel safe.
You can’t chase fulfillment if your voice is constantly dismissed.
You can’t “own your role” if your job feels like a trap.
Our nervous systems won’t let us thrive until we’re safe. If you’re in survival mode, you’re not building a career. You’re just trying to get through the day. I’ve been there and there were times I thought that was all work was, that was all that was out there unless you were supremely lucky and deeply genius. This is why Maslow matters to employees and leadership alike.
Maslow for Managers
Maslow’s hierarchy isn’t just a theory for therapists or freshmen psych majors. It’s a practical and applicable framework that should be laminated and pinned to every manager’s desk.
People don’t leave jobs because of bad coffee they leave because of unmet needs. The finer details of this can look different across circumstances and industries, but essentially, it’s because the employee’s boundaries weren’t respected, their value wasn’t acknowledged, or their job quietly became a minefield of shifting expectations and silent punishments. Yes, leadership does have more of a say than the employee, but that doesn’t mean their voice shouldn’t be heard. A certain level of give and take is a requirement for any healthy relationship, including in the workplace.
If you’re a manager, or you aspire to be, Maslow’s pyramid gives you more than just a feel-good model. It gives you responsibility. Can you create the conditions where someone isn’t bracing for impact every morning? Where they don’t break into a cold sweat when they hear their phone chime after hours? Can you build an environment where people don’t have to choose between their nervous system and their paycheck?
Maslow gives us a psychological framework. But what does the book of the one who created brains and humans have to say? Let’s look at Luke 12:48 together, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more,” (ESV). Here we clearly see that Jesus lays out a moral framework that can impact us in this area of our lives as well, as we know all scripture is given by God and is profitable for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). While Maslow reminds us that no one thrives without safety, Jesus through the gospel of Luke urges us that if you’ve been given authority, you’re responsible for how you use it. Holistically, this should flag for us that meeting our team’s needs is not extra credit, but the backbone of management.
When you’re accountable to those who report to you, you’re building a culture in which the qualities you value can come to fruition. If you value transparency, but go off on your employees when they make mistakes, how do you think this value will appear in action? Do you think they’ll be more open to turning to you when an accident happens, or do you believe they’d feel they had reason to assess, hide, and try to fix it so they wouldn’t be found out? Their response to not meeting their own standards—which for high performers may be higher than your own expectations—will vary based upon how you handle imperfection. The same goes for honesty, accountability, and innovation. With innovation, if you make them feel foolish for having an idea that’s new and strategic because you don’t see the value in it at that moment, do you think they’ll keep crafting strategies for your company, or will they shy away from sharing? You could be hurting your own bottom line by not being kind and open-minded.
Authority without accountability is a recipe for burnout, turnover, and trauma. If we take care of the inanimate possessions within our realm of stewardship so that they’re able to do their best work—getting the car an oil change, charging our laptops for the office, removing dust from the mirror—how much more so should we be managing the human capital entrusted to us? Good managers can create repair and possibility. It’s culture-setting work. It’s servant leadership. It’s what proper stewardship looks like, and it matters. When someone finally lands under a leader who respects their humanity, it changes everything. Finally, they can progress to a higher-level of work because they’re not worried about shifting floorboards. When you show up for them, it makes them want to show up for you.
Creating Safety at Work as a Leader
Prioritize psychological safety
Foster an environment where mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, not punishments. Praise effort and address errors constructively.
Listen actively and respectfully
Hold regular check-ins and truly hear your team’s concerns without defensiveness or dismissal.
Set clear, consistent expectations
Avoid moving goalposts and then making your reports feel like losers or giving silent punishments. Clarity builds trust and reduces anxiety.
Model vulnerability and accountability
Admit your own mistakes and demonstrate that imperfection is human.
Respect boundaries
Encourage work-life balance and avoid after-hours pressure that triggers stress responses.
Celebrate wins and dignity
Recognize contributions publicly and privately to boost morale and belonging. This goes for personal and professional achievements.
Demonstrate gratitude
Even if they’re consistently doing something to make your life easier and you’ve thanked them before, look for things that you’d miss if they were gone and thank them.
Leadership is about stewardship, and that begins with safety.
People Over Pathology
This may be hard to believe, but there was a time not long ago when my body was in a constant state of alarm. A handful of managers ago, I was at the point where when he walked up to my desk, I shook. My body had visibly developed a tremor from fear, and I secretly thought it was my fault because I’d frequently been told that I was “too sensitive,” when I was treated poorly.
It was at a Fortune 500 company where the management was so horrendous I threw up every morning before waiting until the last moment I could clock in to attempt to massage my fight, flight, freeze, or fawn instinct. When I’d made what was in his mind was the mistake of not giving him enough attention at precisely the moment he wanted it. A director had called me to ask a favor that was critically important for a client, and I was taking care of it. The manager walked up to me when I was on the phone with her, hip checked me, grabbed my arm so hard he’d left bruises, and tackled me to hang the phone up. Oddly enough, he wasn’t even my direct manager although my direct manager was no peach either. This was a man who watched porn in the breakroom, cussed out male employees, and as mentioned clearly did worse to female ones.
But before that incident, I used to think something was wrong with me. That maybe I just wasn’t cut out for the workforce, or I wasn’t “tough enough” to handle high-pressure environments. It wasn’t weakness; it was survival. My nervous system was screaming because I wasn’t safe.
That’s what people miss when they talk about “low performers” or label someone “too emotional.” Sometimes what looks like underperformance is really someone doing everything they can just to endure. If Maslow was right—and I believe he was—then we need to stop pathologizing people operating from the bottom of the pyramid.
A year later, after I’d moved on to different employment—and after the manager who I’d reported these situations to had marched into the store manager’s office, saying, “I’m disgusted by how you treated Freda. I’m leaving this organization”—my husband, who was still working there, was surprised when that same manager apologized to him.
It turns out he’d been struggling with addiction and was working through the 12-step program. He’d been quite far gone but was coming back from the edge. I truly hope he’s thriving now and using what he’s learned to help others in his care. It’s never too late for renewal.
It took years and a lot of healing for me to learn that safety at work isn’t a luxury—it’s a prerequisite for growth. Granted, clinically and academically, I understood this in theory. It was simply so rare in practice.
But when safety is finally present? That’s when employees begin to thrive. I’ve experienced both sides of the pyramid: survival mode, and now, something better. Let me show you what it looks like when employees get to rise.
How the Hierarchy Helps Employees
Having worked in great and terrible workplaces, I have seen how stakeholders have a lot at stake when it comes to how they handle management. I’m currently blessed to be at an incredible organization where I deeply love my team and have enjoyed working cross-functionally with other incredible individuals in different departments. If you’ve ever had the experience of working in a toxic work environment, you may be just as shocked as I was to learn that the President of the company I work at says “Thank you.” But if you know what a great guy he is personally, then the shock wears off pretty quickly.
It dawned on me when I made my first mistake during training. The first email I’d sent out was deeply important—to the brand, to the country, and it involved the President of the United States. For a split second, I was terrified. I thought I’d be stuck across the country with no way home because I’d be fired.
But then, something different happened. They celebrated the fact that I’d made the mistake while at HQ, they reinforced that it wasn’t my fault, we fixed it immediately, I learned from it, and we moved on. I can’t remember what struck me with more awe: the fact that the first email I sent for the company was such an important one, or the fact that I was safe there despite my imperfection.
Maslow reminds us that people can’t reach self-actualization when they’re stuck in survival. The hierarchy isn’t just a theory; it’s a thermometer. And for years, mine never rose past ‘Don’t get hurt.’ Now, I’m finally climbing. Some in my life have celebrated me “climbing the corporate ladder” as the first of us to get a “big shiny job” like this one. But what really shimmers is the fact that I’m dignified, delighted in, and can diligently do my best daily with appreciation and support.
How to Advocate for Your Needs Without Shame
Physiological Safety
Am I eating, sleeping, and taking breaks regularly during my workweek?
Do I have what I need physically to do my job (ex. equipment, workspace, privacy, etc.)?
Physical & Psychological Safety
Do I feel safe emotionally and physically at work?
Am I constantly anxious about retaliation or punishment?
If something unsafe happens, do I have a trusted person or process to report it?
Belonging & Connection
Do I feel included and valued by my team?
Do I have at least one work friend or supportive peer?
Is there space for my voice in team meetings or discussions?
Esteem & Recognition
Do I receive constructive feedback and recognition for my contributions?
Do I feel like I’m trusted and respected in my role?
Am I allowed to take ownership of projects and grow?
Self-Actualization
Am I encouraged to bring my creativity, values, or long-term goals into my work?
Does this job support who I’m becoming, not just what I can produce?
Do I feel a sense of purpose or calling here, or am I supported in moving toward it?
You’re allowed to ask for support at every level. An often-unspoken bond in a healthy manager-employee relationship is that your manager is a resource to help you do your best work and you’re a resource to help them look good so you can both keep growing together. Requiring stability, kindness, and clarity at work isn’t “needy” but it is human.
A New Kind of Work Life
The day I started writing this essay I tweeted, “Productivity hack: Have a manager who’s not just a good manager but also a good person. Highly recommend it, if you can!”
It was a joke. But it also wasn’t.
Because for the first time in my post-grad adult work life, I actually have that. And it changes everything: not just what I produce, but how I exist while producing it.
I’ve just metabolized most of the professional lessons my twenties taught me. And I know—deeply—that not everyone can just up and leave a bad job when they want to. I’ve stayed when I didn’t want to. I’ve gritted my teeth through creepy shoulder massages and HR departments that mysteriously “couldn’t locate” my reports. I’ve had corporations offer me an open-door return after I quit because they feared litigation I’d never pursue, not wanting to derail my career before it began. I’ve watched company presidents vanish because they were arrested. I’ve come up with PR campaigns for unconscionable clients, survived patrons and management from the sulfuric depths of Hell, and spent years with my stomach in knots and my dignity in question.
But eventually, with a lot of prayer, boundaries, therapy, and sheer nerve, I got out.
It took sleepless nights, medication, prayer, therapy, patience, strategic waiting, strengthening my portfolio and resume, temporal financial sacrifice, and a refusal to keep paying emotionally damaging dues professionally. But I got out.
And it made me realize that there are two kinds of “paying your dues.” The kind that everyone should be willing to do—like learning new skills, showing up consistently, and growing through challenges—and the kind that no one should have to suffer through: toxic environments, disrespect, emotional harm, or systemic neglect disguised as “just part of the job.” The first builds you up; the second wears you down. Knowing the difference is key to protecting your well-being and charting a path forward that honors your dignity.
If you’re navigating the fog of workplace pain, the responsibility of leadership, or breaking cycles of professional harm, I hope this essay served as a lighthouse for you.
If it made you feel seen or gave you a new lens, I’d be honored to have you as a subscriber. Your support helps me keep writing for the workers, the dreamers, the managers who want to do better, and those healing from the ones who didn’t.