Over the past two months, I spoke to more than 100 diversity, equity and inclusion(DE&I) leaders across a variety of industries and asked them all how they were doing. By far the most consistent answer I heard was, "I'm feeling burned out."

At a time when diversity and inclusion are top of mind for nearly every employer, DEI leaders have never been in higher demand. Head of diversity roles grew 107 percent in the past 6 years. But while the industry has advanced, many DE&I leaders face significant headwinds as they navigate highly complex cultural and systemic changes in their organizations. They are in a role that is often misunderstood by colleagues, all while feeling a heightened sense of urgency to show immediate results.

This is not only leading to burnout, but is also causing early departures. In fact, chief diversity officers today have two fewer years of average tenure compared with other executives. This translates to a cost to organizations--up to twice the DE&I leader's salary to replace them--and jeopardizes progress in the DE&I work itself.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Inc.