Why the 5% Movement Matters Right Now

Leadership expectations have never been higher.

Executives are being asked to deliver more results, manage more complexity, and stay constantly available. According to Gallup, burnout among leaders has steadily increased over the past several years, even among top performers.

The problem isn’t ambition.

The problem is the outdated belief that success requires sacrifice.

Most leadership conversations still operate under the assumption that you must choose between performance and happiness. That belief is costing leaders their health, their families, and their joy.

The 5% Movement was created to offer a different path.

One where leaders rise without losing themselves.

What Is the 5% Movement?

What it is

The 5% Movement is a leadership philosophy for executives who want high performance and a great life. It’s designed for leaders who refuse to trade their well-being for their success.

The 5% represent the small group of leaders who have figured out how to earn more, work less, and enjoy their lives while still operating at the highest levels.

Why it works

Most leaders focus on effort, hustle, and endurance. The 5% focus on identity, mindset, and standards.

When leaders change who they are being, everything else follows. Promotions come faster. Decisions feel easier. Stress drops. Confidence increases.

Clients using this approach consistently report faster advancement, stronger executive presence, and more time for the people and experiences that matter most.

How to apply it

Leaders in the 5% Movement focus on four core areas:

• Training their mindset to manage thoughts and emotions intentionally
• Designing systems that support performance instead of draining energy
• Building strategic relationships that create leverage and visibility
• Creating rituals that protect physical, emotional, and personal wellbeing

This is not about doing more.
It’s about doing what matters.

Who benefits most?

The 5% Movement is built for:

• Directors and VPs preparing for executive roles
• Senior leaders feeling burned out despite success
• High-performing parents who want more time and presence at home
• Executives who feel capable but mispositioned

If you’ve ever thought “there has to be a better way,” you’re already thinking like the 5%.

Where does this exist?

The 5% Movement lives inside the 5% Club Podcast, private coaching, and the Performance + Happiness Lab. It’s a growing community of leaders choosing a higher standard for success.

The Identity Shift That Changes Everything

The biggest difference between leaders who burn out and leaders who thrive isn’t talent or intelligence.

It’s identity.

The 5% don’t hope for a better year.
They decide.

They don’t wait for permission.
They design their lives intentionally.

They understand that success without happiness isn’t success at all.

When leaders adopt this identity, they stop proving and start leading. They stop reacting and start choosing. They stop surviving and start living.

Your Invitation to the 5%

As a new year begins, the most powerful question you can ask isn’t about goals.

It’s this:

Who are you becoming?

Not who you’ve been.
Not who others expect you to be.

Who are you choosing to be next?

If you’re ready to rise without burnout, without guilt, and without losing yourself, the 5% Movement was built for you.

You can learn more or schedule a free one-on-one consultation at shaylaking.com.

This can be the year everything changes.

Because the 5% don’t wait.

They decide.

Your coach, your cheerleader, your accountability partner, Shayla