In today’s ever changing business world, leaders are trying to manage competing priorities: hitting the targets, managing their teams, driving creativity and innovation, and navigating constant uncertainty.
For most people it is easier to see when someone has a physical health issue – a broken arm, the flu, or visible fatigue. But what about mental health? That’s the silent partner in performance, and too often, it is overlooked until it reaches the point of a crisis.
As a leadership coach and having been a leader, I have seen firsthand how organizations thrive when leaders treat mental health with the same importance as physical health. It’s not just the right thing to do but it can also be a business advantage.
How? When leaders and their teams are mentally doing well, they think more clearly, communicate more effectively, and bring their best selves to work. On the other hand, stress, burnout, and anxiety silently reduce productivity, team morale, and even safety. By creating a culture where mental well-being is prioritized, leaders foster resilience, creativity, collaboration and success.
Here are a few tips to help you with ensuring the best mental health for your employees:
- Lead by Example: Share and demonstrate how you manage stress and model healthy boundaries around work and rest. No more late-night emails being sent – hint hint.
- Normalize the Conversation: Regularly check in with your team about how they’re really doing. This may me asking beyond task lists and deadlines. Caution: do not dig into personal issues. It is enough to know they are going through tough times.
- Encourage Breaks: Promote short mental breaks during the day and discourage those long work sessions. 20–30-minute meal breaks are important mid-day – remember though no work.
- Provide Resources: Make sure your team knows about any mental health support available such as employee assistance programs, counselling, or coaching that is available to them.
- Watch for Red Flags: Learn to spot early signs of burnout like withdrawal, irritability, or decreased performance. As a leader, I took a Mental Health First Aid course. See if something like this is available to you.
- Celebrate Recovery: Just like when you would welcome someone back after a medical leave, celebrate when someone takes time to care for their mental health. Caution: do this 1:1 and not in a group.
- Make Flexibility the Norm: Offer flexible schedules or remote options where possible to help people manage stress. Accommodation can be the key to keeping those star employees while they recover from a mental health emergency or concern.
Leadership isn’t just about results. Leadership is about creating an environment where people can thrive. When you value mental health as much as physical health, you send a powerful message: People matter. And when people feel cared for, they perform at their best.
Start today. Choose one tip from the list and put it into practice this week. Small steps lead to big change. Even if you do all of these, find a way to improve one of them.
Need help building a mentally healthy team culture? Let’s connect. Supporting leaders like you is what I do best. Connect through www.amplilfyingleadership.ca, my LinkedIn (tara-lehman), or via email.
Tara Lehman
(Picture from Microsoft Stock Images)
