How leaders can promote a culture that values mental well-being

Business in the 21st century has increasingly focused on the constant pursuit of productivity, efficiency, and bottom-line results, while frequently overshadowing the potential impact on the overall health of employees. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that a mentally-healthy workforce is more productive, engaged, innovative, and resilient. The real bottom line is that mental well-being is a fundamental part of a healthy and productive workplace.

Leaders play a crucial role in creating a culture that values mental health and supports employee well-being. Their actions, attitudes, and policies can significantly impact their employees' mental health and overall well-being. Through understanding the unique challenges of employees in today's demanding environment and implementing effective strategies, leaders can create a culture that supports mental health and promotes a thriving workforce. However, research conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that only two in five employees thought that their senior leadership models good mental health practices.

RSM’s leaders from across the globe share their insights on the importance of leadership in maintaining a mentally healthy work environment and how they can play their part in helping employees’ well-being and job satisfaction.

Leadership’s part in creating a mentally healthy workplace

Let us explore why leaders are such an essential part of employee mental health and well-being. “In our industry,” says Gibson-Patel, “Where we are reliant on our cognitive function, mental health can give a real competitive advantage. We need to understand how we create the right conditions for optimising mental health in our industry and workplace, and then make sure that our practices support that.”

A leader's attitude and accessibility can profoundly affect their workforce. As Kieran Murphy, Talent Coaching Director at RSM Canada, says, "For many years, the role of the leader seemed infallible; outwardly leaders never seemed to have challenges, but today, the more vulnerable a leader is, the more identifiable they are and that inspires team members."

"Employees who feel supported by their leaders are more likely to be engaged and productive, with reduced absenteeism," adds Candice Eaton Gaul, RSM's Global Leader for Diversity and Inclusion. "This also makes for a great business case for taking proactive steps to ensure leaders are equipped to speak about mental health and that there is a buy-in from leadership to be proactive in creating a mentally healthy workplace."

Additionally, many senior leaders are at a point in their careers where their experience and longevity have made them more used to the stresses and concerns that a business environment can have. As Henk Zeilstra, HR Director for RSM Netherlands, puts it, "Many senior leaders have a certain part of their personality (required to become a senior leader) that makes them more resistant to the potential negative impacts of feedback, conflicts, or issues to a certain extent. They can quite often not realise that most employees are not built the same and that situations that may not affect a senior leader (due to their experience) can create stress, uncertainty, unbalance or insecurity at lower levels in an organisation."

Along this same line of thought, leaders can also be unaware or forget the level of impact that they have on their employees. Zeilstra continues, "Creating a mentally healthy workplace comes from the top. Senior leaders tend to underestimate the tacit part of leadership: managers and employees tend to watch senior leaders' behaviours and follow this. If a leader sets a bad example, replicating behaviour that is counterproductive for a mentally healthy workplace by lower levels of management is very likely."

What can leaders do?

Fortunately, there are plenty of things that leaders can do to check in on their employees and promote a more sustainable and psychologically healthy work environment. Chilaba Hamwela, Head – People Solutions at RSM Zambia, suggests five key actions that leaders can do, "Leaders must internalise the idea that leading is not just about getting work done, but also about taking care of the people entrusted to them. Leaders must demonstrate, primarily through their actions, that they prioritise mental health by:

1. Encouraging taking time off.
2. Speaking openly against stigma around mental health.
3. Enacting policies to reduce stress.
4. Checking on employees' well-being, especially when they notice something might be "off" with someone.
5. Leading by example by taking time off when needed and observing a healthy work-life balance themselves.”

According to a survey, 73% of workers said that their employers professed to care about mental health; however, almost 50% of the same workers said that their employer's actions did not reflect their statements. As Leslie Torpy, Talent Coaching Director at RSM U.S., says, "Talking the talk is not enough; walking the walk is essential. Many leaders put different and usually higher expectations on themselves than their people but reinforce the importance of disconnecting while taking time off. How can leaders expect their people to disconnect and "reset" on their time off when the leaders themselves are working during their own leave. A leader's actions set expectations in their workforce."

Continuing this thought, RSM UK’s Wellbeing and Engagement Manager, Hannah Gibson-Patel adds, “By role modelling good behaviours, it gives others permission to make sensible choices around organising their day, taking breaks and balancing work and home life. There will be times when this is easier than others, but it is also about recognising that, rallying others to push performance when we need to, and then allowing space for rest and renewal before we go again.”

“Projecting your own personal needs and actions as a senior leader onto your workforce can lead to a communicative mismatch between what you do and what you are saying with respect to what is expected. This can destabilise people and promote the wrong expectations,” adds Zeilstra.

In addition to how leaders act, they can initiate campaigns or programmes focusing on mental well-being. "As an organisation, we brought in experts to speak on workplace burnout and its impact on people's well-being," says RSM Canada's Chief Operating Officer, Rhonda Kloser. "We also invested in our benefits and resources to support the well-being of our people and their families. But really, it started with caring about our people and our leaders sharing how they were doing – creating that safe space. That is really important and continues to be important in promoting a culture of well-being for our team members.”

Paving the way for a progressive culture

Perhaps the most essential aspect of a leader's influence and obligation to positively contribute to a workforce's mental health lies in their impact on their organisation's culture. As important as one-off programmes and activities are, a company's culture is constant throughout an employee's time there. The culture can make or break an employee's experience; does it encourage openness, support, and free thinking? Or is it one that encourages people to stay in their lane, punishes people for speaking up, and neglects their mental well-being?

"The culture of a workplace is created by small everyday interactions, which extends to the level of care and support an employee receives regarding their health and well-being, as well as the level of comfort and trust they place in being able to be themselves at work," says Eaton Gaul. "When line managers and leaders are openly able to discuss mental health, it assists in reducing stigma and encourages people to feel comfortable seeking help when they need it, leading to early intervention when necessary and creating a supportive workplace culture."

"I think leadership definitely needs to set the tone from the top and let people know that mental health challenges are nothing to be ashamed of," Murphy adds. "It is important for leaders to promote a culture of mental well-being by prioritising work-life balance, offering mental health resources, and fostering an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and supported.”

Company cultures also need to consider making room that allows self-expression. "It is about creating a space for people to feel safe in sharing how they are feeling," says Klosler. "We do that by being transparent, open and honest about our own experiences. For me, it really started with the pandemic -everyone was challenged, feeling isolated, challenged with all that was going on globally, at work, in our homes – and the uncertainty of it all."

Klosler continues, "By taking time to reach out to our people and being intentional about that - asking them really how they were doing and, as importantly, actively listening. By creating that safe space, what we learned is that our people were struggling – it was then we could look at ways to support them, acknowledging we are not mental wellness experts. We created our Mental Health Minutes, a programme that leverages experts and our own internal resources to provide people with quick, easy reads on tips and tricks.”

The takeaway

In the end, mental health and well-being is not just a hot topic or buzzword; it is a fundamental investment in the health and success of an organisation. And leaders play a pivotal role in shaping a workplace culture in which mental health is valued and supported. Fortunately, we live in an era where, as Torpy puts it, "Mental health is finally getting the attention and firm support it deserves."

Of course, there are some ways to go before the stigma around mental health in the business landscape is fully erased. However, by understanding employees' unique challenges, implementing effective strategies, and fostering a supportive environment, leaders can create a workplace where individuals feel empowered, engaged, and, most importantly, psychologically safe and healthy.

For more mental health and D&I insights or if you would like to get it touch, please visit our Diversity and inclusion page.