How healthy Leadership can improve your Employees' Mental Health

𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿: 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲!

I came across a study published by Compamedia and the University of St. Gallen that researched employees' mental health in the work environment and the impact of healthy leadership by interviewing >15.000 people in 2013. Saying, that employees with good mental health are more likely to identify with their employer (+54%), feel more integrated (+23%), and are satisfied (+30%) among other factors that greatly benefit the company:

• Employee loyalty +26%

• Wellbeing + 30 %

• Engagement + 19 %

• Businessperformance + 15 %

• Intention to quit - 75 %

• Destructive engagement - 63 %

• Resignation - 52 %

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Companies should seriously ask themselves how to contribute to good mental health in the workplace.

<strong>The solution:</strong> Healthy leadership

Healthy leadership means that managers are mindful of themselves and their employees. They feel responsible for the health of their employees and notice warning signs of declining health. A healthy leader must set a good example when it comes to health.

<h2>𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:</h2>

• Empowering your employees improves mental health by 31 % as opposed to companies that do not practice empowerment to a sufficient degree

• Following stressful times, grant specific downtimes to work of stress as it improves mental health by 23% and 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝟲%

• Incorporate downtimes and times to reflect as part of your culture this will improve mental health by 22% and 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝟭𝟬%

• Ensure that all career pathways in your company are transparent and that your employees have an individual development pathway as this improves their mental health by 43% over those who are not on an individual path of development.

<h2>𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵</h2>

If you still wonder about the significant positive effect our work can have on our mental health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) might change your mind. They recently wrote in 2022 that work can protect mental health by

• providing livelihood

• giving a sense of confidence, purpose, and achievement

• offer an opportunity for positive relationships and inclusion in a community

• being a platform for structured routines, among many other benefits

👍As a leader, you can positively influence all of these points.

A good leadership culture requires a mix of result-oriented, inspirational, and healthy leadership styles.

Unfortunately, only 24% of companies had established a good healthy leadership style. I wonder if this was due to a lack of knowledge or if it was just not important.

What progress has been made? Please, share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section.