Leaders carry their team and team mental health.
I’m sure you’ve heard the term “Servant” Leadership.
I love the concept – to a certain degree. I believe that leaders should walk alongside their employees rather than exclusively stand to direct them. Of course, there is a balance, but I believe that leaders owe it to their employees to champion them, support them, advocate for them, and put them first. Leadership is responsible for maintaining and improving team mental health.
“Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” – Richard Branson
And most of your Fortune 10 have developed decent systems that make it seem like they take great care of their employees from a corporate standpoint. However, every leader in a company is responsible for workplace depression and each of us should take on the challenge of improving our team’s mental health.
Who are the leaders responsible?
From the CEO to the team peers who are the go-to’s – the ones without a title… All of the leaders are responsible for addressing workplace depression. 29% of American adults have been diagnosed with depression. That means 1 in 3 of your team members is clinically depressed. This also means that a large percentage (76% according to a recent Gallop poll) of your employees are disengaged. So why is it the responsibility of the leader on the ground floor? That one person who might say “That’s not in my pay grade.” Furthermore, why is it the CEO’s responsibility to manage team mental health when they’re so far removed from the individual that they would struggle to make an impact?
Because it’s all of our responsibilities. Period.
If you work day to day with other people, it’s important for you to understand what depression is – whether you’re a leader in title or a leader of yourself in an employee role – understanding this challenging mental load is the only way our society as a whole can move through this crisis.
If you’re a direct supervisor, you are responsible for sharing the light and the hope with your team members. You are also responsible for understanding depression and finding ways to help your team members overcome it and move through it. No, most of you aren’t a psychologist, but you do manage a team of people who have diverse needs when it comes to your team’s mental health. You have to learn how to work in a team dynamic with different personality types, backgrounds, information, and mindsets. You are a huge contributor or detractor when it comes to workplace depression.
Each Leadership Level’s Responsibilities
Mid-level managers –
You are responsible for supporting your team’s mental health by providing educational opportunities, for providing direct support to leaders who can lead simply by being an example, and for championing the elimination of policies and procedures that create additional stress on your employees. This includes pushing back and challenging upper leadership when layoffs seem like the only answer to balancing the budget. This includes pushing back and challenging upper leadership to provide the right support (whether it’s tools, training, or full-on mental health benefits) for your employees. As a mid-level manager, you must be a voice for the employees on your staff, and with 1 in 3 needing your support – YOU are responsible for making a difference.
Upper Management –
You are responsible for managing your budgets appropriately so that your teams aren’t struggling. You are responsible for driving results which means, to be effective at understanding depression you need to put your boots on the ground in real scenarios with real front-line employees. As a leader who can sign off and make an impact, you are responsible for listening to your mid-level managers AND for working with employees to create a culture where concerns can be brought up and championed for solutions. You are responsible for mandating changes and investing in your employees to reduce the rates of depression. And leading by example with your own team members sets the standard for how the rest of your employee’s are treated. You can impact your team’s mental health beyond relaying messages and responsiblities.
C-Suite Executives –
Some of the challenges to mental health are directly because of you. You are responsible for your hands-off approach – when you sit in your c-suite offices and you don’t understand what’s going on on the ground level, it’s easy to make decisions without understanding how they affect others. However, your approach is a large reason why the rates of depression are so high. You have a responsibility to ensure that every single employee is nurtured in their growth with your company. Regardless if they report directly to you or not.
Every single leader across the board can impact team mental health rates.
You can and should ensure that your leadership teams are meeting every single employee where they are and providing a well-balanced approach to business and individuals. The trends that we face in our country right now are a lot of “talk” and “look at what we did.” But with little change. Why? Because change starts at the top. When is the last time you have modeled emotionally healthy behavior for your employees? When was the last time you attended a class on mental health? Do you know the number of your EAP program by heart? If not, I highly encourage you to take some time to reflect on YOUR impact to your team’s mental health.
They simply have to want to. So that’s the question of the day, if you’re working in the corporate field. Do you WANT to impact mental health? What about when your employees come to work? Would you rather seem them happy? Is your company a place that people refer other people to work? Do you want to see a happier and healthier world? If the answer is yes, then it needs to rise to the top of your priority list. As a leader you can make an impact, but you can’t stay silent, you can’t just go with the flow, and you can’t allow your company to be so focused on cost management that you don’t stand up for what’s good for your employees.
Even small businesses can make an impact on mental health.
Whether you’re part of a large organization with all the positions I just mentioned, or if you are a solo entrepreneur, you can make a difference. As a solo entrepreneur, you can make a difference simply by starting with your own mental health. Learning more about the way that life has conditioned us and the way that our past affects how we view life now can make a world of difference. From modeling those behaviors for family, friends, clients, and the community you live in, to changing your mindset so that you are more friendly and warm – you can create ripple effects that you couldn’t measure if you tried.
If your mental health is something that you’re interested in finding support for, I can help. That’s my specialty, helping entrepreneurs balance their workload, their home life, and their self-care. I have a mental health-focused community and I offer 1:1 mental health services as well as DFY services to help with Project management. For more info, reach out, or book a consultation call.
Want to get started while you wait? Check out my free Thrive Guide. Whether you’re an Entrepreneur, a leader, or could use some help with your mental health, The Thrive Guide offers 7 steps to better life balance.
0 Comments