Compassionate Leadership and the Mental Health Stigma

It has become obvious, that the majority of organisation are not prepared or willing to invest in creating a workforce that is resilient in the face of constant and disruptive change.

While I can only be accountable for my own mental and physical well-being, as a Leader I have a responsibility and obligation to look after the mental and physical well-being of my team, as they are subject to work conditions that can cause stress, anxiety, fatigue, depression or burnout.

There is an obligation to remove those contributing factors but to also provide the support and resources for every individual in an organisation to continually learn to improve their resilience.

Burnout has already been a big concern prior to the COVID-19 crisis but drastically increased during it. If organisations had been prepared to invest in building resilience prior to the crisis, the numbers may not have been so bad as people would have been better prepared to weather the storm.

Burnout is a reality that has plagued the workplace for years. But, against the backdrop of a global health crisis, the number of cases is rising – and rising fast.

Organisations have to wake up to the fact that investments in the mental well-being of their employees is more than just provision of a mindful Monday and yoga on a Friday. It is much more fundamental than that.

Mental health still carries a stigma and is a taboo subject in many workplaces. Until organisations openly address this issue, provide a safe environment and have meaningful conversations, it will continue unchanged. The right support, resources and creating a leadership capability and competency will be key. A Compassionate Leadership will be key.

Investing money on building a resilient workforce returns dividends. Employee engagement increases and turnover decreases. Absenteeism and sick leave decrease, and productivity and motivation increase which leads to increased profitability.

In 2019, the World Health Organisation published an information sheet entitled Mental Health in the Workplace. It stated “Depression and anxiety have a significant economic impact; the estimated cost to the global economy is US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity.”

The report Creating a Mentally Healthy Workplace: Return on Investment Analysis states that “through the successful implementation of an effective action to create a mentally healthy workplace, organisations, on average, can expect a positive return on investment (ROI) of 2.3." That is a return of 2.3 dollars for every dollar spent.

The World Health Organisation also stated the ROI in mental health initiatives: “For every US$ 1 put into scaled up treatment for common mental disorders, there is a return of US$ 4 in improved health and productivity.”