As Leaders We Need To Safeguard Our Mental Health, Here’s Why

For many people, mental health used to be a topic that applied to other people. Disorders” such as depression and anxiety didn’t impact “normal” people, but in our demand-driven world, mental illness is a common thread among many leaders today. Fashion icon Kate Spade was found dead in her New York City apartment after an apparent suicide; Spade was 55 at the time of her death, and according to Yahoo, she long suffered from depression but was never public about her struggle.

Research by Bupa Global, the international health insurer, reveals that 64% of senior business leaders have suffered from mental health conditions including anxiety, stress, and depression, with work, often cited as a contributor to this. Many of us are put into leadership roles without having any training on how to lead, and there can be an emotional cost to leadership that can impact our mental health as well as the mental health of those we lead, manage and support. 

Patrick Watt, Corporate Director, Bupa Global, said: “Business leaders are not immune to mental health challenges, and in some case can be especially vulnerable. Pressures that come with the job, such as frequent travel and being away from family, can be overwhelming. Also, there’s a worrying association between mental health and inability to lead, which makes the topic taboo. We need to openly address the apparent link between workplace pressure and mental health, challenge perceptions around mental health and leadership, and ensure that there is a range of services available to support senior people."

Emotional Intelligence

Higher levels of emotional intelligence can help reduce our stress while positively impacting the effectiveness of our teams. Emotional intelligence is described as the ability to manage one’s own emotions, as well as the ability to recognize and appropriately respond to the emotional distress of others.

A study of top executives at 15 global companies, including Pepsi, Volvo, and IBM, concluded that success at the highest levels could be attributed to emotional intelligence rather than to technical and intellectual competence according to the Chartered Management Institute. Therefore, being self-aware while understanding your emotions and feelings; the effect they have on behavior, can help you to understand why you behave like you do which will ultimately help any leader remain relevant to their organizations.

Learn To Manage Your Stress 

Stress is a common condition of today’s world; however, when it leads to depression and anxiety, it can interfere in your personal and professional responsibilities. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki told Today. “I think it’s really important to take time off,” Sometimes, stepping away is the best strategy for effectively jumping in. Find a quiet place to refocus, become one with yourself, and focus on those things in the workplace that you can control and you’ll significantly reduce the load you have to bear. 

Educate Yourself

The best way to maintain positive mental health in yourself and your employees at work is to educate yourself on what certain situations look like according to Nicola Brown. Learn the early warning signs for someone who is stressed, anxious, or getting into conflicts at work. Be proactive about reaching out to that employee—suggest taking some time off, or offer to schedule a meeting with yourself or HR. Above all, make sure you hear their concerns.

Re-energize Yourself 

Sometimes having a secondary passion in life helps create some balance in your life according to Graham Jones. Rower Alison Mowbray, for example, always set time aside to practice the piano, despite her grueling athletic-training schedule. Not only did she win a silver medal in the Olympics in 2004, but she also became an accomplished pianist in the process. Many leading business- people are passionate about their hobbies; Richard Branson is famous for his hot-air balloon adventures, for instance. However, even small diversions such as bridge or the opera can be remarkably powerful in helping executives tune out and re-energize.

Depression is ubiquitous and very treatable. It’s not a character flaw. There is still too much stigma in our society about mental health issues, it’s impacting everyone, and as a leader and influencer, I must shed light on this issue because of my battles with depression and anxiety. Leadership is sometimes very challenging, and science shows that the pressures of leading at the top exhibit themselves in recurring pathologies in CEOs—narcissism, over-optimism, fear, anger, and depression.

Don’t suffer alone, according to Nicola Brown. This may seem like common sense, but far too many people are ashamed of admitting they are depressed and stressed out. Reach out to a close friend and confide in them; build a support system. It takes supreme, almost unimaginable grit and courage to pull yourself out of any depressive state but it’s essential to remember you are alive, you have breath and you should never stress yourself over things you can’t control; No worries, no doubts, no stress; let it all go and live the life you were meant to live.

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About The Author

Gifford is the author of The Inspirational Leader, Inspire Your Team To Believe In The Impossible, the founder of Leadership First, a member of Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and A leadership consultant with GLG. Follow our 45,000 + community of leaders right here on LinkedIn and download a copy of my book by following this LINK to become a leader who can inspire their team to believe in the impossible.