Mental Health in Leadership: Leaders Must Prioritize and Role Model
Conversations about mental health in leadership are more important than ever. Gone are the days when leaders were expected to put on a brave face and push through challenges in silence. Modern leadership requires emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and a proactive approach to mental wellbeing, for themselves and their teams.
Yet, despite greater awareness, many leaders still respond with a polite “I’m fine” when they’re anything but fine. The fear of appearing weak or unprofessional keeps many from seeking help. But here’s the truth: prioritizing mental health is not a weakness; it’s leadership strength.
Why Does This Matter for Leaders?
Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It influences how we think, feel, and act, affecting our decisions, relationships, resilience, and leadership capacity.
In leadership roles, mental health impacts:
- Clarity and decision-making under pressure
- Ability to manage stress and remain calm in crises
- Communication, empathy, and connection with employees
- Creativity and strategic thinking
Just like physical health, mental health fluctuates over time. Even the most resilient leaders can experience stress, burnout, anxiety, or depression, especially in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments.
A Shift Towards Proactive Wellness in Leadership
Progressive organizations now recognize that mental health in leadership is critical to business success. Leaders are no longer just responsible for their tasks, they also shape workplace culture, employee wellbeing, and overall performance.
Modern philosophies emphasize:
Proactivity Over Reactivity: Supporting mental health isn’t just about crisis intervention. It involves creating psychologically safe environments where wellbeing is woven into daily culture.
Role Modeling Positive Behaviors: When leaders openly discuss mental health, take breaks, and set healthy boundaries, it empowers employees to do the same.
Destigmatizing Mental Health Conversations: Leaders who share their own mental health journeys demonstrate that seeking support is not a weakness but an act of courage and responsibility.
Leaders Can (and Should) Advocate for Mental Health at Work
Being an advocate for mental health starts with leading by example. Here are practical ways leaders can support mental health in their teams:
1. Normalize Mental Health Conversations
Integrate mental health check-ins into team meetings. Ask open-ended questions like, “How is everyone managing their energy this week?” This destigmatizes conversations and shows genuine care.
2. Prioritize Self-Care to Lead Better
Leaders who neglect their wellbeing can’t effectively support others. Prioritize sleep, healthy eating, and activities that restore energy. As Gallup research shows, leader wellbeing strongly influences team engagement and performance.
3. Set Healthy Boundaries
Model boundaries by avoiding late-night emails or unnecessary weekend work. Encourage your team to fully disconnect outside work hours.
4. Advocate for Mental Health Resources
Champion employee assistance programs, mental health days, and initiatives like Mental Health First Aid training in your organization; and get outside support from organizations like Mind Share Partners, who help leaders create mentally-healthy workspaces. Leaders who advocate for systemic support help embed mental health into company culture.
5. Cultivate Empathy and Active Listening
Leaders who listen without judgment create psychological safety. This builds trust, encourages open dialogue, and fosters a mentally healthier workplace.
How Coaching Enhances Mental Health in Leadership
Hiring a leadership coach can be a game-changer for leaders seeking to manage their own mental health and role model wellbeing for their teams. Not every coach, not even every ICF-certified coach, is skilled in mental health. But many are. For example, Carylynn Larson is an ICF PCC who also runs a mental health non-profit organization. Here is her latest keynote about mental health in leadership. You can find Carylynn, and other leadership coaches with mental health expertise, by using Leadership Coach Directory’s detailed search function.
Here’s how hiring a coach can help you better understand your role with mental health in leadership:
- Builds Self-Awareness: Coaches guide leaders to recognize stress triggers, emotional blind spots, and behavioral patterns impacting wellbeing.
- Develops Resilience: Leadership coaching equips leaders with tools to manage stress, navigate setbacks, and remain adaptable in high-pressure environments.
- Strengthens Empathy and Connection: Coaching improves emotional intelligence, a key for supporting others’ mental health while maintaining strong leadership presence.
- Provides Accountability: Coaches help leaders set realistic wellbeing goals and hold them accountable for maintaining habits that reduce burnout and decision fatigue.
- Equips Leaders to Advocate Effectively: Coaches develop leaders’ confidence to champion mental health initiatives and model vulnerability with strength.
Ways Leaders Can Protect Their Own Mental Health
Yeah, we know; leaders are extremely busy and have tight schedules. But remember that thing about being a role model? Here are evidence-based strategies leaders can integrate today, without blowing up their calendars and it might even lead to greater productivity:
- Connect with Nature: Even a 10-minute walk outdoors can lower stress hormones.
- Practice Mindfulness: Apps like Headspace or Calm build focus and emotional regulation.
- Prioritize Sleep: Quality sleep is non-negotiable for decision-making and emotional stability.
- Seek Support: Build your support network through mentors, peers, coaches, therapists, or mental health professionals.
- Schedule Joy: Regularly plan activities that bring you energy and connection, whether family dinners, creative hobbies, or workouts.
Mental health in leadership is essential for sustainable success. As a leader, your influence goes far beyond strategy and performance metrics, it shapes the emotional climate of your workplace.
By prioritizing your own mental health, advocating for resources, and role modeling healthy behaviors, you help build a workplace culture where everyone can thrive.
If you want to strengthen your ability to lead with empathy, clarity, and resilience, consider partnering with a leadership coach. Together, you can develop the mindset and practices needed to champion mental health in your organization—and lead by example every day.
References:
Center for Disease Control Mental Health page: https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/index.html
Thriving with Nature – free guide from MHF and WWF: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/thriving-nature
Mind Share Partners: https://www.mindsharepartners.org
Mental Health First Aid: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/
