4 Useful Tips: How Leaders Can Discuss Mental Health At Work.
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I've lost count of the number of reasons I've heard from leaders in the workplace about why they're hesitant to talk about mental health at work? And you know what? I totally get it.
You, a fallible human being like the rest of us, are in a very visible position in your organization with very clear expectations of your behavior, outcomes, and more. The chief concerns I hear from them?
There are countless reasons that company leaders are reluctant or unwilling to talk about mental health at work:
"My CEO would lose their mind if I bring this up"
"What if I do it wrong?"
"What if people think I'm weak and can't lead?"
The more, unfortunate, reasons I've also heard...:
They feel the topic doesn’t align with their brand, mission, or company goals.
They don’t feel comfortable talking about it on a public forum.
They don’t want their company associated with the “stigma” of mental health/illness.
But here’s the problem: we’re in year three of a global pandemic and we have a mental health crisis on our hands. The state of mental health wasn’t great even before the pandemic, but now it’s completely out of control.
In fact, research shows that 76% of employees — across all levels of organizations, including leaders and executives — had symptoms of a mental health condition in 2021.¹
So as a leader in your company, you have a serious opportunity. Your visibility in your organization puts you on a platform to influence people - in a helpful and constructive way. The topic isn’t going anywhere and avoiding it isn’t a best practice in the World of Work.
Whether you talk generally about the subject, share your own mental health struggles, or discuss how we’re affected by events outside of work, I encourage you to share your thoughts. Use your company newsletters/intranet, social media, or medium posts to start the conversation.
Lead by example — and with these four tips, you can (hopefully) contribute to making a difference in how your company talks about mental health at work.
WHY SHOULD LEADERS TALK ABOUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH?
Now let me be clear, as many of you know in my work, I say time and time again that EVERY chronologically aged adult needs to do their part in shifting this narrative.
Just because you're a leader doesn't mean you have to do it alone, but, you do need to keep in mind the influence you have access to that others may not in your company.
You should publicly talk about or take part in the mental health conversation because you are a leader. Your employees — and even those outside of your company — will look to you and follow your example. You have the power to influence others and affect true change.
#1 — THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLE MODELING
No matter how old we are, we still look to our leaders for permission. We instinctively look to those in positions of authority for guidance.
So, if you're not keen to talk about mental health, your employees will pick up on this and may feel uncomfortable talking about it, too. That discomfort might even spill over (unintentionally) into other “hot” topics like politics or social issues.
On top of that, managers and leaders below you will pick up on your cues and “lead” in a similar fashion. So your choices as a leader can actually have a powerful ripple effect that trickles down through your company.
#2 — BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN OTHERS
Any changes in your company usually start from the top down. While good leadership can (and should) come from anywhere, that age-old practice is embedded in our human nature and the World of Work. This all goes back to role modeling and that basic lesson we learned as kids — monkey see, monkey do.
If you want others to do things differently, you have to start with yourself. If you don’t, then any policies or initiatives you put in place will be meaningless. How can you ask others to make a change, when you won’t do it either?
So here’s an easy way for you to walk the walk: lead by example.
Make the choice to discuss mental health and participate in the conversation. Don’t just talk about it to follow market trends or put on a front to boost your team’s performance. People will sense you’re not authentic — which can hurt employees’ performance or mental health even more.²
Instead, be genuine and show your concern. You’ll help change the narrative at your company — by making that simple choice to discuss it publicly.
#3 — LEADERSHIP STOICISM IS TOXIC
Many of us were raised with the idea that leaders are infallible and don’t/shouldn't show weakness. Vomit.
So it’s understandable that folks in leadership roles are reasonably terrified of showing any vulnerability for fear they’ll be judged or seen as incapable.
I have news for you: leaders are human just like the rest of us.
They aren’t infallible, perfect, or a superhero. They can have mental health challenges too — and bottling up that stress while struggling in silence isn’t healthy or sustainable. In fact, being vocal about a topic that everyone needs to hear shows strength, courage, and emotional intelligence. And the last time I checked? Those are good traits to have, especially as a leader.
So it’s time to update and replace the leadership stoicism narrative. Because this “leaders are always stoic and don’t falter” idea is toxic, unsustainable, and ridiculous.
CONVERSATION STARTERS FOR LEADERS
Let’s talk about how to actually make it happen. Here are four tips to help you kickstart the process and get the conversation going - whatever that looks like for you.
TIP #1 — CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF AND MAKE A PLAN
The first thing you want to do is figure out the logistics for starting the conversation. Ask yourself the five W’s:
Who do I want to talk to?
What do I want to share with that person(s)?
Where/When do I want to have this conversation?
Why am I talking about this?
It’s also important to think about how you’re going to talk about mental health at your company. There are many ways you can go about it, such as:
Talking about it internally via company newsletters, intranet articles, initiatives, trainings/webinars, etc.
Talking about it externally via social media, public announcements, blog articles, email newsletters to clients/customers, etc.
A mix of any of the above
Keep in mind the answers to these questions will vary from person to person. There’s no timeline or set pace you need to move at. So find what works for you.
TIP #2 — BUILD TRUST BY SHARING
There is such power in leaders sharing their mental health stories.
It builds trust with your employees — and puts them at ease to know that you're just a person like they are - regardless of your title.
According to Forbes, 62% of employees feel more comfortable discussing mental health when they see leaders openly talking about it too.³
So publicly talking about a subject that’s deeply personal for many people humanizes you and strengthens your relationships with others.
“[And sharing] personal information… about your fears, experiences, thoughts and feelings is a powerful tool in setting the tone for your team members that they can speak up about their own mental health or stress... because you are.”⁴
TIP #3 — BE EXPLICIT
You also want to be as explicit as possible about why you’re sharing your story or talking about mental health.
The goal is to be crystal clear. This isn’t the time for flowery language, beating around the bush, or playing it safe from a PR standpoint. You’ve made the decision to talk about mental health — so own up to it.
Why is this so important?
“Some people will still be hesitant to chat with you about this topic because of the fact that you have general influence over whether or not they keep their job.”⁴
So it’s important to explain your goals and what you hope to achieve. This will go a long way to soothing the fears of your employees or team members.
TIP #4 — CALL OUT NEGATIVE DISCUSSIONS
Just like with any change you make in your company, you may get some undesirable reactions.
People say things, sometimes they don't think, or understand - so they react - and not always in a decent way. Everyone has their own opinions, perceptions, and biases about this topic and that's ok. You can't be everything to everybody - no one can.
I’m here to tell you — don’t be afraid to call out folks who are chugging that Hater-ade.
Using firm and respectful language, try to understand why the other person is so uncomfortable with this topic and see if you can find common ground.
Aim to educate using intentional words. Don’t berate the other person and take a sledgehammer to their ideas. Not exactly a way to get someone onside.
The ultimate goal is to foster more understanding and compassion for each other — and develop realistic, intentional language to have these conversations.
So using their disagreement or judgment as a teachable moment, while challenging, is worth it. You have the opportunity to show them other ways of looking at the subject - and even how to talk about it.
YOU CAN - AND SHOULD - TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK AS A LEADER
As a leader, you're naturally under a microscope. So it makes sense that you may be more conscious of your language and your choices.
In this position, many folks will naturally try to pull back, play it safe, and have a finely-manicured “vibe” — which may include avoiding complex topics like mental health and mental illness.
I implore you to believe me that this is not the way. Good leadership means evolving as the landscape, needs, and trends evolve around you. Mental health and mental illness at work is part of this, too.
Embrace the influence you have - join the leadership voices trying to change this narrative by speaking up about mental health at work.
Are you ready to speak up about mental health at your company and lead by example?
Reach out to Melissa to set up a fireside interview.
Want to learn more about why leaders should publicly talk about mental health challenges?
Check out Melissa’s new book.
Sources:
“It's a New Era for Mental Health at Work.” Harvard Business Review, 15 Nov. 2021, https://hbr.org/2021/10/its-a-new-era-for-mental-health-at-work.
Carucci, Ron. “Why Leaders Need to Prioritize Their Team's Mental Health.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 11 Apr. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/roncarucci/2022/04/10/why-leaders-need-to-prioritize-their-teams-mental-health/?sh=165c7d84240d.
Brodey, Denise. “62% Of Employees Want Leadership to Speak Openly about Mental Health.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 16 Oct. 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/denisebrodey/2019/10/15/62-of-employees-want-leadership-to-speak--openly-about-mental-health/?sh=35aa8aba65ac.
Doman, Melissa. Yes, You Can Talk about Mental Health at Work: Here's Why ... and How to Do It Really Well. Welbeck Publishing Group, 2021.
