As per research conducted by Deloitte in 2022, 41% of senior leaders are stressed, and 36% are exhausted at work
We can see hundreds of posts, articles, and blogs discussing the importance of wellness in employees. But what about the well-being of leaders? At the end of the day, a manager is also an employee of an organization.
Mental health and concerns around the physical well-being of employees have increased post the pandemic. Many companies have taken steps to introduce policies that address the issue of mental health and also provide enhanced benefits to keep the physical well-being of employees in check. All this has increased the burden on leaders since the ownership of driving the well-being agenda falls upon them. This added responsibility had impacted the leaders in a post-pandemic world. 22% of leaders think that their job role is more complicated.
As a special effort from an organization taking a step towards creating a culture to support the well-being of leaders. A mainstream broking company in India started a mental wellness program where they trained their employees to be the ‘first line responders.’ Employees who feel they are going through a mental health problem can contact these internally trained volunteers. Another pharmaceutical company launched a holistic wellness program focusing on employees’ physical, social, mental, and spiritual well-being. The main highlight was that the company wanted to tackle the issue of loneliness in employees. Yes, these are great signs. But do we need a different approach to tackle the wellness issue among the organization’s leaders? There is no doubt that all leaders and managers are far more accountable for the success of the company as compared to junior employees. Managers also feel the stress of work. They also have personal problems, which can impact their productivity. Shouldn’t we recognize them as well?
Stress among leaders is a real challenge
As per research conducted by Deloitte in 2022, 41% of senior leaders are stressed, and 36% are exhausted at work. Leaders are also feeling the pressure of work, a sense of depression, and loneliness. Moreover, it is challenging for leaders to fulfill their well-being goals, as 74% face obstacles when it comes to fulfilling the same. 73% of executives reported that they cannot take time off and disconnect from work. The reason for such well-being issues in leaders can be attributed to factors such as that they cannot use their vacation time, take microbreaks during the day, get enough sleep, and have enough time for friends and family, which means that they are finding it difficult to achieve a work-life balance.
A bad state of well-being in managers can be harmful
If leaders and managers are not kept well, they can make the workplace toxic. Mamta, a senior sales associate, shared her experience on social media. When she started her career ten years back with a consulting firm, she remembers how her manager had this habit of working for long hours, and she also expected her team members to replicate that same behavior. Mamta had to sit for long hours in the office because her manager kept pouring more work into her table. After a while, Mamta realized that most senior leaders and mid-level managers took pride in working long hours and felt it was good for the company’s reputation. This disturbed her, and she couldn’t continue her job. If the company’s leaders and managers had realized the importance of maintaining a work-life balance, such behavior would not have been passed down among the team members. So the HR teams and the organizations must keep the manager’s well-being in check.
On the other hand, Manas, an HR head with a dairy product brand, takes his well-being quite seriously. He has been focusing on having a healthy lifestyle. His company introduced a wellness initiative where employees could access fitness and diet guides through a smartphone wellness application. That too at a discounted price. Moreover, Manas also tries to maintain a work-life balance where he tries to leave his office on time and encourages his team members to shut their work after working hours.
On top of that, he maintains a ‘no work call’ policy after working hours amongst team members. This way, not only he but all his subordinates also get to maintain a good work-life balance in the company. If the leaders take care of their wellness, it is easier for the organization to cascade such behavior among other employees. Managers and leaders can become catalysts of change and brand ambassadors to drive the employee wellness cause in the company.
Hiring an executive leader or a C-suit-level resource is a difficult task. It takes time, effort, and resources to hire a competent leader. In addition, increasing stress and depression among leaders can cost organizations. The Deloitte survey says that 70% of leaders have expressed that they are seriously considering leaving their job for a better opportunity that supports their well-being.
Addressing the well-being of leaders
Executive training programs are great platforms to build resilience and change behavior. Designing a specific executive training program in health matters can help leaders better drive their and their teams’ well-being agenda. Almost 50% of leaders agree that such executive programs will support them. Moreover, it is not just the employees who get inspired by their leaders. But leaders also look up to other leaders in the organization for inspiration. In the Deloitte study, 44% of leaders agree that seeing other leaders prioritize well-being matters will also help them to do so.
Lastly, well-being and health experts within the organization will also have to support the leaders. For example, some companies have well-being experts such as a chief health officer or a well-being officer who can either guide or advise executives in the company to keep their well-being in check.
As we advance, the new generation of leadership talent will come with a future-forward mindset. Research shows that next-gen executives are better at keeping well-being in check. When employees worked remotely during the pandemic, many companies recognized the challenge of stress, mental health, physical well-being, etc. However, it is more than just the regular employees who need help. Observing the state of wellness problem in the leaders, it is high time that organizations initiate targeted programs that specifically focus on improving the well-being of leaders and managers too!
