Why is Pro-active, Ongoing Support and Resilience Maintenance so Critical for Organizational Leaders?
Organizational leaders are often responsible for charting the course and/or executing the plan for the organization’s entire future, shaping the organization’s culture which can impact the health and performance of every employee, managing hundreds of thousands/millions in resources, and navigating the organization through all types and magnitudes of challenges, and. With such consequential responsibilities on their shoulders, leaders need to stay well, resilient, and effective.
There are also common expectations for leaders to remain consistently strong and knowledgeable in the face of constant change, unwaveringly support the wellbeing of others regardless of one’s own state of wellbeing, do better with less, and always rise to the occasion.
Not surprisingly, a high percentage of organizational leaders (60%, according to DDI Global Leadership Survey of 15,000 leaders from 1740 organizations), especially senior leaders (82%, according to Deloitte Canada survey of 1100 senior leaders) are experiencing exhaustion and burnout. Like any other working professionals, leaders’ not only have to deal with work stressors but also home and personal stressors, which compound the psychological pressure and burden that they carry at any given time.
With much at stake, ensuring that leaders get pro-active, ongoing individual as well as workplace mental health management support and resilience maintenance to stay, think, and lead well should be a priority for every organization.
How Does the Leader Support and Resilience Maintenance (LSRM) Program Work?
Insight’s LSRM is a pro-active, on-going program that supports organizational leaders in the maintenance of their own mental wellness and resilience as well as in the management of their overall workplace mental health system. More specifically, the dual-pronged program is designed to support leaders in their efforts to:
- enhance their own personal wellness and resilience,
- tackle organizational risks, issues, and challenges affecting their and other employees’ mental health and personal effectiveness, and
- build a mentally healthy and productive workforce.
The program consists of the following interconnected individual and workplace mental health system management supports:
Many organizations need but may not have an in-house Mental Health and Safety Team to help guide and support their workplace mental health efforts. Just as some organizations have an external Information Technology, Marketing, or Human resources partners supporting them in these respective areas, Insight Corporate’s FPHS Team serves as the organization’s retained partner. We can help in the following areas:
Insight’s ILRM is a pro-active monthly or bi-weekly individual check-in program specifically designed to provide leaders with a regular safe space away from work to debrief, process, and/or work through personal and professional issues that pose mental and/or relational stress for them.
The program is facilitated by a dual-professional team* consisting of a seasoned mental health specialist who understands organizational leadership complexities and dynamics, and a highly experienced management/executive coach. Their work with the leader is further supported by a multi-disciplinary network of affiliate professionals where needed.
ILRM alternates monthly or bi-weekly between maintenance debriefs with the management/executive coach and maintenance counselling with the mental health specialist.
* While Insight’s LRM is specifically designed to include the support of both a mental health specialist and a management/executive coach, it can be facilitated by only a mental health specialist or only a management/executive coach should the leader feel that their needs are best met by one or the other but not both.
The mental health specialist and management/executive coach are also resource navigators who will work with and/or provide referrals to other affiliate service providers (e.g. physician, para-medical professional, cognitive rehabilitation specialists, financial advisor, legal counsel, etc.) where necessary and appropriate for the leader’s care.
ILRM is best undertaken when a leader is performing well, and both the leader as well as their organization wish for the leader to remain so. When a leader is already facing noticeable psychological strain or burnout, interpersonal difficulties, and/or performance deterioration, more active initial intervention and support may be needed.
A 2022 global study by The Workforce Institute involving 3400 participants found that 69% of participants say that their manager has a significant impact on their mental health, akin to that of their partner (69%), and more than the impact from their doctors (51%).
This study confirms what we already know – a leader plays a critical role in fostering employee mental wellness, safety, and productivity. As such, it is paramount that they have the ability to do so effectively and such ability or lack thereof, is often manifested in a range of leadership dimensions, skills, and competencies. They include but not limited to:
- Leadership styles and approaches
- Emotional intelligence and relationship management
- Communication
- Active listening
- Intercultural competency
- Conflict resolution
- Problem solving
- Decision making
- Performance management
- Empowerment and delegation
- Self-care
- Many more
Proper leadership assessment would especially benefit:
- New and emerging leaders who want to better understand their areas of strength as well as their areas for development.
- Leaders who may require the development of new skills and competencies to better manage new responsibilities and/or increased complexity in their role.
- Leaders who simply want to build on their existing leadership knowledge and skills as part of their commitment to continuous professional development.
Being aware of one’s leadership strengths as well as areas for development is the first step towards enhancing one’s leadership abilities and competencies. Insight’s team of Associates, comprised of proven organizational leaders, seasoned management development specialists, and psychotherapists also offer tailored leadership training, coaching, and support to help leaders advance their abilities, competencies, and personal effectiveness.
Research and experts have also noted that in order for management training to be truly effective, it must be mandatory, offered regularly, and championed by senior leadership.
Click HERE for Group Management Training
Click HERE for Individual Management/Executive Coaching and Support
For leaders tasked with managing employee cases involving mental illness or injury, and/or substance dependency, one of our psychotherapists can support theses leaders in effectively managing those cases.
The degree of case management support needed by each leader will differ depending on their professional knowledge and experience in managing such cases. Service needed may range from consultation on how to support the employee throughout their mental health treatment period and/or on the necessary accommodations at work, to full case management where we will work with the employee on the leader’s behalf to coordinate their treatment activities or multi-disciplinary service consults (where applicable), make arrangements for in-patient treatments (where applicable), monitor their progress, help them prepare for return-to-work, and any other needed activities.
*Note: Case management support is one of the assistances provided within our Fractional Psychological Health and Safety Team Service. For organizations who do have a subscription to this program, case management support can still be provided as a standalone service.
