People talk about emotional health like it’s a nice-to-have – something to focus on if there’s time.
But here’s the truth: emotional health is a leadership skill. If you can’t regulate your emotions, manage stress, or navigate challenges without snapping, withdrawing, or pretending everything is fine, it impacts your entire team. Emotional health isn’t just personal, it shapes workplace culture, decision-making, and trust.
A 2024 study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that leaders who openly discuss emotional health and model emotional intelligence see 35% higher employee engagement and 21% lower absenteeism. When leaders prioritise their own emotional health, they give others permission to do the same, creating workplaces where people can actually thrive.
How can we strengthen emotional health in leadership?
- Self-awareness first. Pay attention to your own stress responses. Do you shut down? Get defensive? Awareness is the first step.
- Regulate, don’t react. Feeling frustrated? Stressed? Give yourself a pause before responding. Emotionally healthy leaders don’t suppress emotions, they manage them.
- Create psychological safety. Make it clear that people can talk about struggles without fear of judgment or repercussions.
- Set boundaries. You don’t have to be available 24/7 to be a good leader. Protect your energy so you can show up fully.
- Talk about it. Normalise conversations about emotional health at work. Check in, share your own challenges (appropriately), and make it clear that support is available.
Let’s talk…
What’s one thing that helps you manage emotional health at work? Or, what’s something a great leader has done to create a more emotionally supportive workplace? Drop your thoughts below, let’s open up the conversation.
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