Welcome to this episode of Jack Chat and another tiny lesson in leadership, straight up.
In this episode, I’m going to point out a terrible flaw that you have as a leader. Wait. What? How can I possibly know this? She doesn’t even know you!
Well, you may have a point. I can’t know for sure if you have this flaw… but… I’m going to estimate that you DO.
So, what terrible flaw am I talking about? I’m talking about estimating. Specifically, UNDER-estimating.
Personally, I have a challenge of underestimating all sorts of things….
But there is a far more sinister type of underestimation we do as leaders, with far more costly implications.
We underestimate the impact we have on our employees’ mental health. New research reveals that managers have just as much impact on an employee’s mental health as the person’s spouse. And more impact than their doctor or therapist!
Um….what?
When you consider the fact that over 80% of employees prioritize mental health over a high-paying job, you can see the costly implication of underestimating and managing this impact as a leader.
Here are a few self-reflection questions to help you consider the impact you have on your employees’ mental health, and how to use this impact for good:
- What factors add stress to my team’s environment? Which of these factors can I influence
- How well do I model the behavior of taking meaningful, restorative time off?
- To what degree do each of my employees feel a sense of belonging on our team?
- How often do I talk to my employees about how they are feeling?
Give those questions some thought… and join me again for another chat!