Wellbeing as foundation skill

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have made sure to check on employees’ health. Research shows that leaders experienced anxiety and burnout symptoms at unprecedented rates as they focused on others without restoring their own energy levels.

A Harvard Business Review–sponsored survey conducted in the fall of 2020 gathered feedback from more than 1,500 respondents from 46 countries —the majority of whom were at or above supervisor level.

Eighty-five percent of these respondents said their well-being had declined, while 56 percent said their job demands had increased. Moreover, 62 percent who were struggling to manage their workloads said they had experienced burnout “often” or “extremely often” in the previous three months.

The number of people reporting more symptoms of burnout has increased since then, across organisations. When people are exhausted, they fall into a scarcity mindset (thinking about what they don’t have) and aren’t as adaptable or open to learning. We expect to see these mental-health and well-being challenges continue for some time.

The best way to handle demanding situations is by investing in one’s own well-being first.

Just like athletes who continually invest in their own physical and mental health—not only before a game or a race—leaders have to be fit to face whatever comes their way and to support others for however long it takes.

Leaders should focus on allowing themselves to thrive, and then helping others to be at their physical, mental, and emotional best.

Research shows that taking deliberate breaks accelerates learning and skill acquisition. For example, a study of violin prodigies revealed that students who were quickest to master the instrument took regular and significant breaks, including naps between practice sessions, rather than playing for hours on end.

In another study of people trying to perform a task involving new skills, those who took breaks to mentally reset improved much more quickly under performance pressure.

Counter to what leaders may think, attending to one’s own physical well-being is not selfish. Rather, physical and mental health are necessary to build sound decision-making skills amid uncertainty.

Many leaders think they have to show their organisations that they are always “on,” never being out of pocket long or taking needed vacations. But research shows that leaders who are role models for well-being can have a positive impact across their organisations.

They understand from their own experience that people learn better and faster when they are healthy and well-rested.

A survey on employee experience found that taking care of one’s physical and mental health was associated with a 21 percent improvement in work effectiveness, a 46 percent improvement in employee engagement, and a 45 percent improvement in well-being.

Organisations that invest in scaling well-being and improving employee experience have seen lower rates of employee turnover, higher ratings on innovation, and even increased Iong-term stock performance. They are also more frequently described as great places to work.