It’s Time to Talk to Your Team About Mental Health
Dec 27, 2023
30:59
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Learn how to manage anxiety and prioritize mental health in the workplace. Explore strategies to turn anxiety into a leadership superpower. Discover how to communicate mental health struggles and support employee well-being during crises.
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Quick takeaways
The proper management of anxiety can transform it into a leadership superpower, providing energy, focus, and purpose in work.
Creating a safe space for discussions about mental health in the workplace is crucial for promoting greater mental well-being among employees.
Deep dives
Anxiety as a Superpower
In this podcast episode, Maura Aaron Smili, writer, entrepreneur, and podcast host, discusses how anxiety can be reframed as a superpower. She explains that anxiety, when properly managed, can provide energy, focus, and purpose in work. However, she acknowledges that anxiety can also be debilitating and cause loss of joy and focus. By recognizing and learning from anxiety, individuals can become stronger and more resilient, ultimately transforming anxiety into a leadership superpower.
Managing Anxiety in the Workplace
The podcast highlights the importance of addressing mental health in the workplace. It emphasizes the need for leaders and organizations to openly discuss mental health issues and to create an environment that prioritizes employees' mental well-being. The guest, Maura Aaron Smili, shares tips on how employees can work with their anxiety and how senior leaders or human resources professionals can support employees in prioritizing their mental health. The conversation emphasizes the role of communication, self-awareness, and understanding the impact of workplace systems on mental health.
Breaking the Stigma and Promoting Mental Health
The podcast explores the stigma surrounding mental health in the business world and the importance of breaking that stigma. It discusses the need for leaders, particularly those in powerful positions, to openly share their own experiences with anxiety and mental health challenges. The conversation highlights the positive trend of high-profile individuals, such as athletes, being more open about mental health struggles. The guest encourages leaders to create a safe space for conversations about mental health, both at an individual and organizational level, ultimately promoting greater mental well-being in the workplace.
The business world is beginning to recognize the importance of mental health. That’s why writer, entrepreneur, and podcast host Morra Aarons-Mele says that the more we understand and talk about our own mental health, the better we are as managers and colleagues.
In this episode, you’ll get tips on how to work with—and through—your anxiety. If you’re a senior leader or a human resources professional, you’ll also learn ways to help your organization prioritize employees’ mental health.
This is the final episode in a special series highlighting the four best leadership episodes of 2023, curated from across Harvard Business Review’s podcasts.
HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.