In the last episode of “Judgmental: When a Psychologist and a Lawyer Walk into a Bar,” Audrey, Kate Connors and Greg Smith rewarded listeners with a sophisticated exploration of the key concepts at play in the area of leadership wellbeing and its connection to psychosocial hazards for both individuals and businesses.

The conversation feels particularly timely given three factors:

• Organisations’ need to adapt to increased regulatory scrutiny, exposing shortcomings in processes, policies, and workplace practices related to psychosocial work factors over the past 18 months.
• A clear pattern of worsening wellbeing among leaders that reflects the increased demands, stress and negative pressures of occupying a leadership role in today’s world.
• The heightened anxiety among leaders specifically attributable to their new roles as the legally accountable custodians for employee wellbeing. And perhaps even more so, the ambiguity and personal risks inherent to this new role that seem to disregard or contradict how fair, reasonable or psychologically safe these new standards are for leaders’ own health and performance.

In case you missed the pod, here is a catch up summary of the key discussion points:

Leadership wellbeing is not just a personal concern for individual leaders; it is a critical factor that influences the overall psychosocial risk profile of an organisation. There are two key concepts at play here:

1. Leader Wellbeing: the wellbeing of the leadership themselves, and
2. Leaders of Wellbeing: the leadership as agents of wellbeing for others.

Both are inter-related concepts and directly linked to psychosocial risk. Leaders who are mentally, emotionally, and physically well are better equipped to foster a healthy work environment, thereby reducing the psychosocial risks for their teams. 

Assessment always precedes intervention. One of the key challenges discussed in the podcast is the difficulty measuring leadership wellbeing effectively. Traditional health and safety metrics fall short, focusing on activities required rather than outcomes, leading to a superficial understanding of wellbeing in the context of compliance. Rather, a more sophisticated approach is required.

Audrey explains how GLWS tools are designed not only to measure leaders’ overall wellbeing but importantly, the underlying individual, personal, job, workplace and lifestyle factors that determine it. GLWS looks at both the individual leaders and on the system that they are subject to and responsible for. Organisations using the GLWS framework and assessment system are able to gain a comprehensive understanding of leadership wellbeing and its effects on the broader organisational context.

The conversation highlighted the dual role of leaders in managing both their own wellbeing and that of their teams. While leaders are often seen as agents of change, the expectation that they can single-handedly manage psychosocial risks is unrealistic. Leaders are also human, and subject to risks, pressures and vulnerabilities themselves as a consequence of their psychosocial environment.

At GLWS, we advocate for a balanced approach that recognises the complexity of psychosocial risks and the necessity for whole of leadership, whole of system accountability. Our tools help individual leaders and organisations measure and address these wellbeing risks, ensuring that leaders are supported in their roles and the organisation benefits from powerful aggregated insights.

The podcast also touched on practical strategies for organisations to improve leadership wellbeing. Audrey shared an example where an organisation introduced the GLWS system as its wellbeing measure for its senior leaders and aspiring leaders. By using the GLWS system, they were able to gather data, identify areas of concern, and implement targeted interventions. This approach led to significant improvements in both individual and organisational wellbeing.

Leadership wellbeing is a strategic imperative for organisations aiming to manage psychosocial health risks effectively. Done well, (integrating the GLWS system for example 😊), businesses can gain valuable insights into the wellbeing of their leaders and implement strategies that influence positive outcomes.

Ultimately, addressing leadership wellbeing is not just about compliance; it is about creating a healthier, more resilient and high performing organisation.

Can we help you to support your leaderships’ wellbeing? You can get in touch with Audrey here or drop us an email anytime at admin@glwswellbeing.com.