In recent times, I’ve been inspired by hearing:

• Dr. Michael Gervais, author of The First Rule of Mastery: Stop Worrying about What People Think of You, make a compelling case for investing in ‘above the line’ mental skills training.
• Stephen King, Commissioner for the Australian Federal Government’s Productivity Commission share his insights into Australia’s declining productivity in the context of mental health at a recent CMHAA Annual Gathering.
• And a great conversation with Kate Connors and Greg Smith on their Judgemental podcast about Leadership Wellbeing and Psychosocial Hazards.

Together – and alongside the general mush swirling in my poor old prefrontal cortex – these have prompted a desire on my part to think more deeply about how organisations could reframe their whole approach to ‘leadership wellbeing’.

Over the coming weeks, I’m going to share where this thinking took me in a special 5-part series where we’ll discuss key aspects of this rethink: How to connect Mental Wellbeing to Leadership Performance, identifying and creating the right Leadership Mindsets for Thriving in a Dynamic Environment, How to Cultivate the Skills for Thriving High Performing Leadership by focusing on wellbeing, Integrating Leader Wellbeing into your Psychosocial Health approaches, how to define and embed Leadership Wellbeing into Organisational Strategy… and a bumper final edition with complete evidence base on a page to help you win your case.

I hope they spark some ideas for you and would love to hear your thoughts and questions!

As a fellow business advisor and expert in our space, you know just how crucial it is to nurture the minds of leaders: the way leaders think and feel determines their actions and shapes the culture, work practices and overall performance of the teams and organisations they lead.

​​Yet speaking plainly, I see huge opportunities for the organisations who invest in their leaders’ minds as the vital assets they are. ​

Leaders are often judged by their technical expertise, sector experience and domain knowledge while their psychological skills remain comparatively neglected. Yet, these very mental assets are the bedrock of their resilience, adaptability, innovation and sustainable high performance. Without them, leaders are ill-equipped to manage the strains of competing/unrealistic demands, fatigued teams, stakeholder politics, or the personal toll of high-stake environments.

However, it’s often not until a leader’s psychology shows signs of becoming a liability that reactive measures like counselling, coaching, EAP, medical intervention, stress leave, role changes, and even exit strategies are considered. These reactive approaches to mental health and wellbeing — below the line strategies — frame psychological needs as closed or defensive capacities that are driven by fear or ego and result in limited change, defensive behaviours and suboptimal outcomes. (Gervais, 20231; Dethmer et al, 2015)2

By prioritising psychological mastery and building mental skills as essential leadership tools, organizations can unlock transformative potential. It is time for a paradigm shift—a move away from reactive interventions, such as EAP, counselling, stress leave and exit strategies, towards proactive cultivation of leaders’ minds. This reframing is not just an investment in individual wellbeing but a strategic lever for driving organisational performance, culture, and productivity. (Dethmer et al, 2015)3

By reframing these strategies to focus on intentional growth and development, organisations can unlock new dimensions of leadership potential. This shift, from reactive intervention to fostering proactive psychological mastery, underscores the importance of addressing leaders’ mental wellbeing as fundamental to their effectiveness and the success of the teams and enterprises they guide.

What if, instead, organisations shift further towards ‘above the line’ approaches, befitting of the true value of helping their leaders’ minds to reach and stay at their best? (Krekel et al, 2019)

Imagine proactively developing leaders’ self-awareness of their mental states as a positive, growth-oriented, learning and high-performance strategy, not merely as a response to mental ill-health or performance concerns. Imagine building their skills to precisely calibrate and improve how their minds work, sustain high performance and focus on their unique levers for enhanced productivity, culture and wellbeing.

By focussing on the skills and tools required to understand and improve leaders’ mindsets, beliefs, psychological needs and emotions using proactive ‘above the line’ approaches, the probability of driving significant individual and enterprise improvements is high. ​(Krekel, 2019)​​​

Enter the GLWS® system — a powerful and fast intervention to help leaders achieve precision calibration and a personalised path to sustainable high performance. It provides invaluable insights into how they think and feel, and how they interpret the challenges and opportunities presented by their role, team, organisational, home, personal circumstances and lifestyle; a clear evaluation of where improvement is needed; and practical strategies to ensure both their personal success and the success of the teams and organisations they lead.

For recommendations on how you can deploy GLWS solutions to unlock the full potential of your leaders and drive a sustainable high-performance culture in your organisation, please schedule an obligation-free, complimentary consultation with us here.

In The Crucial Role of a Leader’s Mind: Part 2, we’ll dive further into the Leadership Mindsets that are needed to thrive in today’s stressful world.