I would be remised if I did not share an article in the month of May focusing on mental health from a Chief Executive Officer’s perspective.  I have been a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 2010 and I remember very vividly the day that I chose bravely to launch my very first Clinical Research Organization.  The mental health improvements that I have made for myself since 2010 to current are very different.  This is a valid point to recognize because often you must make sure to pivot based on situations that challenge your mental health. Based on the many years that I have been a CEO; I would like to make a few suggestions to assist in your own mental health improvement.

Mental health is an important aspect of the overall well-being of your organization.  It is important to create a work environment that supports and promotes positive mental health amongst your team members.

A peaceful and accepting work environment can have a significant impact on employees’ mental health and overall well-being.  Ensuring that you create a peaceful and safe work environment will ultimately lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction. Below are some strategies to build a peaceful and safe environment in your organization.

Confident individuals and teams who feel good about where they work, who they work with, and what they do, are one of many ingredients that supercharge a company culture that drives success. Do you wish your teams felt like they had the autonomy to make more decisions based on their own collaborative efforts to help push your organization further and faster? Do your team members feel safe, and supported?  All you may need to do is have a fresh look at your company culture from the perspective of the following three areas.

Being a mother means being “on the clock” 24/7, 365 days per year. In many ways, being in a leadership role can sometimes feel the same way. Each day brings on a new set of challenges, and sometimes there is no telling what those challenges will be, when they will happen, or where they will appear. To all of the parents reading this article, I understand that you know how challenging it can be to have to show up to the rescue the moment that something spills, breaks, or your little one is upset. 

The ability to understand others, commonly referred to as empathy, is a vital leadership skill that helps leaders understand and communicate with colleagues to move initiatives and projects forward. When there is a lack of empathy throughout an organization, people are often uncomfortable sharing new ideas, collaborating, and taking on new roles and responsibilities that would help move the collective forward. Empathetic leaders are associated with being extraordinary listeners and communicators who seek to understand others before making big decisions.

Growing up, most of us have heard of or have been exposed to the buddy system wherein you and a “buddy” work on a task or go somewhere together so that there is someone to talk to, bounce ideas off and lend a hand if necessary. As we grew into the career exploration phase of our lives, most of us began hearing about the benefits of having a mentor, someone who could show you the ropes and guide you towards your desired vision of success.