Healthy leadership

Once again, the team's sickness rate is incredibly high: Four of the eleven employees have called in sick today. The rest of the team gathers in the team room for the kickoff, as they do every Monday. The atmosphere is tense, and seems to cool even further when the manager enters the room... 

Sound like a professional dystopia? For many employees, such or similar scenarios are everyday occurrences, and often the product of poor leadership skills. In this blog post, we want to show that things can be different. First, the hard facts: 

The effects of leadership on the health, motivation, and efficiency of employees and organizations are well documented. A meta-analysis by Montano et al. (2017) shows, that managers can have a significant impact on the mental health of their employees. This poses significant risks:  Negative leadership practices such as low appreciation, lack of support, or excessive pressure are closely linked to burnout, absenteeism, and turnover. The 2016 Absence Report shows that 31% of employees are absent for more than two weeks when the corporate culture is perceived as poor, for example, due to a lack of praise—compared to only 16.7% when the corporate culture is positive (Badura et al. 2016).  

However, the strong correlation between the behavior of leaders and the mental well-being of their employees can also be an opportunity: With healthy leadership, employees are often more motivated and productive. Healthy leadership behavior also translates into lower absenteeism and lower costs for onboarding processes, as turnover also decreases noticeably. Investments in healthy leadership therefore also promise a return on investment. 

It is therefore not surprising that we are increasingly being asked about this topic and that we are working intensively with our customers as part of our personnel development offerings – for example, in the context of management development programs, training or coaching. 

 

What is healthy leadership? 

The scientific definition of "healthy leadership" is not clearly established. Nevertheless, key elements emerge: mindfulness and empathy on the part of the leader, which in turn lead to a high level of well-being among employees. These aspects underscore the importance of reflection, emotional intelligence, and social skills for leaders. This is also repeatedly emphasized in our training courses. 

A practical model is the Health-Oriented Leadership (HoL) model by Franke et al. (2014). It describes healthy leadership based on three core areas: self-care, employee care, and a health-promoting leadership culture. True to the motto "Self-awareness is the first step towards improvement," the ability of the leader to own Actively managing health is the foundation of healthy leadership. The next level involves specifically supporting the well-being of employees and creating structures that enable long-term health promotion. 

The role model function of the leader is particularly crucial – their behavior directly impacts the health of the team. Healthy leadership behavior is therefore not a "nice-to-have," but an essential factor for sustainable corporate success. In the next section, we take a closer look at theoretical models that scientifically underpin this approach. 

 

What does this mean for our training with managers? 

It's important to remember that healthy leadership is a very complex topic. A "one-size-fits-all" solution would be unlikely to be successful in this case. It's more important to recognize employees as individuals and address their needs accordingly. But even at a higher level, i.e., with regard to the company's organization, it's important to recognize differences based on corporate culture, size, or industry. Healthy leadership in an internationally operating bank may mean something different in practice than in a locally operating administration—even though it's based on the same foundation everywhere.  

After analyzing the individual and organizational framework and needs, it is important to approach the components of healthy leadership. Especially in leadership training, it is useful to find a good balance between background knowledge and concrete practical tips. So, what components are needed to approach the topic of healthy leadership in the context of human resources development? 

1) Stress management 

In many cases, it makes sense to start by dealing with stress management in order to implement healthy leadership. What exactly is stress, how does it manifest itself, and how can I, as a manager, adequately manage both my own stress and that of my employees, and support them in doing so? Here, too, the following applies: Different employees have different perceptions of stress. A subjective experience of stress requires appropriate, individualized measures for healthy leadership. 

2) Communication 

The foundation of successful stress management is, in turn, effective communication. Unless a manager happens to possess telepathic abilities, communication is the only valid way to determine an employee's current stress level. Especially in the context of balancing results-focused and employee-focused efforts, it is essential for managers to demonstrate sensitivity and empathy and to have a broad repertoire of communication techniques at their disposal. Furthermore, managers with good communication skills can more easily understand their employees' motivation, thereby inspiring them and helping them find meaning in their work. These factors also contribute to employee satisfaction and health, while also promoting work performance.

If we consider the issue at the team level, creating psychological safety is also crucial. Employees should feel safe to view mistakes as learning opportunities and to openly express their opinions. A culture of open communication that emphasizes appreciation and recognition contributes significantly to motivation and satisfaction. Managers can foster this safety by providing regular feedback, actively listening, and supporting employees in overcoming challenges.. In our trainings, for example, we work with our participants to develop a step-by-step approach to dealing with mistakes in their team. We place great emphasis on solutions that are consistent and realistically implementable for each manager and team. 

3) Self-reflection 

"Why are you still sitting here? I hope you're about to finish work!" says the manager, before staying in the office for a few hours longer... Who hasn't encountered such or similar examples? Even if the manager's intentions are often well-intentioned, employees tend to get the impression that they have to stay longer for important work. However, it is precisely this role of the manager as a role model that is often underestimated. Research shows clear evidence that managers pass on their stress to employees in the form of so-called "crossover effects" (Bakker et al. 2009). In psychology, the crossover effect describes the mutual influence of people in a social environment.. Healthy leadership, therefore, cannot neglect healthy self-leadership. This first step requires a high degree of self-reflection and a critical examination of one's own work behavior. For example, an email to employees at 10:30 p.m. conveys a very specific way of working that can be transferred to the employees. Therefore, self-reflection represents a relevant component of self-leadership. 

 

Conclusion: Healthy leadership as the key to corporate success 

Healthy leadership isn't an optional extra, but a key prerequisite for long-term productivity, employee motivation, and company success. Studies clearly show that leadership behavior has a direct impact on employee health, satisfaction, and performance. Leaders who act with care, empathy, and reflection not only create a healthy work environment but also reduce absenteeism and turnover—a crucial economic advantage. 

However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for healthy leadership that works the same way in every company. It must be tailored to the organization, the team dynamics, and the individual employees. This is precisely where our leadership training comes in: We support managers in creating a health-promoting work environment, developing effective communication strategies, and strengthening their own resilience. 

Would you like to learn more about our practical training courses? Then please contact us – together we can make healthy leadership a reality in your company!