Employee Wellbeing Requires Leadership<\/h2>\n
First, why does wellbeing matter, particularly in the workplace?<\/p>\n
When employees have a sense of wellbeing, they\u2019re more engaged and creative. They also have higher job satisfaction and productivity levels, studies show<\/a>.<\/p>\n And the importance of wellbeing and leadership is clear: \u201cAs a leader, it\u2019s your duty to take care of others and to create an environment where others can be well<\/em>,\u201d<\/strong> says Dr. Paige Graham, who\u2019s been an executive coach and facilitator for more than 20 years and is leading our work to create client solutions for leadership and wellbeing.<\/p>\n \u201cI like to think about wellbeing as feeling good and<\/em> functioning well, both individually and within a community,\u201d Graham notes.<\/p>\n What the \u201cquiet quitting\u201d trend has taught organizations<\/a> is that employee wellbeing really matters. Workers today aren’t as willing to sacrifice everything for their jobs. Instead, they desire fulfilling careers where they do meaningful work on a team where everyone is encouraged to thrive.<\/p>\n At CCL, we focus on 6 components of leading with wellbeing, so that organizations can enact deliberate practices that help their people enhance their own leadership and wellbeing \u2014 as well as<\/em> that of their colleagues and direct reports. Here are the 6 keys to wellbeing:<\/p>\n When leaders focus on these 6 things, they\u2019re prioritizing wellbeing for both themselves and others, and the results are contagious \u2014 impacting not only their teams, but the culture of the wider organization, as well. As employee wellbeing is supported, enhanced, and rewarded, new mindsets and practices take root and become sustainable across the enterprise. When employees feel that their work has intrinsic value and meaning \u2014 and when they can connect their day-to-day tasks to the organization\u2019s mission \u2014 they’re more likely to feel a sense of purpose.<\/b><\/p>\n Achieving a sense of purpose starts with recognition. \u201cIt\u2019s helpful to recognize the parts of our jobs that bring us energy and are aligned to what we believe is meaningful,\u201d says Graham. Though helpful for everyone, value alignment is especially key for younger generations<\/a> in the workforce.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Humans crave challenges, so employee wellbeing is enhanced when people feel they\u2019re growing and learning.<\/strong> When a learning culture<\/a> is prioritized and a growth mindset is valued across an organization, leaders accept mistakes as opportunities to reflect on what was learned. As a result, people feel free to be more innovative and creative, because they\u2019re not afraid to take risks.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Health is an essential component of wellness, as healthy minds and bodies are shown to enhance reasoning, problem solving, learning, and creativity.<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s only so much the human brain can handle,\u201d says Graham. \u201cIf you work constantly without resting or incorporating movement into your day, you won\u2019t be able to handle the bigger cognitive challenges. Your memory will suffer and you won\u2019t be as creative.\u201d<\/p>\n There’s a connection between good health and leadership<\/a>: Optimal health and <\/em>leadership effectiveness both start with foundational practices, such as movement, nutritious foods that fuel your brain<\/a>, and a good night\u2019s sleep \u2014 all of which help us regulate our emotions and process the events of the previous day.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n When employees perceive a sense of control, as opposed to feeling externally controlled, they tend to be more well.<\/b> When they meet roadblocks, people with a sense of agency are also more persistent in achieving their goals and in living with intention at work and at home<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes when we feel like we don\u2019t have a say and things are happening to us \u2014 that we are just picking up the pieces \u2014 we feel very little control over our own actions and the consequences of those actions,\u201d says Graham.<\/p>\n How can leaders give people a sense of agency? Start by understanding the connection between purpose, agency, and employee wellbeing.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Employee wellbeing also requires leaders intentionally helping people to connect with one another. <\/b>That\u2019s important because strong and healthy relationships lead to acceptance of others and a culture of respect<\/a>.<\/p>\n Helping people connect can be easier said than done. \u201cLeaders have to understand that people have different preferences for connecting with others,\u201d says Graham. \u201cSome people like to be really social, but that\u2019s not right for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n At CCL and many other organizations, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) give people an opportunity to connect with others across certain commonalities. Often these are unique groups of people who typically haven\u2019t worked together but share common experiences and social identities<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether we\u2019re being supported, or we are supporting others, we come away with a great feeling of connection and belonging at work<\/a>, which is an essential human need,\u201d says Graham.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Organizations benefit from having resilient employees because, in challenging organizational settings or during times of change, resilient people operate more effectively and productively.<\/strong><\/p>\n Resilience and wellbeing aren’t the same thing. While resilience is needed during stress, uncertainty, and setbacks<\/a>, wellbeing <\/em>impacts us all the time.<\/p>\n When times are tough, resilience is the ability to bounce back. Not only are resilient people able to adapt in the face of adversity, but they also grow and feel prepared for their next hurdle.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that employee wellbeing isn\u2019t one size fits all. The keys to wellbeing may be slightly different from one person to the next. Team members may prefer to move or rest a bit differently or grow, share, connect, and be challenged in different ways.<\/p>\n That said, leaders being intentional about any<\/em> of these things will result in increased employee wellbeing \u2014 for both individual managers and their teams.<\/p>\n Since the pandemic, there have been calls to stop framing wellness programs around self-care and instead focus on wellbeing for all<\/a>, and it makes sense: If an organization’s leadership doesn\u2019t promote wellbeing for the collective, the enterprise will never be as strong or productive as it could be.<\/b><\/p>\n At CCL, we believe in cultivating organizational cultures that truly support leadership on employee wellbeing \u2014 ensuring that people are better<\/em> than just okay. We\u2019ve created a downloadable collection of leadership resources on compassion, wellbeing, and belonging<\/a> with actionable tips gleaned from our research.<\/p>\n When leaders focus on wellbeing and create space to care for themselves and others, they become more effective \u2014 as individuals, on their teams, within their organizations, and even impacting their entire communities.<\/p>\n Take a meaningful step toward increasing employee wellbeing in your workplace by starting a conversation with colleagues on your team or at your organization. Download our Conversation Guide for leaders on wellbeing<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nWellbeing Leadership: 6 Components<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nThe 6 Keys of Wellbeing<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/a><\/p>\n1. Purpose.<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n2. Growth.<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n3. Health.<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n4. Agency.<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n5. Connection.<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n6. Resilience.<\/h4>\n
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Better Leaders Focus on Their Own & Their Employees’ Wellbeing<\/h2>\n
Ready to Take the Next Step?<\/h2>\n