Mental Health & Leadership in the Workplace

A wonderful time was had at this month’s Breakfast Club on June 8! The theme was mental health and leadership and some of the topics explored were: 

• The importance of transparency in the workplace 
• De-stigmatising people’s experience of mental health challenges  
• Helping people thrive. 

We had two fantastic guest speakers; Niall Breslin, co-founder of A Lust for Life, and Jeanne McDonagh, CEO at Open Doors Initiative. Both of whom spoke about their own mental health challenges and how it has shaped their experience. Their conversation highlighted the importance of having good systems in the workplace to support the mental health of staff. Some of the key insights were: 

• How effective it can be for a manager to ask a staff member, who is struggling, ‘what do you need and how can I support you?’ 
• The value of having open conversations in the workplace even if they are, at times, uncomfortable 
• The notion that people who have experienced mental health challenges cannot be leaders is false 
• Those who have experienced challenges with their mind often make the most authentic leaders. 

When asked about people who have helped and inspired them most on their mental health journey, Niall quoted the Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donoghue, who once said on a podcast that: 

“…There is a place in you where you have never been wounded, where there’s still a sureness in you, where there’s a seamlessness in you, and where there is a confidence and tranquility in you.” 

Excellent words that could provide solace to many of us. Learn more about John O’Donoghue here.  

Following the panel discussion, we had separate chats in breakout rooms with the attendees. Some wonderful thoughts and ideas came back from these conversations and the notes have been summarised here.   

We’d like to thank everyone who participated this month. We will return on 7 September for the next Breakfast Club. Details will be on our website in advance, and we will be promoting it far and wide! You can book your place now! 

Please visit our LinkedIn Leadership Academy page where we hope to connect as many leaders as possible!