Worker burnout and employee mental health are all over the news and have been for some time, and many partly attribute the current labor shortage to the widespread burnout that is evident across the economy. In fact, a 2021 survey by McKinsey & Company found that nearly half (49%) of workers are feeling at least somewhat burned out—and McKinsey itself believes that, for several reasons, this is likely a dramatic In its own study of worker burnout, Visier found that of 1,000 surveyed full-time employees across the U.S., 89% of respondents had experienced burnout in the past year, and 27% said they experience burnout “all the time.” Worker burnout was already reaching crisis levels before the pandemic, and now it has only gotten worse. Yet for all the talk of burnout, the burnout affecting CEOs—and their mental health in general, not to mention their mental acuity—are rarely, if ever, discussed. In a way, this makes sense. There are, after all, far fewer CEOs than there are all other employees. But that does not mean it is any less of a crisis. In fact, the two are inextricably linked. It may sound trite, but all aspects of a company flow from the chief executive. Thus, if the CEO’s mental health is not in a good state and their mental acuity is dulled, then the entire company—its direction, responses to changes in the market, and internal policies—will be negatively affected, and this directly impacts employees and their own mental health. There is often a stigma around mental health, and acknowledging its importance, or that you may need help with it, is commonly seen as a sign of weakness. However, the best CEOs recognize that taking care of their mental health and maximizing their mental acuity is essential to the success of their companies. Therefore, the first step in a CEO’s journey toward improving their mental health is admitting that it is a struggle—and an important one that is worth addressing head-on. CEOs have to be many things to many people. They must answer to stakeholders, keep their company in good standing in the eyes of the public, and maintain the health of the company for the sake of the jobs of its employees. This is enough to give anyone anxiety. But there are tactics to cope with and overcome the stress and anxiety inherent in the role of CEO. So after admitting that mental health is important, the next step is coming up with a plan. How will you work to improve and then maintain your mental health? Most experts agree on a few things that will help with anyone’s mental health: The preceding list is comprised entirely of steps CEOs can take on their own to improve their mental health. The following tactics require the help of others: Mental health is important—whether you work at a company or run the company. By utilizing the proven tactics laid out above, CEOs can improve their mental health and maintain it for the long haul, and in so doing, they can relieve themselves of some of the stress and anxiety dulling their mental acuity, thereby benefiting themselves, their employees, and their companies.
