THE TRUTH ABOUT LEADERSHIP & MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE: A - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

THE TRUTH ABOUT LEADERSHIP & MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE: A CEO’S PERSPECTIVE Dennis C. Miller Managing Director The Nonprofit Search Group www.thenonprofitsearch.com

Dennis C. Miller has advised hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the country on how to unlock their true potential by working with them to improve the integration of board governance, leadership development, strategic planning and philanthropy. He is a sought after motivational speaker, retreat facilitator, leadership performance coach and consultant.

MY JOURNEY FROM HOPELESSNESS AND FAILURE TO HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS

MY JOURNEY FROM HOPELESSNESS AND FAILURE TO HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS

TODAY’S TOPICS • WHAT DO BUSINESS LEADERS AND CELEBRITIES HAVE IN COMMON? • PERCEPTIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE • HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ILLNESS AND STIGMA • BIG HURDLES FOR MENTAL HEALTH ARE IN THE C-SUITE • NEW PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND BUSINESS COMMUNITIES

WHAT DO THESE MEGA BUSINESS LEADERS AND CELEBRITIES HAVE IN COMMON?

CLINICAL DEPRESSION BIPOLAR AND ANXIETY DISORDER

BUSINESS LEADERS AND CELEBRITIES ARE PEOPLE TOO People who have risen to the status of a public company director are no less human than gym teachers, athletes, gardeners, or astronauts; they, too, may be irrationally exuberant, childishly selfish, passionately wrong-headed, or morally lost.

What do you think Douglas James and I have in common? Hint: It isn’t the Light Heavyweight Professional Wrestling Championship.

ARE WE COMING TO TERMS WITH OUR PERCEPTIONS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH? IN THE C-SUITE? IN OUR WORKPLACE?

• EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IS STILL A TOUCHY SUBJECT • PRESSURES OF LEADING AT THE TOP • LINK BETWEEN JOB AUTHORITY AND DEPRESSION • COMING TO TERMS WITH “MANLINESS”

YOU ALREADY KNOW THE FACTS • 30-50 percent of adults in the U.S. experience mental illness at some point in their lives • Most common mental health problems include anxiety, depression and substance use disorder • People with mental health problems seek repeated treatment for symptoms that mimic physical illnesses • 60 percent of adults with mental illness do not receive the mental health services they need • Mental illness has a major financial impact on employers and health insurers

HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ILLNESS AND STIGMA • CANCER AND DEATH • ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY IN 1913 • ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE IN 1937 • 1970 INCREASED SURVIVAL RATES LED TO MORE OPEN DISCUSSION • HOSPICE MOVEMENT, PAIN MANAGEMENT AND PALLIATIVE CARE

HOW MENTAL HEALTH AND BUSINESS COMMUNITIES CAN PARTNER TO ADDRESS ISSUES IN TODAY’S WORKPLACE When it comes to mental health, high-pressure roles and leadership traits, the following are four tips taken from my personal experience to help you and your colleagues manage the pressures of the executive office: 1. Don’t suffer alone. 2. Learn to manage your stress. 3. Understand that depression is extremely common and very treatable. 4. Try to maintain a balanced life.

CEO’s SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT HELPS TO END THE STIGMA OF MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE 1. Hold regular check-in meetings with employees. 2. Educate yourself . The best way to maintain positive mental health in yourself and your employees at work is to educate yourself on what certain situations look like. 3. Be careful in the language you use around mental health . Words like “psycho” and “crazy,” even when used casually or jokingly, can be extremely hurtful. 4. Reward employees for small acts of kindness. It’s easy to overlook the beneficial effects of helping out with a mundane task or giving a compliment. Encourage employees to perform a couple of small acts of kindness each week. 5. Uphold work-life balance . The tendency is to think that the later employees stay the more work they’ll get done and the faster the organization will grow. In fact, it can be the opposite.

The job of today’s business leader is a tough one without the stigma surrounding mental health. With that stigma, it becomes crippling for many. The first step to creating solutions is acknowledging there’s a problem —mental health needn’t be a taboo topic. It’s time we all have a CHANGE OF MIND!

“Right - Fit Leadership” Nonprofit management books by Dennis C. Miller:

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