Increasing amounts of money are being invested in workplace wellness programmes and initiatives. Yet, burnout remains on the rise. Indeed, disengagement is higher than it has been in a decade, despite increasing organisational efforts to energise and motivate employees. What are companies getting wrong? 

We found that companies might need to go back to basics by focusing on their leaders’ behaviours

While wellness programmes and initiatives can have positive effects, organisations have over-relied on them as a panacea for solving all of their wellbeing woes. Instead, in the research we conducted for our book “Leading for Wellness: How to Create a Team Culture Where Everyone Thrives”, we found that companies might need to go back to basics by focusing on their leaders’ behaviours. We heard time and again from employees that leaders were the main driver of their wellness at work – and that feeling healthy and happy at work contributed to their engagement, productivity, and willingness to remain with their organisations. In other words, leaders are at the heart of solving burnout and disengagement. But, so far, companies haven’t heavily invested in improving their skills to create thriving environments.

The Leaders Who Make a Difference

Equipped with the knowledge that leaders were central to solving the puzzle of workplace wellness, we set out to understand exactly what leaders who were exemplary at supporting employee health and well-being were doing. We interviewed dozens of people who worked with these great leaders – who we call Generators – and then conducted a survey with hundreds of employees to verify our findings. So, what is it that makes Generators stand out from the crowd, both with regard to boosting employee wellness and results?

They Lead with Vulnerability

First, these leaders recognise that employees are not interested in working for a leader who seems overly polished, perfect, or robotic. Instead, they want leaders they can see themselves in – real, flawed human beings who have hopes, dreams, and struggles just like they do. Generators show authenticity and vulnerability, even if it means letting employees “behind the curtain” to share their own shortcomings and worries. In other words, these leaders aren’t worried about being viewed as flawless. Instead, they want to be honest with their team members and show their humanity.

They Create a Culture of Positivity

Second, Generators are not focused on how much time they put in at work. They realise that the tone they set on their team is more important. By setting a team culture of positivity and gratitude, they set the wheels in motion for employees to support each other when times get tough. This way, the leader doesn’t have to worry about “putting out fires” and can focus on the bigger picture. Overall, these leaders value the way that people work – not just the amount of time they spend working. They are thoughtful about the culture they create and the implications that culture has for their team members, and themselves.

They Respect Personal Boundaries

Third, in contrast to leaders who expect employees to bend over backwards to mold their personal lives around their work schedules, Generators do the opposite. They find out what is important to their employees outside of work and help them to set and maintain boundaries between work and life. They recognise that their employees need to live full and happy lives in order for them to perform at their best in the long-term. So, instead of asking employees to break with their life commitments and prioritise work, they allow them to mold their work to their lives whenever possible. Said differently, these leaders tailor their employees’ work to their lives, instead of vice versa.

They Normalize Difficult Conversations

Finally, Generators destigmatise tough conversations about barriers employees might face as they journey toward success. More specifically, they make it clear that discussing mental health challenges – or other stigmatised challenges – at work is fully accepted and invited. This helps employees to feel comfortable and confident sharing their true thoughts and feelings at work. In turn, this helps leaders to better problem solve with them by getting to the root of their actual struggles. They also recognise that wellness is not “one size fits all”. They get to know their employees’ strengths, areas for improvement, goals, and fears, and use this information to tailor their approach to each employees’ unique needs. 

Leading for Wellness Is Worth the Effort

It isn’t easy to be a Generator, but it is worth it. It’s also hard to be on a team that is burnt out, frustrated, and disengaged. Generators recognise that picking the hard thing that promotes positive long-term results is much more beneficial than feeling the pain of a negative work environment. Of course, there are roadblocks that Generators have to overcome – naysayers, toxic work cultures, unsupportive senior leaders, and more. But by capturing the value of their actions (through metrics), finding champions to help them along, and having frank conversations about the value of leading for wellness, they can move past them. 

Becoming a Generator takes some work and isn’t always going to be easy. But we believe it’s an important investment in your leadership development. The ability to create thriving teams can not only help the people you work with, but can drive real results for your business. Ultimately, these four key tips will help you become the leader you want to be, that employees love to work for, and that organisations love to retain and promote. 

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Patricia Grabarek and Katina Sawyer are the authors of Leading for Wellness: How to Create a Team Culture Where Everyone Thrives (published by Wiley, March 2025)