Leading by example: How leadership shapes workplace wellbeing
We’re all familiar with the phrase, “lead by example”, but did you know how important it is for optimising health and wellbeing in the workplace?
Our research shows that when leaders and senior managers visibly prioritise balance, boundaries and wellbeing, it sends a clear message to employees that wellness isn’t just valued – it’s also practiced at all levels within an organisation.
This article will explore how leaders can help their employees prioritise their health in the workplace and optimise wellbeing.
84% of employees say it’s vital for senior leaders to actively support strategies that help staff manage stress and challenges throughout their careers.
This percentage underscores just how powerful it is when senior leaders actively champion stress-management strategies such as modelling healthy boundaries, encouraging time off, or speaking openly about their own wellbeing. Our research also shows that 75% of employees said they’d be more likely to engage in stress management and self-care if their employer actively encouraged and supported it.
Taking it from the top
The power of effective leadership to fundamentally shape workplace culture simply can’t be underestimated, especially when it comes to company wellbeing policies. Our research shows that only 28% of employees say they’re “highly satisfied” with their work-life balance – the lowest level recorded since 2018.
There is a clear link however, between work-life balance satisfaction and how actively it’s promoted by employers. While only 55% of corporate employees tell us that their employer supports work-life balance, that number significantly jumps to 79% among those who are already highly satisfied with their own balance. In other words, when leaders and senior management actively encourage and model work-life balance, their employees benefit in kind.
“Senior management must actively advocate for and model health-promoting behaviours. This top-down approach ensures that employees feel it is important to prioritise their health without fear of negative perceptions about their commitment to work."
— Prof. Anne Hickey, Health Psychology (Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland)
Prioritising wellbeing in the workplace
Offering perks like an on-site gym or a meditation app is a great starting point, but it’s just as important to ensure there’s time, encouragement, and visible support to use them. If company policy advocates for flexible hours or no emails after a certain time in the evening, leaders play a key role in modelling those behaviours – whether that’s by finishing on time or actively creating space for others to switch off.
As Professor Margaret Barry, Chair in Health Promotion and Public Health (University of Galway), notes: “Workplaces need to integrate health promotion into their core policies and strategies, rather than relying on one-off initiatives.”
And it’s not just about policies – it’s also about permission. Leaders and senior management can show their team that making time to prioritise wellbeing is welcomed and celebrated in the workplace. When leaders demonstrate that wellbeing is a shared priority, as opposed to a personal indulgence, their employees will feel more comfortable to make time for it themselves.
Employees trust workplace-related health information
Employees don’t just value workplace health support – they place solid trust in it. 87% of employees tell us they have peak confidence in their employer as a source of preventative healthcare information, surpassing trust placed in other institutions such as doctors, healthcare professionals or community health programmes.
Lead your team by example
To truly lead by example, senior management should aim to embed wellness practices into everyday actions and policies. Here are some practical ways leadership can model and maintain healthy habits at work:
Employers are uniquely placed to positively influence employee health behaviours. By providing accurate and accessible health information, employers can help turn good intentions into real action, and encourage more employees to take simple, proactive steps towards better health.
Wellbeing shouldn’t be a side note – it should be part of how the organisation runs. Aim to protect flexible work options where possible, to build it into HR policies, and to back it up with everyday practices like check-ins around workload or meeting-free periods. When policies are lived, not just listed, employees feel empowered to prioritise their health without compromising their careers.
The good news is that, with Vhi’s help, no organisation needs to do any of the heavy lifting involved in this alone. Find out how Vhi can support you and your employees in our overcoming preventative health barriers article.
