Yahoo Finance How helping employees to ‘self-lead’ can boost their mental health
There’s no quick fix when it comes to supporting people’s mental health at work, but a few things are known to help — like reducing a heavy workload, taking breaks and having enough time off.
But research shows encouraging people to be more autonomous — and helping people manage or lead themselves — may be the key to boosting their psychological well-being.
What is self-leadership?
With more people working remotely, being able to proactively lead and manage your own workload and time has become essential.
But in recent years, organisational psychologists have begun to explore how being able to self-lead can make us happier, healthier and more productive too.
Self-leadership is the ability to lead yourself to achieve your personal and professional goals and objectives. It involves having a good understanding of who you are, your skills and what you want from your job and career.
Not only does it mean being organised and setting goals, it also requires self-awareness — the ability to recognise how your own emotions or biases affect your behaviour or decisions.
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Studies show that self-leaders experience more self-determination and have a sense of ownership over their work. Self-leadership is also thought to foster creativity, resilience, confidence and job satisfaction.
Exactly why it’s so beneficial isn’t known, but it may be because self-leadership is thought to fulfil our basic psychological need for autonomy. So when we can make our own choices and craft our own careers, we’re more content.
Eloise Skinner, an author and psychotherapist, says self-leadership has benefits for both employees and employers.
“More autonomy — which often leads to increased job satisfaction — means more self-led learning and development and a greater sense of ownership and pride in the work output,” she says. “It also gives people the ability to shape and form their own career in the way they choose.
“For employers, this means heightened levels of productivity, less need for oversight, increased levels of trust and an overall strengthened work environment and culture.”
Natalie Trice, career coach, says being able to work autonomously allows people to think outside the box and use their initiative without being stifled by red tape.
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But there are practical advantages too, as it helps employees better prioritise tasks and manage their time effectively.
“It shows that micromanaging isn’t needed as employees start to proactively address challenges and find solutions independently, often feeding back to management and teams,” she says.
Are there any downsides to self-leadership at work?
One of the key problems is that it can be difficult to strike the right balance between encouraging autonomy while still providing structure and support.
While too much oversight could lead to micro-management, too little could lead to chaotic or poorly-supervised teams.
“When there is a lack of guidance with tasks and roles, some employees may struggle and feel overwhelmed by the responsibility and lost without direct leadership,” says Skinner.
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“So make sure you have an open-door policy, especially for new employees or those at the start of their careers. It is also worth noting that without proper guidance the quality and consistency of work may vary among self-managed employees so don’t expect everyone to work well this way.”
For those who really do go for it when left to work alone, burnout can occur as they burn the candle at both ends. So it’s important for employers to crack down on overworking and recognise the signs of stress and exhaustion.
How employers can encourage self-leadership at work
Recognise and cultivate skills
An important first step is for employers to recognise and appreciate the skills and abilities of individual employees, says Skinner.
“Whether this is done through a performance review, regular feedback or mentoring programme, it's essential to build up a foundation of trust and recognition,” she says.
“This first step enables employees to feel appreciated and respected, and encourages a culture of self-led management.”
Delegate responsibilities
While it may be tempting to micromanage, it’s important to take a step back and give people responsibilities.
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“This gives individual employees space to lead on certain projects,” says Skinner. “It's important that this is accompanied by a general sense of trust and an ability for the employee to take full ownership over a task.
“Employers should 'lead by doing', stepping back so that employees can step up.”
Be clear about ownership
Self-leadership allows people to own their own work and problem-solve.
Of course, working autonomously isn’t without risk — and some mistakes are inevitable.
It’s important to avoid putting the blame solely on the employee, especially if you encourage self-leadership. Instead, work together to find a solution or fix a problem, so mistakes are less likely in future.
Offer training and development
Trice suggests providing training on self-leadership skills, like time management, goal setting and self-motivation.
“Resources like webinars, workshops and access to online courses can be helpful,” she says.
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However, it’s important to factor in the time needed to engage in training to avoid piling more work onto employees’ plates.
“Set clear expectations and goals for employees, allowing them to understand their responsibilities and how their work contributes to the organisation's success as well as their own goals,” says Trice.
Allow people to work flexibly
One of the most important ways to encourage self-leadership is to offer flexible work options such as remote work, hybrid options and flexible hours.
This gives employees more control over their work schedules and helps them feel trusted and valued.
“This can also help to encourage autonomy as employees are able to make decisions related to their projects or tasks and are trusted to find innovative solutions,” says Trice.
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