+++ I’M NOT CRAZY +++
Growing up in the Caribbean, namely Jamaica, it was taboo to discuss mental health issues. You dared not mention that you could be suffering from such issues as anxiety, depression, suicidal ideations, etc. and need to speak to a counselor.
To do so, would mean that you are “crazy” and need to go to the psych ward.
Only “crazy” people have those issues and that’s why they are put away from “normal” people. That was the prevailing thought at that time.
Granted, I’m sure things have changed since then, but that is what I remembered.
So you suffer in silence.
According to the World Health Organization, one in four adults experiences mental illness each year and an estimated 18% of the US adult population has an anxiety disorder. Wow!
That is a large percentage of adults, which means, we’re more than likely surrounded by people who are experiencing a mental health issue or has gone through one.
Sadly, we discover some of these people, only after a tragedy has occurred.
Why does it have to be this way?
For one, most leaders don’t know what to do with someone who might be experiencing a mental health issue. They have no idea what to do.
Secondly, some leaders dismiss or ignore conversation that could clue them in on a person’s mental state.
There are still some whose mental framework is from a culture that conceals these issues. It’s taboo to entertain these conversations, as I mentioned earlier.
The leaders who understand and is sensitized to mental health issues are more apt to make mental healthcare a priority within the workplace.
There are a few companies that do have these kinds of leaders and are benefiting from bringing these discussions into the “light.”
These are the leaders I label smart, effective and most of all, Emotelligent.
Emotelligent?
Yes.
I’ve coined that phrase and used it as the title of my most recent book: The Emotelligent Leader – Succeed Where Others Failed.
Emotelligent leaders recognize, understand, and manage their emotions and the emotions of those around them and are more skilled in making better decisions, managing relationships, and job performance.
Here are the 3 Reasons why these leaders make mental healthcare a priority within the workplace.
It leads to:
- Better performance, engagement, employee retention, and overall well being.
- A $4 to $1 return on the investment made in caring for employees with mental health issues
- Reduction in absenteeism
To hear an expanded discussion of this topic, listen to this episode of The Kingsley Grant Show. You’ll also hear of a gripping true story of what happens when mental health issues go untreated.
To access your FREE COPY of the book mentioned in the episode, click on this link: https://kingsleygrant.com/freeleadershipbook
If you would like to connect with me so I can work with your team through coaching or training on leadership and emotional intelligence, connect with me HERE.
