Remotely in Control of Mental Health? - Fisher Leadership

Remotely in Control of Mental Health?

In a high-pressure, high-stakes, highly volatile business environment, the mental health and wellbeing of our decision-makers is crucial. 

Fisher Leadership has introduced Breathing Space, an executive mental health and wellbeing program that can be delivered remotely or in person, enabling leaders to maintain perspective, empathy and creativity while navigating change. 

Prior to COVID-19, the direct cost of mental illness to the Australian economy was $180 billion annually. Even before we witnessed the increased pressure of remote working, job loss, and widespread uncertainty due to the threat of coronavirus, one in five Australians had a mental illness (Beyond Blue, 2019) and CEOs were depressed at more than double the rate of the general public (Barnard, 2004), When the fate of so many rests with leaders, can we afford to risk their mental health and wellbeing? Not to mention their decision-making capacity?

Fisher Leadership’s philosophy is that proactive, preventative mental health support is imperative for leaders today. Designed specifically for executives, Breathing Space is an immediate support mechanism to make a difference. Partnering with the leadership team on self-reflection, education and active learning, Breathing Space sets leaders on track to further enable a sustained culture of wellbeing throughout the organisation.

Despite many senior executives introducing lifesaving EAP services, few of these leaders feel they can justify the time and perceived reputational risk to stop and assess their own wellbeing. 

“When I reflect on my business transformation work within large corporates, I come back to the thought, ‘How can we risk not looking after the people who are looking after the people?’ asks Gabriel Edwards, Wellbeing Strategist at Fisher Leadership’s executive advisory practice CogNative Leadership Advantage.

     The program offers holistic support, drawing data from personal lifestyle assessments, psychosocial diagnostics, confidential one-on-one debrief and reflection sessions and team action learning experiences. Delivered via dedicated wellbeing strategists, the program plays to the unique context within which leaders live and work and helps them maintain their health, relationships and a strong sense of self alongside professional momentum.

     “The senior people in an organisation have a major role in setting the priorities for the corporation and creating the culture that determines where employee mental health sits in the hierarchy of concerns,” says Associate Professor Samuel Harvey, who leads the Workplace Mental Health Research Program at the Black Dog Institute.

     When mental health issues arise, leaders don’t always recognise symptoms in themselves or others. Are “opt in” strategies worth the gamble when it comes to mental health?


No, thank you.