Staffing challenges, project deadlines, safety meetings, customer expectations, and the dozens of issues that demand attention every day. These can feel like the biggest challenges leaders face, yet beneath many of them lies something leaders are increasingly noticing but don’t always know how to address…
Their people seem more stressed, distracted, and isolated.
Mental health struggles like these rarely announce themselves. Employees don’t typically walk into a supervisor’s office and say they’re overwhelmed. More often, a leader notices subtle changes. Someone who is usually engaged becomes quiet, or a dependable employee starts missing details. Maybe a person known for their patience suddenly seems frustrated all the time. The natural tendency is to focus on the behavior itself. “Why are they acting that way?” Strong leaders look deeper.
One of the most important shifts happening in workplace culture today is the realization that support doesn’t begin when someone reaches a crisis point. It starts much earlier through relationships, conversations, and everyday interactions that help people feel seen, valued, and understood. For organizations trying to move from mental health stigma to truly supporting their teams, we’ve found that the most effective leaders consistently focus on three things:
1. They Practice Everyday Empathy
When leaders hear the word empathy, many immediately think of the “hard stuff” including major life events or difficult conversations. In reality, empathy usually shows up in much smaller moments that you need to pay attention for.
As we shared in the intro, most managers are trained to notice changes in performance. Strong leaders learn to notice changes in people. That distinction matters because behavior is often a signal. The employee who seems disengaged may be carrying stress at home. The foreman who suddenly seems short-tempered may be feeling pressure from multiple directions. The team member who has become withdrawn may be dealing with something they haven’t shared with anyone.
Leaders need to become students of the people they lead. One of the most common themes we hear from employees is that they want to feel seen. People want to know their contributions matter, and they want to know that someone notices when they’re struggling. Fundamentally, they want to know they’re more than a job title, a production number, or a name on an organizational chart.
For leaders looking for a practical place to start, spend less time focusing on WHAT people are doing and more time on HOW they’re doing. Small changes in behavior often tell a much bigger story than most performance metrics ever will.
2. Stop Avoiding Difficult Conversations
Most leaders can think of a conversation they’re currently avoiding. Perhaps it’s with the employee whose attitude has changed, or there’s a conflict between team members that everyone knows exists, but nobody wants to address. The reason leaders avoid these conversations is understandable. Nobody wants to say the wrong thing, and many leaders convince themselves that if they wait long enough, the situation might go away on its own.
his is one of the biggest misconceptions in leadership… the belief that avoiding a difficult conversation is a form of kindness. In reality, avoidance often creates confusion, frustration, and unnecessary tension. The strongest leaders we’ve encountered have learned that people generally respond well to honesty when it comes from a place of genuine concern. That addressing what you’re observing from a place that is not confrontational:
- Instead of assuming someone is disengaged, ask questions.
- Instead of interpreting behavior, seek understanding.
- Instead of waiting for a problem to grow, address it while it’s still manageable.
A simple observation can open a meaningful conversation.
- “I’ve noticed you seem more frustrated than usual lately.”
- “You haven’t seemed like yourself these last few weeks.”
- “I just wanted to check in because something feels different.”
Many leaders are surprised by what happens when they approach conversations this way. Employees often feel relieved that someone noticed. Sometimes the issue is work-related, and other times, it isn’t. Either way, the conversation creates an opportunity to understand what someone is experiencing rather than guessing from a distance.
3. Remember That People Take Their Cues From You
Culture is often described as the personality of an organization. A better way to think about it is this: culture is what people learn from watching their leaders. Employees pay close attention to how leaders respond when things get difficult, and they watch how pressure flows through the organization.
Here’s an easy example. A foreman couldn’t understand why morale on his crew had deteriorated. Frustration was high, and team members seemed increasingly disconnected from one another. Taking time to truly assess the situation, a pattern emerged. The foreman was under constant pressure from his supervisor. Every conversation created more stress, and without realizing it, he had begun transferring that frustration to the people around him.
The crew was responding to him, not the project.
This same story plays out in organizations every day. Stress tends to move downhill, and so does trust, accountability, and respect. Leaders have far more influence than they often realize:
- When leaders remain calm during difficult situations, teams tend to stay calmer.
- When leaders own their mistakes, employees become more willing to do the same.
- When leaders listen well, communication improves.
- When leaders demonstrate genuine care for people, others begin treating each other the same way.
Where Do You Go From Here?
At Kraus-Anderson Insurance, the clients we see making the greatest progress in this area aren’t necessarily launching elaborate mental health initiatives. More often, they’re leading well from the top down, building stronger relationships, and creating environments where people feel comfortable speaking up. It starts with noticing people and it continues with having conversations. Then, it grows when leaders consistently model the culture they hope to create.
Our work here includes bringing clients an outside perspective on the mental health of their teams and the cultures they’re building. If this is an area where you see gaps or know there’s opportunity to improve, reach out to our team today.
Kylie Vatthauer, MS, MPH, ACSM EP-C, CPH – Health and Safety Leader
