Fatal Leadership Failures: The Devastating Cost of Ignorance in the Workplace

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a critical time to ignite change and promote meaningful conversations about this profoundly significant issue.

The Centers for Disease Control states that over 20% of adults in the US live with mental illness. Let that sink in. If you work in a company with 100 employees, around 20 of them are dealing with mental illness in some way. But how many are open about it? How many have the support they need from their employer? The sad truth is that the vast majority suffer in silence. It's time for a change. It's time for companies to address the stigma and create a TRULY inclusive environment.

I have lived a deep, personal experience with Treatment Resistant Major Depressive Disorder. I know first-hand the stigma that comes with mental illness with friends, family, and absolutely in the work world.

What I have learned from my experience is silence kills. It does so because the disease of mental illness wants you to remain silent in order to wreak havoc in your mind, crush your soul and turn your insides into misery. Each moment you remain silent, the disease gains more power, spreading its madness like a poisonous venom throughout your entire being. The disease thrives because of the stigma. And, oh man, is it very much thriving. Especially, in the work world. 

When I opened up about my struggles with mental illness as a working professional and published my first article, a senior leader in my industry told me that it was "too much" for LinkedIn. But that only fueled my fire to speak out. It's unacceptable that discussing mental illness is still considered taboo in the workplace. I may be an anomaly, but that's precisely why I refuse to be silent. And to me, it was even worse because I work in the health and wellness space.

Throughout my advocacy journey over the past two years, I've received countless messages from people who suffer from mental illness but feel forced to remain silent at work. So I asked 4 very well accomplished individuals who sadly wanted to remain anonymous due to our current state of affairs a very simple question: Why do you feel like you can't speak out about your mental illness in the workplace? Below are the very real and raw responses.

“I pretty much am pretending the whole day I’m working; I’ve created this version, this role of the ‘pretend me’ that I play to keep up appearances. I have to live behind the mask I’ve created for fear that people will think that I’m something other than just not OK, when inside I am either feeling like I’m dying or that I want to be dead.

It is unfathomable; we hear all this talk about living your best life and being your authentic self, but if you actually try to do that with mental illness, people don’t understand and there are serious repercussions. If a colleague breaks a leg or gets diagnosed with cancer, there are casseroles and cards, but for us—in my experience—only shame and scorn.

I’ve experienced problematic behavior from colleagues and customers when mental illness is disclosed. People say things like “that’s such schizophrenic behavior”, or “he’s a bit bipolar”, and it makes my heart race. There are micro aggressions and outright discrimination commonly in this space. It isn’t fair, it isn’t right, but it happens all the time and the only one who pays the price is the individual and their family.

I would never come out at work, any more than I would quit my job in hopes of winning the lottery. Neither has a chance of succeeding, so why bother?” 

-       Business Executive 

“It's exhausting to constantly hide it and be cheerful and friendly when you feel so terrible inside. The symptoms are not just "in your head" but also very physical. The heaviness and darkness are all-consuming. It can be hard to get out of bed. The negative thoughts can damage your self-confidence, be very distracting, and make it hard to concentrate. There is shame that you are not pulling your weight and should be able to “just get over it”. Some days you are ok, and others, you feel hopeless.

I started to share that I was struggling with depression and anxiety and was warned that peoples’ perceptions of me would change and that mental health is like religion and politics and something that can make other people uncomfortable, so it's better not to share broadly. It feels like I am silenced.

The stigma is still very real. I am concerned that they will find another way to let me go. I'm concerned people will question my intelligence, strength, resilience, and work ethic. I feel like a burden.”

-       Business Manager 

 “It’s hell. It’s torture. It makes me extra self-conscious while at work. Fear is what keeps me from disclosing my mental illness disability. If I open up, it could make things worse by being judged. I could be labeled as unfit to be a nurse and lose my job. You would think health care workers would be more compassionate but in my experience they are generally less so with mental illness. It’s because mental illness is invisible. If there was a blood test or something they could physically see that explained my symptoms then I feel their reactions would be different.” 

-       Nurse

“When I had the disease for a decade give or take, I never considered telling my partners. But if it was cancer, of course I would have told them earlier. A cancer patient or cancer survivor, working their job, is a hero. People stand back in awe. Someone with mental illness, even with it gone for years, is considered a liability, despite the organic basis of both diseases.

Ultimately, I only told my partners because of this: how do you explain your (often unpredictable) absences when you reappear without a cast; no limp; no sick kid story; no surgery scar or bandage; no cancer...? It was not easy to tell my partners. But their awareness came in handy when I had a massive panic attack at work one day. As for engaging my department head or Administration or HR? Forget it. As things presently stand, it is far easier, even with the preventable suffering, for an MD to hide mental illness than engage in the exact therapy we would advise for our patients. Physicians presently have close to zero protection regarding mental illness from their employers, from their medical malpractice insurers, from their licensing bodies.” 

-       Medical Doctor (MD)

It's hard to believe, but it's true: a Doctor and a Nurse are among the millions of professionals who feel the crushing weight of mental illness stigma in the workplace. This insidious problem affects every single profession.

Studies have shown that suicide rates among working professionals are higher due to factors like job stress, long hours, and an imbalanced work-life. It's like throwing gasoline on a fire for employees suffering from mental illness in silence. The consequences are even more deadly.

Now let's take it a step further.

Maximizing the performance of labor is crucial for any business. Companies that prioritize getting peak performance out of their employees will undoubtedly see greater success.

Compassionate and empathetic leadership at work isn't just a "nice-to-have." It's a crucial factor for those battling mental illness, directly impacting their job performance and overall well-being.

According to a recent study conducted by the Workforce Institute at UKG, involving 3,400 participants across 10 countries, here's why from an excellent article about the study:  

“New data suggests that for almost 70% of people, their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist of their doctor—and it’s equal to the impact of their partner. If you’re a leader, you’re right to find this data sobering.”

There are only two choices for Senior Leaders in the work world, and both have a profound impact on the mental wellbeing of their employees. The first option is to maintain a toxic and outdated workplace, endangering the lives of countless workers struggling with mental illness. The second option is to take a stand against the stigma and create a truly inclusive environment that empowers employees with mental illness to succeed without fear of judgment or repercussions.

It may be a hard cultural shift to go with the second option, but your organization and employees will be better for it. As for me, I will continue to fight tirelessly alongside anyone who will listen until every workplace becomes a safe haven for those who suffer with mental illness.