Stress Isn’t Just a Wellbeing Issue — It’s a Leadership One
- Gloria Fagbemiro
- Apr 14
- 2 min read
April marks Stress Awareness Month a timely reminder for organisations to reflect.
There are legal, ethical and operational reasons why organisations should be
regularly reviewing their policies, culture and leadership approach to stress in the
workplace. But beyond compliance, there is something more fundamental at stake:
the wellbeing of the people who keep organisations running.
Despite increased awareness, stress remains one of the leading causes of
workplace absence. Behind the statistics are individuals navigating pressure,
uncertainty and, in many cases, environments that do not adequately support them.
In my work with leaders and professionals in transition, I see this up close.
I regularly hear from mentees who have reached a point of burnout, anxiety or deep
exhaustion not because they lack capability or resilience, but because stress has
gone unrecognised, unmanaged or unaddressed for too long.
What is often most striking is this:
Many of them knew something wasn’t right, but felt unable to step back, speak up or
reset.
What does this mean for organisations and leaders?
It means that reviewing policies is not enough.
A stress policy that sits on a shelf will not prevent burnout
A workforce development programme alone will not address cultural pressures
A reactive approach will always come too late
What’s required is a proactive and human-centred approach to leadership.
This includes:
Creating environments where conversations about pressure and capacity are normalised
Equipping managers to recognise early signs of stress in themselves and others
Building cultures where performance is not sustained at the expense of wellbeing
Ensuring that organisational expectations are realistic, clear and consistently applied
Stress Awareness Month is an opportunity to ask some honest questions:
Are our policies reflected in the day-to-day behaviours and practices?
Do our leaders feel confident managing wellbeing conversations?
Are we noticing early signs or responding when it’s already too late?
Because when stress is unmanaged, the impact is detrimental for organisations and individuals.
