How Large Corporations Can Elevate Leadership and Mental Fitness

The contemporary world has leapt into the realm of consumerism where large corporations and conglomerates drive the market. The corporations have reached the pinnacle of success not only due to their products but also due to their immense leadership. Large corporations owe a great deal of their success to their leaders who ensure the company's internal operations are running smoothly.

“A healthy mind is a productive mind”, and hence emphasizes the importance of mental health and its elevation within any working environment. With rapid technological improvement, life has become extremely fast and even more ruthless. General anxiety levels have sky-rocketed and mental fitness has become an important aspect of our lives.

Poor mental health among workers or poor work environments can have an adverse impact on company productivity. Leaders might find themselves amid conflict rather than working towards company goals. This will in turn retard the entire functionality of the company and will eventually lead to a major loss. Hence it is crucial to focus on the mental health of the workers and the leaders and find ways to effectively improve the work environment to maximize productivity.

The Challenges Faced by Large Corporations

Large corporations tend to have a massive employee base which requires constant management which is usually run through a hierarchy. This hierarchy requires leaders at various levels, who are managing the workers as well as innovating and implementing new strategies to improve the workspace and tackle challenges. Some of these challenges have been mentioned below:

1. Maintaining proper lines of communication can be an extremely important task. Improper communication within a company can cause misunderstandings and conflict which hampers the productivity of any unit.

2. Conflict mitigation - In the case of any conflict, matters need to be resolved quickly and with the least collateral damage.

3. Stress-free work environment - A stress-free work environment can help increase productivity to a great extent. On the other hand, if the workspace becomes too stressful, workers tend to slack, with diminished focus, lack of creativity, absenteeism, spreading hate amongst other workers and excessive conflict. All this would thoroughly retard the productivity of any work environment.

According to a recent study conducted by The American Institute of Stress, job stress has cost the US industry nearly 300 billion dollars due to absenteeism, lack of creativity and diminished productivity. Higher stress levels can cause anxiety and depression, which in turn affects human health.

Approximately 1 million workers across the globe are absent from work every day due to high levels of stress and depression. An estimated 1 trillion dollars have been lost due to a downfall in productivity globally. Some of the ways in which stress management can be carried out are mentioned below:

1. Setting up a better workplace - Sometimes setting up more comfortable furniture in the office space helps reduce stress levels.

2. Having access to mental health professionals within the workplace can help people vent and reduce their stress levels.

3. Setting up hybrid work schedules where people can work from home 2 to 3 times a week can be a great way to reduce stress levels.

4. Since the pandemic, many people have realized that working from home is a great way of reducing overheads as well as reducing stress levels as people are now working from the comfort of their homes.

The Role of Mental Fitness in Leadership

Mental fitness is the clarity people possess while making efficient decisions. In workspaces, leaders often find themselves making most of the important decisions. How does it affect leadership? Here are 3 ways:

1. Mentally fit leaders are usually more resilient.

2. Their ability to adapt and innovate becomes much stronger.

3. A sense of clarity enables them to manage conflicts in a better way.

All in all, a mentally fit leader would not only mentor their employees but also help them increase their productive abilities. Leaders as well as employees need to understand the goals of their company and work towards them harmoniously. A better sense of mental fitness grants people better emotional intelligence and in turn, increases their scope for self-awareness. Some common mental fitness practices have been mentioned below:

1. Meditation is a great way to calm the mind and attain more focus.

2. Breathing exercises help reduce stress through oxygenation of the body.

3. Practicing some cognitive brain exercises such as doing a crossword puzzle, playing chess or engaging in music therapy or dance is another way of improving mental health.

Implementing Corporate Wellness Programs

Most Corporate structures require the implementation of wellness programs for all employees including leaders at every level of the hierarchy. Steps to implementing a mental fitness program have been mentioned below:

Step 1: Understanding the corporate structure.

Step 2: Accessing the needs of the employees.

Step 3: Understanding the corporate goals and devising clear goals

Step 4: Setting up programs for employees and other executives to improve mental health. This is a very important step as executives will be receiving training on matters that will help them implement these mental fitness programs more efficiently.

Step 5: Getting the leadership onboard with the plan.

Step 6: Implementation of the decided plan.

Whilst implementing these strategies it is important to note the various formats in which they exist. To implement a holistic approach, usually, a mix and match brings the best result depending on which areas of the corporate structure are being targeted. Some of these formats are:

1. Online courses

2. Workshops held within or outside the workspace.

3. A Mix of both online and in-person sessions.

Step 7: Evaluation of the plan and the impact it has generated in increasing productivity can be conducted by monitoring the productivity levels of employees, satisfaction levels, general employee health and behavior.

Step 8: Getting rid of bugs that are present within the plan to ensure maximum efficiency.

Step 9: Sustaining the plan and innovating as times and work cultures change.

 Conclusion

It is important to acknowledge the mental fitness of the workers and the leaders without whom the company doesn't exist. Studies have been conducted and proven to show an increase in productivity with better working conditions.

The inclusion of programs that focus on mental fitness through activity or inactivity (like in the case of meditation) not only improves resilience and innovation within a unit, it also educates executives to pragmatically deal with corporate culture and bring the best out in people. Make your ordinary remarkable with the QualityMinds Mental Fitness Boot Camp for 12 weeks & watch yourself grow..