Leaders’ workload is growing: how to support supervisors’ wellbeing
Supervisors play a key role in building mental wellbeing in the work community. At the same time, their own work can be demanding. Healthy leadership creates the conditions for wellbeing across the entire organisation, which is why it is important to pay attention to the wellbeing of leaders and supervisors, too.
Supervisors and leaders play an important role in the mental wellbeing of the entire work community. They are expected to recognise when employees are under strain, raise difficult issues and build an atmosphere where people feel safe talking about what is on their minds.
At the same time, leaders’ own workload has increased. Conflicts, value conflicts, quantitative work demands and the strain of management team work can test the resilience of even an experienced leader. A leader’s workload also doesn’t stay theirs alone – it can be reflected more widely across the work community.
“Organisational wellbeing starts with healthy leadership. Leaders are often exceptionally resilient, but sometimes this very strength can make it harder for them to recognise their own need for support and to accept it,” says Tiina Tuominen, Chief Occupational Health Psychologist at Terveystalo.
Supervisors need support with mental wellbeing challenges, too
The mental wellbeing of leaders and supervisors can be supported by influencing work structures, practices and organisational culture. At the same time, it is important to identify the specific stress factors involved in leadership work and to offer suitable support for them.
A supervisor’s own wellbeing also matters because they play a central role in supporting the mental wellbeing of the rest of the work community. According to Terveystalo’s Supervisor Survey*, 52% of supervisors feel nervous about raising mental wellbeing concerns with an employee.
“Supervisors are generally good at recognising symptoms related to employees’ mental health and signs of declining work ability. What can be more challenging is knowing how to act when concern arises. More support is needed specifically for bringing up challenges related to coping and mental health,” Tuominen says.
Organisational wellbeing starts with healthy leadership. A leader’s wellbeing is not just a personal matter – it is reflected in the mental wellbeing of the entire work community. ”
Tiina Tuominen, Chief Occupational Health Psychologist
An open atmosphere enables timely support
Supporting mental wellbeing does not only mean reacting when someone starts showing symptoms. What matters is building a workplace culture where workload and wellbeing can be discussed at an earlier stage.
Supervisors play a significant role here. Being present, having open conversations and fostering a safe atmosphere can lower the threshold for employees to share what is weighing on them. This makes it possible to address the situation before the strain has a chance to grow.
“An open culture of discussion doesn’t happen by itself. It requires active work from the supervisor to develop the team’s practices and atmosphere,” Tuominen points out.
Involve occupational health before problems escalate
The role of occupational health is also worth approaching more proactively. Cooperation doesn’t need to begin only when mental strain shows up as sickness absences or declining work ability.
Occupational health can help identify strain at an early stage and act as a partner for supervisors and teams in strengthening mental wellbeing.
“When occupational health is involved already at the preventive stage – helping to identify strain and acting as a sparring partner for supervisors and teams – many longer-term problems can be prevented,” says Tiina Tuominen.
According to Tuominen, mental health management will be increasingly linked to companies’ social responsibility in the future. It is about how a company takes care of its people’s wellbeing and creates the conditions for a mentally healthy working life.
*Terveystalo Supervisor Survey 2025, n=300
3 + 1 tips for supporting your own wellbeing as a supervisor
1. Remember the human side
Employees look for very human qualities in their leaders: openness, clear and empathetic communication, and fairness. The supervisor’s role is important for the organisation’s operations, but at its core, there is still a human being.
2. Develop your skills
Supervisory work is a demanding role that requires expertise and continuous learning. Developing your skills gives you ways to recognise strain in yourself and your team, and to act in challenging situations.
3. Take time to reflect on your values
Values act as an inner compass, especially when decision-making feels difficult. Recognising your own values and acting in line with them can protect you from ethical strain and strengthen your sense that your work is meaningful.
+1 Reinforce what works
Some strain is an inevitable part of supervisory work, and not all of it can or needs to be eliminated. However, if the focus is only on managing strain, the things that bring joy and energy to work can be pushed into the background.
That’s why, alongside solving problems, it is worth pausing to look at what is going well: what works, what gives you energy, and how can your own and others’ strengths be put to better use? Reinforcing the positive doesn’t mean ignoring problems. Instead, working conditions that support wellbeing and work engagement are actively built alongside them.
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