By Sam Condon, Business Success Consultant, executive leader and founder of RBTL Success and Good Receiver
We often measure business success by productivity, profitability and growth. We rarely ask whether the people delivering those results are quietly paying the price.
As a South African leader in business, I have worked across organisations, led complex projects, supported teams through change and helped businesses improve how they operate. Those experiences, together with motherhood and difficult personal seasons, have shown me that leadership is not only about achieving results. It is also about understanding the human beings responsible for delivering them.
People arrive at work carrying far more than their laptops. They may be dealing with grief, anxiety, family responsibilities, financial strain, long commutes, health concerns or the pressure of supporting extended families. Many continue to perform while silently struggling because they fear honesty will be seen as weakness.
In South Africa, these realities are particularly important. A single employee may be a professional, parent, caregiver, breadwinner and source of support for an entire family or community. We cannot build healthy organisations without acknowledging the full reality of the people within them. This is why the business impact is also significant.
The business impact is also significant. Stellenbosch Business School reported in 2024 that health economists estimate unaddressed mental health conditions cost the South African economy R161-billion a year through lost workdays, presenteeism and premature mortality. Presenteeism is easy to miss: the employee is physically present but lacks the mental or emotional capacity to contribute fully.
For too long, mental health has been treated as a private matter. Employees are encouraged to remain professional, stay strong and continue delivering, even when they are emotionally exhausted. Women, in particular, are often expected to carry enormous responsibility while remaining calm, capable and available to everyone around them.
Mental health is not separate from performance. It is one of the foundations of sustainable performance.
A culture of wellbeing cannot be created through a wellness day, a motivational talk or an employee assistance programme alone. These initiatives are valuable, but they must be reinforced by leaders’ everyday behaviour. That support begins with the climate people experience day to day.
The real test of workplace culture is whether an employee feels safe enough to say, “I am not coping,” without fear of judgement, exclusion or career damage.
Leaders do not need to become therapists. They do, however, need to become better listeners. Sometimes leadership begins with a sincere question: “How are you really doing?” The more important part is being willing to hear the answer without immediately dismissing, fixing or minimising it. This is a practical way to move from concern to action.
Creating a culture of wellbeing also requires leaders to examine the systems within the business. Burnout is not always an individual resilience problem. It may result from unrealistic workloads, unclear roles, constant urgency, poor planning, insufficient resources, or a culture that rewards working beyond healthy limits. These conditions shape how people experience work.
We cannot tell people to prioritise their wellbeing while expecting them to be permanently available.
Uncertainty and poor communication also take a toll. When people do not understand what is changing, what is expected of them or whether their role is secure, anxiety increases. Clear communication, defined responsibilities and realistic expectations are not only operational requirements. They are part of responsible mental health leadership.
As leaders, we have an opportunity to lead differently. This does not mean lowering standards or avoiding accountability. Empathy and accountability can exist together. We can expect excellence while recognising when someone is struggling. We can address poor performance while staying curious about what may be contributing to it. This balance strengthens both trust and results.
Leaders must model the behaviour they want to see. SADAG’s 2024 Working Life Survey found that 75% of its 963 respondents think about work even when they are not working. When leaders never rest, send messages at all hours and glorify exhaustion, employees learn that wellbeing is something the organisation talks about but does not truly value. When leaders take leave, respect boundaries, receive support and acknowledge pressure, they give others permission to do the same. In that way, their behaviour sets the tone.
South Africa has a strong spirit of ubuntu, the understanding that our humanity is connected. In the workplace, ubuntu should be more than a word used in presentations. It should be reflected in how people are treated during difficult seasons, how leaders respond when employees speak honestly and how commercial demands are balanced with human dignity. This principle gives practical shape to wellbeing at work.
The strongest workplace cultures are not those where nobody struggles. They are those where people do not have to hide their struggles to remain respected and valued.
Prioritising mental health is not a soft leadership choice. It is a courageous and commercially responsible one. Healthy people build healthier teams. Healthier teams make better decisions, collaborate more effectively and deliver more sustainable results. That is why this work matters for performance as much as for people. Leaders must act on this by making mental health part of everyday leadership.
The question for South African business leaders is no longer whether mental health belongs in the workplace. It is whether we are prepared to create workplaces where people can succeed without losing themselves in the process.
Sam Condon is a Business Success Consultant, executive leader and founder of RBTL Success and Good Receiver. She helps leaders and organisations simplify complexity, strengthen operations and turn ideas into sustainable results.
