Coaching, Leadership, and Mental Health in Today’s Workplaces
The modern workplace is evolving. Conversations around mental health, leadership and employee wellbeing are no longer reserved for HR manuals or annual training days, they’re becoming far more central to the way we work. As businesses seek ways to boost morale, increase retention and lead with empathy – coaching emerges as one of the most powerful tools available.
It’s the perfect time to explore this topic. Why? Because this month marks both Mental Health Awareness Week (running from the 13th–18th May) and also International Coaching Week (running the same dates, from 13th–18th May) . This makes it the ideal opportunity to explore how leadership coaching and mental health are intertwined and how organisations can better support their people with the right tools and mindset.
What Is Coaching? A Brief Introduction
At its core, coaching is a professional relationship focused on helping individuals develop, grow, and reach their full potential. It’s not therapy. It’s not the same thing as mentoring. And it’s definitely not micromanagement. Where traditional management tends to focus on giving direction or oversight, coaching encourages reflection, accountability, and independent thinking. It helps individuals in a number of ways including –
– Understanding their strengths and blind spots
– Setting and working towards meaningful goals
– Navigating challenges with clarity
– Developing leadership capabilities
– Staying aligned with both personal and organisational values
Whether it’s executive coaching, performance coaching, or life coaching, the common thread throughtout them all is growth, and development.
Why Leadership Coaching Matters
Leadership coaching focuses on developing the soft skills that make great leaders including emotional intelligence, active listening, empathy, decision-making, communication, and resilience.
Leaders who receive coaching:
- Make more inclusive, people-focused decisions
- Build stronger, more engaged teams
- Navigate stress and pressure more effectively
- Improve communication and reduce workplace friction
A study by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) in 2024 found that 87% of organisations believe coaching provides a strong return on investment (ROI) — not just in financial terms, but in performance, retention, and wellbeing! Pretty incredible, isn’t it?
Mental Health in the Workplace: A Leadership Responsibility
Mental health issues are one of the leading causes of absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover. Yet many leaders still feel ill-equipped to talk about or support mental wellbeing in their teams.
Coaching can be a bridge to support this, here’s why:
- Coaching fosters trust and psychological safety.
Coaching encourages open conversations in a non-judgemental space. When leaders model this, teams feel safer to speak up about challenges.
- Coaching supports self-awareness and emotional regulation.
Leaders who understand their own stressors and coping mechanisms are better equipped to support others.
- Coaching helps reduces the stigma around mental health.
When coaching includes wellbeing as a core component, mental health becomes part of the everyday conversation, not a taboo subject.
- Coaching encourages proactive strategies.
Coaching helps people notice signs of stress or burnout early and take action before crisis hits.
Leadership Strategies That Support Mental Health (and How Coaching Helps)
Let’s explore some practical leadership strategies that support mental health — and where coaching plays a role:
- Lead by Listening
– Create space in team meetings for check-ins
– Use coaching-style questions: “What’s going well for you right now? What’s challenging?”
– Avoid jumping straight to problem-solving
Coaching teaches leaders to listen without trying to fix everything immediately.
- Model Healthy Boundaries
– Don’t send emails at 10pm if you expect your team to log off
– Take breaks and encourage others to do the same
– Avoid glorifying overwork
Coaching conversations often help leaders clarify what balance looks like in their own lives so they can model it more authentically.
- Check in with Curiosity, Not Control
– Ask open questions like, “How are you finding your workload?” or “What support would help you right now?”
– Avoid micro-managing or jumping to assumptions
Coaching encourages curiosity and mutual understanding over blame or pressure.
- Build Accountability with Compassion
– Set goals withpeople, not for them
– Understand that wellbeing and productivity are linked
– Celebrate progress, not just outcomes
Coaching frameworks such as GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) help leaders support accountability in a constructive, non-punitive way.
- Champion Professional Development
– Offer coaching or mentoring opportunities
– Invest in learning and upskilling
– Recognise the link between purpose and mental health
People who feel they’re growing are more likely to feel fulfilled and engaged at work.
What Is sfG CoachNet and How Does It Help With Coaching?
sfG CoachNet is a user-friendly coaching platform designed to make the coaching process easier to manage, track, and scale.
Key features include:
- Secure communication tools for safe, private coaching interactions
- Easy coach-coachee matching so people get paired with the right support
- customisable communications and surveyS to tailor the coaching experience
- Progress tracking and reporting so impact can be measured
- Flexible admin controls that put you in charge
Whether you’re running an internal coaching programme or offering coaching to team members externally, sfG CoachNet streamlines the process and ensures every conversation counts.
International Coaching Week: The Perfect Time to Start
International Coaching Week (13–18 May 2025) is all about raising awareness of the benefits of coaching and encouraging people and organisations to explore how it can help them thrive.
Use the week to:
– Run a coaching-focused event or webinar
– Share case studies of how coaching has helped leaders or staff
– Promote your organisation’s commitment to mental health and development
– Offer discovery sessions or consultations to team members
– Explore implementing or upgrading your coaching platform (psst: we know one that’s great …sfG CoachNet!)
Conclusion: Coaching and Leadership
With stress, burnout and disengagement on the rise, organisations need more than wellness webinars and occasional team-building days. They need coaching. Leadership coaching is one of the most effective, scalable and human-centred ways to improve mental health at work, and create a culture where people can thrive, not just survive.
Whether you’re a senior leader, HR professional, or coach yourself, now is the perfect time to ask: How are we supporting the wellbeing and growth of our people? Let’s create workplaces where mental health, leadership, and performance go hand-in-hand. Want to learn more about how sfG CoachNet can support your coaching initiatives? You can get in touch to book a free demo today.