8 May 2025
Marianne Egelund Siig, CEO, Mannaz
This article was first published at POV.International May 6, 2025
It starts with keeping a cool head and a warm heart. Mental health is under pressure. Stress and burnout have become widespread, to the point where it’s not only a workplace issue — it’s a societal challenge.
The signs are everywhere: rising polarisation, an explosion of hate speech online, declining well-being amongst younger generations, and soaring prescriptions for psychotropic medications. The consequences are human, economic, and cultural — and they’re showing up in our organisations.
Research from McKinsey and BCG consistently confirms that diverse teams outperform others financially. But it’s the degree of inclusion that drives the real impact.
This week, Goodtalks, in collaboration with the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), several partner companies, and Mannaz as the Academic Partner, is hosting Danish Diversity Week 2025, where the theme is “Diversity & Mental Health.” It’s a great opportunity to highlight how diversity and inclusion can create safe and sustainable workplace communities.
In Denmark alone, approximately 430,000 people experience severe stress symptoms daily. According to Gallup’s Global Workplace Survey (2023), 44% of employees report feeling stressed daily.
Since 2017, PFA has seen a 50% rise in stress-related inquiries — often due to high demands, low managerial support, and poor work-life balance.
Stress costs Danish society as much as 55 billion DKK each year. It’s not just an individual challenge – it’s a widespread societal crisis with global implications
Last month, in April 2025, the McKinsey Health Institute published the report Investing in the Future: How Better Mental Health Benefits Everyone, documenting how severe and under-prioritized the global mental health crisis is. The report is based on extensive global data and economic analyses, and the conclusion is clear: Mental disorders are costly – both humanly and economically.
One of the keys to resolving the well-being crisis is right in front of us: increase efforts and respect for diversity and strengthen our ability to include one another.
Organisations often state that “people are our greatest asset.” But many still underfund initiatives in leadership, HR, and well-being. These areas are not soft perks — they are strategic investments in future performance.
On May 1, 2025, Politiken published an article stating:
Poor leadership costs society dearly, with employees under ineffective management collectively taking 2.5 million more sick days annually than those with strong leadership.
One of this year’s leadership bestsellers is the book Who Takes Care of the Leader? Apparently, the lack of well-being is widespread across the organization. We need to get better at taking care of one another.
A Deloitte report from 2013 revealed that for every 10% increase in employees feeling included, sick leave is reduced by nearly one full workday per employee annually. There is a direct link between inclusion and well-being, which a more recent Deloitte study from 2024 confirms: Inclusion strengthens both trust and retention.
According to a new report from the World Economic Forum , the workplace is one of the most crucial arenas for people’s overall health. However, women and minority groups, such as LGBT+ individuals and neurodivergent people, experience significantly higher levels of burnout than others. This underscores the need for differentiated inclusive solutions. As the report concludes:
“A one-size-fits-all approach will not reap the full rewards.”
This shows us that mental health also has layers in gendered and minority dimensions. Once again, we are reminded of the importance of diversity and inclusion as part of the solution.
McKinsey and BCG, like others, have repeatedly documented that diverse teams perform better financially. However, it is the degree of inclusion that makes the real difference. It must be embedded throughout the entire employee journey, from recruitment to exit interviews – and above all, in the everyday experience. This is a core responsibility for the entire organization, not just an HR responsibility.
Belonging is a prerequisite for mental health. It’s about being met with respect and recognition for who you are.
Neuroscientist Naomi Eisenberger’s research shows that social exclusion activates the same brain regions as physical pain. Repeated micro-exclusions — being ignored in meetings, having one’s ideas dismissed — can build up to serious stress and burnout. Brain scans literally show how the brain figuratively cringes in pain when experiencing exclusion.
Psychological safety does not happen on its own. It requires addressing bias, microaggressions, and unconscious exclusion.
Yet small, inclusive gestures can have a profound effect:
Inclusion lives in the everyday. It’s about who we listen to, who we invite in, and who we affirm. Every person can contribute to a more inclusive workplace — and that we all know how.
At its core, inclusion is about activating positive human qualities – empathy, care, attention, and recognition – qualities we are all capable of showing and receiving when we are aware of them. And leadership plays a vital role in modelling them
Micro validation – small, affirming actions – fosters trust and engagement. Here, leadership plays a crucial role. When leaders demonstrate vulnerability, curiosity, and intentional actions, the culture follows.
Practical Experience with Inclusion and Psychological Safety.
As a consultant, I see firsthand how deliberate work on inclusion and psychological safety can transform both relationships and results. At Mannaz, we focus on concrete interventions, tools, and reflections that help leaders, teams, and organizations create inclusive work cultures with a high degree of inclusion and psychological safety.
Time and again, we see that this effort results in more than just improved well-being – it fosters ownership, trust, and initiative, which is reflected across virtually all measurable parameters within the company.
When organisations commit to conscious leadership, open feedback, and social support, they build not just stronger people — but stronger businesses. Psychological resilience – the ability to bounce back after adversity and adapt under pressure – is something that can be nurtured. Research shows that resilience is strengthened through reflection, support, and learning (APA, 2014). When workplaces systematically work on building resilience through embedding feedback cultures, conscious leadership, and social support networks, employee well-being and the ability to manage change increase. The time is an investment that has direct impact.
Let’s remind ourselves and each other of the simple but crucial changes we can make in our daily interactions with colleagues. Are we remembering the basics, like to ask and listen to how others are doing?
We all know the feeling of psychological safety – the ability to be oneself and express thoughts without fear of negative consequences – which is essential for both well-being and performance. Research by Amy Edmondson shows that safe teams learn faster and perform better.
This is not about pointing fingers or shaming potentially negative behaviours or habits but about learning, strengthening workplace communities, and improving our ability to work effectively as individuals and within strong social communities.
The importance of social relationships is well-documented. According to Gallup (2023), employees who have a “best friend at work” are seven times more likely to be engaged in their work. They experience greater loyalty, lower absenteeism, and higher productivity. And perhaps more importantly, they feel more seen and supported in their daily work life.
Building these connections takes time and intention. It’s about creating space — even in busy days — for informal interaction and trust.
As leaders, we have a unique responsibility – as organizations, an even greater one – and as a society, we must act more coherently and strategically to improve overall mental health.
Equally, each of us must take responsibility for our own well-being. We need to prioritise strengthening our mental health just as we do with our physical health – for our own benefit and for the well-being of those around us.
In 2024, Joakim Eriksson, author, client director, and associate at Mannaz, published the book Building Sustainable Leadership from the Inside – How to Grow the Inner Capabilities We Need to Lead. In it, he convincingly demonstrates how inner sustainability and mental health are essential leadership competencies.
Joakim Eriksson states:
“We often forget that evolutionarily, our brain was not designed for a life where we are ‘on’ so many hours a day. The technology around us is amazing, but if we don’t use it thoughtfully, it also has a downside. We need to complement our use of external technology with the development of inner technology.”
Working on Inner Capacity – Mental Fitness
According to Joakim Eriksson, working on your inner capacity is like going to a mental fitness centre. Through small daily routines – mindfulness, reflection, emotional intelligence – we build a mental immune system and increase our resilience against both everyday stress and life’s major challenges.
I asked Joakim for a few practical tips for all of us during Danish Diversity Week 2025, and he shared three manageable, concrete suggestions for daily mental training:
1. Take Breaks – and Become More Effective
The brain needs micro-breaks to reset and function optimally. A minute of silence, a glass of water, a calm breath between meetings – it works.
2. Avoid Multitasking – Train Focus
We are happier and more effective when we do one thing at a time. Answering emails during meetings or jumping between tasks drains energy and clarity.
3. Create a Reflection Routine
Daily pressure often magnifies problems. Taking a five-minute reflection break to ask, “What is truly important right now?” can reduce stress and sharpen priorities.
Let’s remind ourselves and each other of the simple but essential changes we can make in our daily work with colleagues. Are we striving to include everyone and helping each other thrive?
Danish Diversity Week 2025 reminds us that change starts with community – and in communities. We all share a responsibility to create inclusive cultures where differences are a strength and where everyone can be their whole selves.
In this, as in all other necessary transformations, the same truth applies: No one can do everything, but everyone can do something – as a leader, as a colleague, as a human being.
So, take a breath, take a break, drink a glass of water, listen – and smile – to your colleagues and team members. Take care of yourselves and each other.
And let us – from leaders and relevant stakeholders – see investments, solutions, and a willingness to act moving forward.
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