Is Leadership Coaching the Missing Link in Workplace Mental Health?

I want to talk to you about mental health at work. Not because it's a hot-button topic. Not even because it's trending on LinkedIn. But because, ever since the 2020 pandemic, it's been a priority agenda item for many leadership teams, and many teams are still struggling to improve employee mental health.

Here's some data from a recent Gallup survey about the current state of the employee experience at work:

• Employee engagement — a major factor in mental health at work — reached a 10-year low in 2024, and it's still struggling to recover.
• In 2019, 55 percent of employees fully knew what was expected of them. That number hit an all-time low in 2024, reaching 44 percent.
• Only 30 percent of employees feel connected to their company's mission and purpose today — also a record-low figure.

Managers impact employees' mental health more than doctors or therapists. In fact, managers have the same impact on mental health as our spouses or partners. You've probably heard the saying, "People don't leave companies. They leave managers." Anecdotally, it's true. So if managers are the root cause of poor mental health at work, it's only natural to wonder: is leadership coaching the solution?

Why managers are (accidentally) part of the problem

"Congratulations, you're promoted. Here's your team. Good luck!" No training, no mentorship, no guidance. Just a pat on the back and a "go get 'em, you're smart." Most managers were never trained to be managers, let alone a good manager. The Chartered Management Institute spoke to 4,500 managers in the UK and found that 82 percent consider themselves "accidental managers" — they received no formal leadership or management training whatsoever!

Most internal promotions are based on technical skills and performance KPIs, not interpersonal and soft skills. One minute an individual contributor is crushing sales targets, and the next they have five team members reporting to them. Those are two very different worlds. They're expected to:

• Give feedback without crushing morale
• Handle conflict without escalating it
• Support mental health without crossing lines
• Be empathetic but still hit deadlines
• Know what to say when someone's struggling

Many managers are in fact trying to do the right thing! They care. They want to support their teams. But without the right training or mentorship, they fall back on what they've seen in previous roles — which, let's face it, isn't always healthy.

Coaching isn't therapy… but it might be just what managers need

Leadership coaching builds the skills that make a difference in the following ways:

It builds self-awareness. Coaching allows managers to learn how to react under pressure and show up smarter for others.

It turns emotional intelligence into an actual practicable skill. Coaching helps managers learn how to read a room, listen without getting defensive, handle conflict with care, and get results without being a jerk.

It teaches managers to have productive conversations. Coaching gives managers the language, frameworks and confidence to check in with employees in a meaningful way, as well as ask smarter questions and respond appropriately when someone says "I'm not okay."

It helps managers set healthy boundaries. Coaching gives managers the tools to zoom out and look at themselves before sending that 10pm email to the team.

It gives managers the tools to build resilience. Studies show that resilient leadership can lead to employee resilience and organizational resilience. When a manager is grounded, the whole team feels it.

So, is coaching the missing link? Honestly, it really might be…

Most remedies to poor mental health at work include introducing some kind of app or perk. Many workplaces just throw more mental health days at employees and think that's sufficient. These things help, sure. But they don't get to the root cause of the issue.

If managers have the biggest impact on mental health at work, then it's time to start supporting them. Not with another leadership theory deck or a new AI bot they probably won't use. But instead with a consistent, practical coaching program that helps them grow as the human beings they are.