A C-suite leader’s attitude and influence set the tone for how their entire team approaches well-being. If a team is constantly overwhelmed and burnt out, it’s not just a personal issue for employees—it becomes a leadership problem.
Here, Forbes Coaches Council members explore ways for C-suite leaders to empower teams to focus on their health and well-being without sacrificing performance. The insights below can help leaders create a more balanced, productive workplace where people leverage self-care to thrive both personally and professionally.
1. Be An Authentic Example
In the real world of business, self-leadership comes before group or team leadership. As a visible example, a leader needs to be congruent—which means their mind, body and spirit are all aligned (as well as possible)—because that builds a model of trust and confidence for the rest of the team to follow. The term should be “life-work” balance because the first priority is well-being. – Jon Michail, Image Group International
2. Share Your Imperfections And Challenges
Being human and demonstrating that humanity in multiple ways as a leader can encourage others to prioritize their own well-being and avoid burnout. When leaders openly share their own imperfections and the real challenges they face, they give their people permission to share and explore areas related to purpose, agency, connection and health that create a virtuous cycle of well-being. – Elisa Mallis, Center for Creative Leadership
3. Be Open About Self-Care
C-suite leaders should model their work-life balance by openly prioritizing their own well-being at work. Being open about your self-care sends a powerful message to your team, showing that it is not only acceptable, but also essential. You’ll see how leading by example encourages all team members to do the same and will help create a culture where well-being is a shared priority. – Alba Contreras Rodriguez, FONS LLC
4. Set Boundaries; Respect After-Hours Time
A C-suite leader can model well-being by prioritizing their own self-care and work-life balance. By openly setting boundaries and respecting after-hours time, they encourage team members to do the same, fostering a culture that values well-being and helps prevent burnout. – Dr. Courtney L. Teague, CLT & Associates
5. Let Your Actions Speak For You
One important thing the CEO can do is to lead by example, demonstrating how they achieve work-life balance. Actions speak louder than words. The CEO who prioritizes a work-life balance sets the tone and culture for everyone else, making it okay to do. – Karen Tracy, Dr. Karen A Tracy, LLC
6. Walk The Talk
The biggest thing a C-suite leader can do to encourage all team members to prioritize their own well-being and self-care is to do it themselves. It is essential to model this prioritization. – Tricia Bolender, Tricia Bolender Advisory LLC
7. Introduce A ‘Digital Sunset’ Policy
A C-suite leader can introduce a “digital sunset” policy where they commit to (and publicly share) a daily ritual of disconnecting from all work-related communication at a set time each evening. By turning off notifications and encouraging team members to do the same, they create a culture that values unplugging and recharging—because true leadership includes knowing when to power down. – Alla Adam, Alla Adam Coaching
8. Demonstrate Self-Care And Balance
Modeling the way continues to be a very effective leadership approach. For example, if I tell my team to stay off devices on the weekend, I need to do the same. C-suite leaders can forget that everyone is watching them, especially behaviorally. Demonstrating self-care and balance needs to be a priority at the top of the house for it to be legitimized throughout the organization. – Evan Roth, Roth Consultancy International, LLC.
9. Identify Burnout Risk One-On-One
Make it a priority to schedule regular one-on-one meetings with team members to discuss their well-being and workload. Use these meetings as an opportunity to assess their stress levels, provide support and ensure that they are not at risk of burnout. The goal is to create a supportive environment and address any issue before it turns into burnout. – Anthony Howard, HR Certified LLC
10. Be Mindful Of Time Zones And Personal Time
As a leader, you need to model the behaviors you say you want to see. This could look like not emailing at all hours of the day and unplugging while on personal time off or vacation. Whenever possible, be mindful of the time zones each of your people work from and schedule accordingly. – Kelly Ross, Ross Associates
11. Avoid Overloading Top Performers
Stop overloading your top performers with extra tasks just because you trust they’ll get it done. It’s important to remember that what you do matters more than what you say. If you keep preaching work-life balance, but continue to place excessive pressure on your best employees, it will inevitably lead to burnout and contribute to a toxic work environment, harming both morale and productivity. – Inga Bielińska, Inga Arianna Bielinska Coaching Consulting Mentoring
12. Take Regular Vacations
One simple thing a C-suite leader can do is actively model and communicate the importance of setting boundaries and taking time off. The leader can visibly adhere to work-life balance practices, such as not sending emails after hours or during weekends and taking regular vacations. These behaviors set a powerful example, which empowers employees to set boundaries and prioritize their well-being. – Curtis Odom, Prescient Strategists
13. Audit Your Own Behaviors
True values are revealed through our behaviors. So first, look in the mirror. You cannot not be a role model. Take an objective audit of your behaviors. Look at your calendar—it’s where you see what’s actually important to someone. Ask your family how well you do with balance. Enroll colleagues in keeping you honest. And yes, talk about this often and loudly. Set expectations. Challenge others directly. – Duncan Skelton, Duncan Skelton Coaching Ltd
14. Implement Work-Free Weekends And Quiet Time
To promote well-being and work-life balance, C-suite leaders can implement a “work-free weekends” pledge, ensuring no work-related tasks occur on weekends and setting an example of true work-life separation. They can also establish “quiet time” blocks during the week with no meetings or calls, allowing employees focused time for deep work or personal reflection. – Stephan Lendi, Newbury Media & Communications GmbH
15. Schedule Monthly Unplugged Days
A C-suite leader can lead by example by requiring themselves and their direct reports to take at least one day off per month completely unplugged from work. They should block it out on everyone’s calendars and gently remind members to avoid weekend work emails or calls on their scheduled off days in order to model real boundaries between work and personal life. – Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D., Human Capital Innovations
16. Encourage The Use Of Vacation Time
A C-suite leader can actively promote and enforce the use of vacation time. Ensuring that employees take their full vacation allowance, especially during a continuous period of weeks in the summer, allows them to fully recharge. Additionally, leaders should set the expectation that no work should be done during vacations to reinforce a culture of true work-life balance. – Aurelien Mangano, DevelUpLeaders
