This post is written by our good friend & The Perk’s Burnout Coach, Nina Nesdoly. Nina is a speaker, researcher, and expert on the neuroscience of work-life balance, stress, and burnout prevention. She leverages her background in neuroscience (BSc) and Management (MSc) to help people and organizations build better work-life balance. Nina is currently her pursuing her PhD study work-related stress and her TEDx Talk “How to relieve stress when you’re overwhelmed” was selected as an Editor’s Pick by TED.

Employees look to their leaders to set the tone for everything, including wellbeing. It’s no secret that leadership can make or break a team’s experience, especially when it comes to how they handle stress and find balance.  

I wrote my Master’s thesis on how leadership impacts employee stress experience and conduct wellbeing and burnout prevention training for teams, so I’ve seen firsthand how influential leaders are in this area. The way leaders’ model and promote wellness doesn’t just improve morale—it genuinely affects brain health, resilience, and overall team performance. 

Leadership Strategies for Wellbeing  

Leaders set the standard for our teams - not just in how you work, but in how you handle stress, find balance, and prioritize wellbeing. When leaders model healthy behaviors, it goes beyond words; it signals to the team that wellness matters and empowers everyone to care for themselves in sustainable ways.  

In this post, I’ll break down five essential leadership strategies for wellbeing. These actionable steps, based on neuroscience and management insights, make a tangible difference in fostering resilience and engagement. 

Strategy #1: Support Autonomy and Control

Having a sense of control is crucial for fostering wellbeing. When people encounter stressors ranging from small daily hassles to major life events, they tend to fare better if they have a sense of control. When people don’t have a sense of control it’s a risk for burnout. 

When employees have control over how they approach their tasks, their brains produce dopamine, which enhances motivation and resilience. By giving people freedom in how they work, leaders help reduce stress and improve job satisfaction. This looks like providing flexibility in when and how employees work, encouraging employees to participate in decision-making, and allowing employees to take ownership of projects.  

Strategy #2: Highlight the Power of Purpose and Meaning

Research indicates that when people find meaning in their work, they activate reward pathways in the brain that support motivation and resilience. Purpose makes even challenging tasks feel worthwhile, making it easier to cope with stress and stay engaged. 

On the flipside, when people lack purpose and meaning at work it erodes wellbeing. Fortunately, a sense of meaning at work is something that can cultivated! According the Hackman & Old Job Characteristics model, meaning can be achieved in three primary ways; using a variety of skills at work, being able to see the significance of your work by seeing how it benefits people and community, and identifying how your contributions contribute to large projects – all things that leaders can facilitate and draw attention to! 

Strategy #3: Model and Promote Wellbeing

“Do as I say, not as I do” doesn’t cut it in leadership. Employees look to leaders for cues on what’s expected. If you work late nights, the team might feel they need to do the same. But if you disconnect from work, model balance, and visibly prioritize wellbeing, they’ll feel supported to do the same. 

Many leaders wonder how to balance their wellbeing with the wellbeing of their team, but modelling is so important that it is one in the same. Taking care of yourself is also taking care of your team! This looks like disconnecting after hours, sharing how you prioritize wellbeing, and wellbeing initiatives like wellness and burnout prevention programs that help showcase wellbeing as a norm. 

Strategy #4: Communicate Expectations and Workload Regularly

One of the biggest challenges that I see in the teams I work with is differing expectations between employees and leaders. Unclear expectations and heavy workloads are some of the biggest stressors employees face. It’s been my experience, working with teams, that this is the case even when leaders are exceptionally supportive.

Regular check-ins and clear communication reduce this stress, helping employees stay focused and secure. The mistake most leaders make is aspiring to set clear expectations upfront but neglecting to verify how those expectations were received. Communication is tricky, especially in a day and age where many of our jobs are highly specialized. When you set expectations, ask employees to come back with their interpretation. Check in regularly to ensure workloads are reasonable and in case project demands evolve.   

Not sure how to set, communicate, & check-in on clear expectations? Well you’re in luck! I love that The Perk’s CLEAR Leadership Model teaches you how to do it in a way that builds confidence & trust (the E in CLEAR stands for Expectations!).  

Strategy #5: Offer Specific Support

Have you ever said “let me know if you need anything?” to someone that was going through a challenging time? It’s a well-intentioned phrase, but not always the best way to support someone who is overwhelmed. People experiencing burnout, for example, experience less control over their emotions and respond to situations with greater stress, so everything seems more demanding. 

Rather than an open-ended offer of help, try putting forward 3-4 specific ways that you could offer support. This way, you’re offering support within your capacity and making it easier for your team to accept! You can even offer this proactively through an email or at your next meeting by saying “Hey, if you need support with your wellbeing… here’s what I can offer!” 

Leadership is about more than driving results - it’s about setting the tone for a thriving, resilient, and engaged team. By prioritizing wellbeing through the strategies shared here, you’re not only reducing stress and fostering motivation, but you’re also building a workplace where people feel supported and empowered to do their best work. Remember, small actions can have a big impact.  

- Nina

Ready to take your team’s wellbeing to the next level? Want to learn how to prevent burnout & create a culture where everyone can thrive? You don’t have to lead alone! Make sure to check out Nina’s site, or reach out to The Perk for more information!

Pssst...I LOVE connecting with & growing my community! Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn - see you there! 🤗

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