Being A Braver Leader Improves Better Workplace Wellbeing 

By Prof. Lynda Holt, Founder of The Braver Group and Honorary Professor of Social Leadership, University of Salford 

Employee wellbeing grows or shrinks in relation to everyday leadership behaviour, not the quality of your policies, perks, or programmes. 

Leadership is never neutral; every leader shapes culture through what they amplify, what they enable and what they choose to walk past. Braver leaders choose connection, especially in moments of struggle or conflict. 

Most people are more impacted by those directly around them than by their workplace mission or values. Both their performance and level of engagement move up or down in relation to how they feel about work. 

When people don’t feel safe, purposeful, valued, or connected with what they are doing, it can quickly take a toll on their wellbeing. 

Whether you hold a formal leadership role or not, you probably have leadership influence in some parts of your work role. Leadership falls into three broad categories:  

• positional, you are actually in charge 
• thought leadership, your views or subject knowledge give you influence 
• social leadership, the way you connect and the energy you share influences others.  

At a human level, these don’t exist in isolation; you probably blend bits of each. 

The social elements of leadership often have the biggest impact. This is about how you show up and engage with others, the degree of emotional agility you bring, and how prepared you are to navigate the discomfort and vulnerability needed to stay present. Most of us can afford to be a little braver about this messy, usually imperfect, connection with those around us. 

Braver leadership happens moment to moment; it’s really listening when it would be easier to deflect, make platitudes, or give answers and direction. It’s speaking the truth even when it makes you unpopular or vulnerable and it’s being honest when you don’t have the answers. 

Here are four ways to be a braver leader: 

Start with yourself – this is both the toughest and the most rewarding. Your energy or vibe influences others long before your words, mandates or deadlines. Pay attention to how you show up, what you are energy sharing and how you are looking after your own wellbeing. 

It’s hard to feel brave while abandoning yourself, running on empty erodes your courage, shrinks your perspective and makes it easier to default to control or avoidance. Know when you need to pause, refuel or recentre. 

Staying aligned with your own values and modelling the behaviour you want see is a great start. You can only do this once you know yourself, what really matters to you and what you are able/prepared to contribute. 

Be congruent, consistent, and clear, especially about expectations and boundaries. 

This all helps build psychological safety and trust, as well as healthy relations. 

Power literacy – there is always power in the room and it’s rarely shared equally. Pay attention to how influence flows, for example, who gets airtime and who is interrupted, who feels able to challenge and who stays quiet and whose ideas are heard. 

Understanding these dynamics gives you choices. You can open space, invite quieter voices in and notice where your own behaviour may unintentionally amplify or silence others. 

Capacity consciousness – most people know how to do their jobs. The problem is the volume, pace and emotional load they’re carrying alongside their actual job. Co-design work that people can do well, without compromising their wellbeing. Do this by asking questions – what’s sustainable, what adds value, what is noise, where are we already full? 

In a performance-driven world, this can feel counterintuitive, but evidence suggests it generally improves output and quality. 

Learn to navigate discomfort – most people rush to smooth things over or look away rather than lean into the awkwardness of dealing with it. Short-term discomfort often creates healthier workplaces in the longer term, clarity and trust. 

Tackling behaviour, language or humour that undermines people’s trust takes courage, especially when it has been normalised over time. It requires honest conversations about performance, boundaries and impact. 

These conversations are healing when you can meet people where they are and are prepared to listen. Seek to understand (but not necessarily agree with) their perspective and treat them with kindness and respect, especially when you disagree. Be clear about any action or outcome that is required. 

To do this well, and not have your own emotional reaction to the threat of discomfort, be intentional about why you are there, what you are prepared to compromise and what your ‘red lines’ are. This requires preparation, presence in the conversation and the ability to be emotionally agile. 

Remember that you can always halt (or not start) a discussion if it feels unproductive, you don’t have the information you need or the time / emotional bandwidth to continue. If you do this, it is important to identify a time to circle back before concluding. 

Culture evolves through small, courageous acts that gather others, create ownership and slowly shift what’s seen as “normal.” 

Being a little braver about how you interact with those around you can make a big difference and, over time, this bravery rewires nervous systems, as well as culture, by building trust, psychological safety and collective resilience. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Well Crowd. This content is for information and discussion purposes only and should not be taken as medical, health, or professional advice.