Where does Leadership fit into Employee Wellbeing?

Dr. Louise Lambert

Welcome back everyone to my new podcast series, Happiness Matters, a positive psychology informed series on happier living. Now, many of you already know me. I'm Dr. Louise Lambert, a positive psychologist living in Dubai. What you may find strange is my voice. Yes, I've moved to AI and I'm using it to do this series. But, rest assured, it is me behind the voice writing the scripts, pulling up the studies, finding the appropriate references and editing intensely to bring you the best experience. It's also to save time recording in order to do my best work with organizations and individuals directly. So, I hope you'll engage with the ideas and strategies, create your best life, and gain some ideas for your workplace.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Alright, let me set the stage here. Imagine it: an HR team rolls out their shiny new workplace wellbeing program. They’ve got the budget approved, they’ve got the leaders signing off with a big ceremony—maybe even cake. Everyone cheers, HR pats themselves on the back for getting that magical “buy-in,” and then, poof, the leaders disappear and are never seen again. That would be one scenario. Another is that they demand attendance rates, outcomes, as well as ROI calculations to justify their spend, but never show their own faces in the program. Sound familiar?

Dr. Louise Lambert

Leaders themselves—yeah, I mean you—see that checkbox ticked and feel like your work is done. But nope, not even close. Here’s the thing: your signature isn’t the end of the process; it’s only the very beginning.

Dr. Louise Lambert

The reality is, leaders aren’t just a line item in HR’s to-do list; they’re the unseen gears that make workplace wellbeing programs work. It’s not being the face on the campaign or endorsing the program, though that’s nice—what happens after that where the impact begins and the outcomes emerge.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Take this: studies like those we’re pulling from today—by the way, thank you Jessica Grossmeier, the primary researcher on this 2020 study. In it, her team explored which of the following, that is, organizational and leadership support, program comprehensiveness, program integration, and participation incentives had the biggest influence on employee participation rates, health and medical cost impacts, and perceptions of organizational support.

Dr. Louise Lambert

The data was collected from 845 organizations who used the HERO Health and Well-Being Best Practices Scorecard developed in collaboration with Mercer, which collects information about specific health and wellbeing practices by asking organizations to report their program participation rates as well as health and medical cost impacts. Organizations that achieve higher overall scores; that is, in the top quartile (scores of 125 or higher) outperformed the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index for company stock price, yielding a greater return to stockholders over time.

Dr. Louise Lambert

So, back to our study trying to determine which of the four factors, that is, organizational and leadership support, program comprehensiveness, program integration, and participation incentives had the biggest influence on participation, costs, and perceptions of organizational support. And it should come as no surprise that leadership involvement was the single biggest factor in whether wellbeing initiatives fly or flop.

Dr. Louise Lambert

And when leaders dive in—like, actively engage, ask questions, attend classes, share their wellbeing habits... walk the talk, you know—they're shaping a culture that says, “We’re serious about wellbeing and if I am doing it as the CEO, I expect and invite everyone else to do the same.” That’s a lot more persuasive than a one-time speech or nice email. Employees see that, they buy in, trust builds, and bam, you’ve got a workplace where people actually wanna join in. I mean, nothing says daily attendance like the CEO being in your meaning at work, stress management or weight lifting class, and yeah, the results follow.

Dr. Louise Lambert

So, again, leadership isn’t the cherry on top of wellbeing programs. It’s the batter, the base, the whole flipping cake. Without it, you’ve just got frosting and a lot of wasted effort, as well as wasted money. Some of these programs costs millions of dollars, not to mention the wellbeing deficits already existing and for which the programs were initiated. It only makes sense for leaders to safeguard their investments.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Employers who ramp up their leadership involvement—real involvement, not just putting nice words in a corporate newsletter—see higher employee engagement across the board. Those leaders? They’re showing up to wellbeing classes, setting an example, maybe even rolling up their sleeves and doing that health screening themselves and sharing their health outcomes, even setting personal goals for themselves and setting it as a competition with the rest of the employees and encouraging them and their departments to even engage in a little friendly competition, whether it's losing weight, smoking cessation, attendance, decrease in stress scores, increases in meaning at work or reports of having a best friend at work. All of these can be measured by the way. But when employees notice this—it’s contagious in the best way.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Now, contrast that with incentives. You know, the gift cards and discounts meant to nudge employees into action? Sure, they help. The data says they drive engagement in very specific activities like filling out health surveys or showing up for a screening. But, and here’s the catch—beyond the short term, they’re just not enough to sustain real outcomes, like actual health improvements or cost savings.

Dr. Louise Lambert

It makes sense, right? Employees might show up for the freebie, but they’re not exactly walking out better for it. Now compare that with a leader who openly champions these initiatives—showing they care, asking how people like the programs, what they are learning, and personally modeling the behavior themselves. That sense of commitment? That’s what really gets people engaged at a deeper, more sustainable level.

Dr. Louise Lambert

So, if you’re still thinking your job as a leader stops at approving a budget or drafting an announcement, think again. The research screams it loud and clear—your presence, your involvement, matters ten times more than those gift cards ever could.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Alright, let’s talk about where things go sideways when leadership kind of, well, checks out. I’ve seen it happen too many times to count—leaders sign the dotted line, applaud the HR team, and then vanish. That shiny wellbeing program? It starts to crumble. Why? Because no one’s driving it anymore. It’s like an abandoned ship.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Let me share a story—it will sound familiar to many of you. I worked on a huge wellbeing program in the UAE. They launched an outstanding wellbeing initiative, everything from free onsite massage, daily 1:1 therapy sessions, personal trainers, nutritionists, sleep experts, psychologists, to mental health workshops, even offsite sporting events and field trips to wellbeing activities. It was impressive. But guess what? Few months in, the leaders stopped showing up. Stopped mentioning it in meetings, stopped engaging. And what happened? The employees tuned out too. If the leaders don’t care, why should anyone else? Momentum—gone. Credibility? Gone. And rebuilding that loss of faith in wellbeing programming, or the idea of wellbeing altogether? The same.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Now compare that to leaders who stay involved. I’m not talking about micromanaging—it’s about modeling the behavior and staying visible. Like those CEOs who take the lead in wellness challenges, or who actively participate in lunch-and-learns about stress management 4 months later, or who offer to share their story in a session or over a webinar. Employees don’t just see announcements in emails; they see living, breathing proof that this matters.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Take another real-world example. A healthcare company in the U.S. saw double the participation rate in health screenings simply because their senior leaders made it personal. They shared their own health goals, walked the talk, and even used team meetings to discuss progress. Employees started thinking, “If they’re in, I’m in.”

Dr. Louise Lambert

So, what does this mean for leaders? It really comes down to three strategies. First, consistency. Don’t just champion the program in its launch phase. Keep showing up—mention it, revisit it, be part of it, and yes, hold people accountable for attendance as well as scores, but help them do it too. Second, visibility. Be seen participating—fitness challenges, mental health talks, whatever it is, be there. Lastly, heart. Employees can tell when leaders are just going through the motions. Show genuine care—it’s not just about the stats, it’s about people. And don't be afraid to share your own stories of stress, fatigue, as well as joy, gratitude and happiness in life.

Dr. Louise Lambert

So, to wrap this up, remember this: successful wellbeing programs don’t happen in a vacuum. Leaders like you? You’re the glue, the fire, the inspiration that keeps these programs alive and thriving. So, lead the way—your teams, your employees, they’re counting on it. Alright, that’s all for today. Take good care of yourselves, and I’ll see you next time!

Dr. Louise Lambert

I'm Dr. Louise Lambert with Happiness Matters. If you liked this podcast, share it with others and make sure to sign up for my newsletter. You can also invite to do a guest talk, workshop, program or simply take my happiness course available for individuals and workplaces on www.happinessmatters.org

Dr. Louise Lambert

See you next time.