David Lancefield Has A Better Way To Talk About Mental Health At Work

5 snips

Feb 3, 2026

David Lancefield, former PwC partner turned strategy coach who helps leaders reduce friction and boost performance. He explains why mental health talk fails in corporations. He recommends pitching wellbeing as a business solution, using small pilots, asking better questions about how people do their best work, and designing roles around strengths and trust.

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ADVICE

Start With Their Priority

Start mental-health conversations by linking them to a leader's priority or KPI to get attention.
Propose one small, low-risk pilot that addresses friction and measure its impact.

ADVICE

Mirror Their Language

Do homework: read a leader's town halls, emails, and investor slides to mirror their language.
Use their words to frame mental-health proposals as aligned with their goals.

INSIGHT

Reframe Mental Health As Capability

Mental health has a bad brand because it's framed as lingering illness rather than capability.
Reframe conversations to highlight how people manage, thrive, and contribute after struggles.

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We’ve never talked more about mental health at work and yet, burnout is rising, disengagement is everywhere, and leaders still feel stuck. In this episode, I’m joined by strategy coach and former PwC partner David Lancefield to talk about why the current approach isn’t working and what actually creates change. David shares why “mental health” has a bad brand in corporate life, how leaders can engage even the most skeptical executives, and why the real leverage point isn’t awareness campaigns, but better questions. We also dive into why small pilots beat big programs, and how leaders can design environments where people do their best work. Tune in to know what it means to treat mental health as a business solution.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why the mental health conversation at work isn’t working.

07:00 The fear and freedom of leaving a prestigious role.

13:15 The mistake we make when trying to persuade leaders.

17:45 Why business results are the bridge to mental health.

21:15 How to reframe burnout as a performance problem.

25:00 Why storytelling can backfire without resolution.

30:45 What leaders should leave people feeling after sharing.

34:45 The “motherhood penalty” and its parallels at work.

39:00 2 questions every leader should ask.

43:00 How do you move from drifting to designing your life?

47:00 3 questions that reset your day.

49:00 How do you help people shape roles around their strengths?

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow David: on LinkedIn @davidclancefield