Happier At Work: Leadership, Culture, Performance Bonus Episode: The Realities of Leadership Mental Health
Can leaders show vulnerability at work and still be effective?
In this bonus episode, Aoife explores the biggest insights from her conversation with workplace mental health expert Melissa Doman. Together, they challenge the myth that leaders must be “psychologically above” the human experience and unpack what happens when leaders feel they must appear superhuman.
This episode offers practical ways leaders can show up as human, and explains how a leader’s emotional state shapes team culture more than they may realise.
Many organisations expect leaders to be:
- More resilient
- Less impacted by stress
- Always composed
- In need of less support
This creates an impossible double standard:
- Be human enough to support others
- Be superhuman enough to need nothing
When leaders suppress their humanity, it doesn’t strengthen leadership, it creates distance, reduces safety, and can lead to behaviours later labelled as toxic.
Where have you been coping until now, and what will you do differently after this episode?
Connect with Aoife O’Brien | Host of Happier at Work®:
Connect with Melissa Doman | Organisational psychologist and leadership mental health expert:
Listen to my conversation with Melissa Doman:
Episode 294: The Realities of Leadership Mental Health with Melissa Doman
About Happier at Work
Happier at Work is the podcast for business leaders who want to create meaningful, human-centric workplaces. Hosted by Aoife O’Brien, the show explores leadership, career clarity, imposter syndrome, workplace culture, and employee engagement — helping you and your team thrive.
If you enjoy podcasts like WorkLife with Adam Grant, The Happiness Lab, or Squiggly Careers, you’ll love Happier at Work.
Join Aoife O’Brien for weekly insights on leadership, workplace culture, career clarity, imposter syndrome, and creating work that works for you.
Editing by Amanda Fitzgerald.
Website: https://happieratwork.ie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappierAtWorkHQ
Mentioned in this episode:
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