How Does a Leader’s Wellbeing Affect Their Team? (Holistic Leadership Series – Part 2)

At ACSIS, we’ve witnessed something profound again and again: when leaders take care of themselves, they quietly give everyone else around them permission to do the same - leader's wellbeing.

That’s the ripple effect. It doesn’t begin with a policy, a meeting, or a leadership book. It starts with the personal decisions you make when no one’s watching—how you manage your energy, how you respond to stress, and how honest you’re willing to be about your own limits.

And those choices echo. Through your tone, your decisions, your presence—they shape the emotional climate of your team and, eventually, your whole organisation.

Why Does Personal Wellbeing Matter in Leadership?

Because you’re not just leading people—you’re modelling what’s acceptable. If your version of leadership says: “Push through at any cost,” that becomes the culture. But if your example shows balance, reflection, and care, others start to believe they can lead like that too.

Wellbeing isn’t about self-care days and yoga apps (though those might help). It’s about how aligned, resourced, and present you are. It’s the difference between reacting and responding. Between surviving and leading.

When you’re well, others feel it. And when you’re not, they feel that too.

What Are the Subtle Signals You’re Sending?

You don’t have to give a speech to shape a culture—your body language, availability, and tone do that for you. Some questions worth asking:

• Are you rushing or grounded in conversations?

• Do you celebrate rest, or only reward overwork?

• When you’re tired, do you say so—or do you mask it?

People don’t learn wellbeing from a policy doc. They learn it by watching you.

What Can You Practically Do to Lead From Wellbeing?

Here are three practical but often overlooked shifts that start the ripple:

1. Let people see you slow down

You don’t have to hide your break or apologise for taking time off. In fact, showing that you rest helps normalise recovery in your team.

2. Speak honestly about the hard parts

When leaders name their own wellbeing challenges, it creates safety. You don’t have to overshare. Just be real. Say, “I’ve been feeling stretched—I’m carving out time to recalibrate.” That’s powerful modelling.

3. Design your work, not just your output

Review your calendar. Is it aligned with your energy levels and priorities—or your fear of being seen as unavailable? Leading from wellbeing means building systems that support the kind of person you want to be.

What Happens When You Ignore Your Own leader's wellbeing?

You might still get results—but they come at a cost: irritability, reactivity, poor decisions, short tempers, long hours. And slowly, your team mirrors it. You create urgency, not clarity. Pressure, not trust.

Burnout becomes contagious. So does self-neglect.

But the opposite is also true. Presence is contagious. So is balance. So is care.

What If You Made Your Wellbeing Part of the Job Description?

Because it is. Not just for you—but for everyone around you.

Your team doesn’t need you to be perfect. They need you to be human. They need to see what it looks like to lead without sacrificing your health, identity, or relationships.

This isn’t indulgent. It’s intelligent. It builds loyalty, creativity, and resilience.

Final Thought: Your Energy Sets the Tone

Your energy is the culture your team comes to expect.

Your habits become the hidden rulebook for everyone else.

Your wellbeing doesn’t stop at you—it writes the emotional script of your workplace.

So take care of yourself. Not as a reward. As a responsibility.

Because when you thrive, others believe they can too.

🗓️ Ready to reset how you lead?

Explore holistic coaching that honours the full version of you at:

👉 www.acsis.co.uk

FAQs About a Leader’s Wellbeing and Team Performance

1. How does a leader’s wellbeing affect their team?

A leader’s wellbeing influences team culture, communication style, and overall performance. When leaders are balanced and present, teams tend to feel safer, more motivated, and more resilient.

2. Why is personal wellbeing important for leadership?

Leaders set the tone for acceptable behaviour. If they model balance, reflection, and care, teams are more likely to follow suit. If they model overwork and burnout, that becomes the norm.

3. What are the signs a leader is neglecting their wellbeing?

Signs can include irritability, poor decision-making, reactivity, long hours without breaks, and visible stress—all of which can spread to the team.

4. How can leaders model healthy wellbeing practices?

Leaders can be open about taking breaks, speak honestly about challenges, and design workloads that align with their energy levels and priorities.

5. Can ignoring wellbeing impact team performance?

Yes. Neglecting wellbeing often leads to burnout, reduced trust, poor communication, and a drop in morale across the team.

6. What practical steps can leaders take to protect their wellbeing?

Schedule recovery time, create systems that prevent overload, and maintain regular reflection on energy and priorities.

7. How does a leader’s behaviour influence workplace culture?

A leader’s habits become the unspoken rulebook for the team. If a leader demonstrates care and balance, it normalises those behaviours across the organisation.

8. Is wellbeing part of a leader’s job?

Absolutely. Leading from a place of wellbeing is not indulgent—it’s essential for sustained team performance, loyalty, and creativity.

9. How can leaders create a wellbeing-focused workplace?

Encourage rest without guilt, reward progress over overwork, and create space for honest conversations about capacity and stress.