For many UK business leaders, the subject of workplace mental health remains abstract: a policy to file or a box to tick. For Glen Ridgway, co-founder of the Workplace Wellbeing Academy, it’s deeply personal. A respected strategist and trainer, Ridgway’s commitment to workplace wellbeing was forged in struggle. Years before he led global programmes at Jacobs or wrote his influential book, “The Wellbeing Advantage,” Ridgway faced his own crisis a breakdown that forced a career pivot and radical self-examination. His public candour about this journey has set him apart in a sector where leaders rarely tell such stories, and where stigma is still common.
Nutgraf: The Rise of Authentic Leadership in Mental Health
A decade ago, few senior executives openly discussed their mental health. Today, authenticity is not just welcome but seen as a strategic lever for transformation. “My own experiences taught me that vulnerability from the top is not a liability, it’s a catalyst,” Ridgway has said. Experts agree: research in Harvard Business Review links authentic leadership directly with psychological safety and employee trust. Wider studies show that UK firms where leaders model openness are twice as likely to have employees seek support or use internal wellbeing resources. As Rachel Suff of CIPD notes, “When leaders engage with genuine empathy, staff retention and performance improve substantially.”
The Business Case: Why Wellbeing is a Strategic Imperative
The business case for integrating mental health into corporate DNA is now overwhelming. Poor mental health costs UK employers up to £56 billion annually with presenteeism making up over half this figure. Conversely, organisations with robust wellbeing cultures see improved engagement, innovation, and bottom-line results. As Ridgway writes in “The Wellbeing Advantage”: “If leaders make human centered leadership part of how business is done, the impact is immeasurable.”
Evidence and Case Studies: What Works
Glen Ridgway’s career offers a rare, real-world view of workplace change. At Jacobs, his mental health strategy focused on training a cadre of “wellbeing champions” volunteer leaders who normalised open dialogue in a risk-averse sector.Jacobs’ network grew from a handful to over 1200 global positive mental health champions across 6 continents, 28 countries, 120+ offices in three years. As one external industry analyst noted, “Jacobs became a benchmark and others in construction and engineering took note.
Ridgway’s move to consultancy brought lessons to a wider field: he coaches leadership teams on what evidence shows works: clear communication, regular feedback on wellbeing, and accountability not just for targets but for staff experience. “We can only build trust through action. Leaders must openly share struggles, but also follow through with practical support,” Ridgway told Safer Highways magazine.
Practical Playbook: How Leaders Drive Change
Actionable steps for leaders seeking real culture change have emerged from Ridgway’s work and broader research. First: collect honest baseline data, anonymous surveys and focus groups then act on what staff reveal. His mantra is’’ ask your people, listen to your people and trust your people’’. Second: share leadership experiences, not just successes but setbacks, to build “permission stories” that break stigma.
Third: train managers in basic mental health awareness and empathetic responses. Fourth: set explicit wellbeing KPIs alongside business targets, reporting progress regularly. “Policy is nothing without a lived example,” Ridgway emphasizes. In his book, he offers toolkits, scripts, and templates for monitoring impact and adapting practice.
Quote from Ridgway (direct): “Being open about my own struggles showed my team it was safe and it was only then that our wellbeing initiatives actually stuck.”
An external commentator, Dr. Paul Litchfield, former chief medical officer at BT, echoes: “Authentic leadership is essential people will follow what leaders do, not just what they say.”
The Future of Workplace Mental Health and Leadership
The landscape is shifting fast. Psychological safety and authentic leadership are now criteria in external audits and procurement for major projects, especially in sectors like engineering and finance. Ridgway’s recent projects with the Workplace Wellbeing Academy show that organisations ready to invest in truly human centered leadership are outperforming peers on both well-being and operational metrics.[3] The next wave, experts predict, will see wellbeing woven into leadership development, board oversight, and customer-facing ESG reporting.[2] The message: cultural change is complex, but with authentic role models, it’s not only possible, but measurable and, increasingly, a competitive advantage.
