The Most Overlooked Tool in Mental Health Training for Managers? Kindness.

In his book The 5 Side Effects of Kindness, Dr David Hamilton lays out the science beautifully. Kindness:

1. Makes us happier

2. Is good for the heart

3. Slows ageing

4. Improves relationships

5. Is contagious

Kindness really is the gift that keeps on giving. When someone shows us kindness, we feel it, and as David shares, that feeling spreads.

The term psychological safety is one which is becoming well-known in organisations.  In simple terms, psychological safety refers to the feeling of being safe.  Feel safe to speak up and share their ideas. Feel safe to be authentic. And in the case of wellbeing at work, they feel safe to speak about what they are experiencing, free from the fear of judgement.

Having worked as a therapist for over a decade, along with delivering mental health training for managers, I've been given a unique view into how effectively employee wellbeing is being managed in the workplace, and it's my view that kindness, something so simple, is one of the most powerful qualities managers can leverage to create psychological safety.

The truth is, when it comes to employee wellbeing, it's not just about mental health. It's the everyday life situations that we all face, and mental health problems such as anxiety, stress and depression, for example, are simply a byproduct of these.

Consider the rate of divorce, how many children are being diagnosed with ADHD, the rising cost of living, parents with dementia, and the rates of cancer.  This may sound like doom and gloom, yet it's also reality and a reality that many employees sadly face.

Which is why kindness can play a key role in how well employees feel seen, heard, understood and psychologically safe.

Why Kindness Belongs in Mental Health Training for Managers

One of the most powerful conversations we have during our mental health training for managers is around personal impact. We invite managers to pause and reflect, not just on how they lead, but on how they make people feel.  What are the signals they are sending out, often unconsciously.

Self-awareness in leadership is key, yet it's also often lacking 

Because the truth is this:

You're always having an impact. The only question is — what kind?

What Managers Think They Need vs. What They Really Have

One of the biggest requests we hear from managers on our mental health training is this:

“Can you just give us tools?”

When I dig deeper to understand what 'tools' look like, managers are often looking for tools to have a conversation with people about their mental health.

But when I tell them they already have the three most powerful tools they’ll ever need to have amazing conversations, initially, I receive blank looks.

Yet when I share those tools, you can see the lights go on.

And one of those tools?

Yes, you've got it, kindness.

When in Doubt, Lead with Kindness

Even when managers feel unsure what to say or when a team member is struggling with something they don’t fully understand, the gift of kindness goes a long way.

As Maya Angelou so perfectly put it:

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Let’s Make Kindness a Strategic Advantage

If you want your managers to lead with confidence, compassion, and clarity — we can help. Our mental health training equips managers with the tools they already have, and helps them use them wisely.

🟡 Ready to empower your managers with the skills to support mental health and lead with kindness? Book a clarity call today — and let’s make wellbeing part of the way you work.