Executive mental health: the blind spot of performance

They decide, arbitrate and steer. They embody vision, manage crises and take risks. Yet we still talk too little about their vulnerability. The mental health of executives is a subject often put aside, almost taboo, as if occupying the top of the hierarchy were supposed to immunize against exhaustion, stress or doubt. In a professional world under constant strain, this omission could well become a strategic blind spot. After all, a solid company depends above all on a lucid, balanced... and healthy leader.

Managers under pressure!

The figures are in. And they are worrying. The reality is stark. A study conducted in 2023 by Bpifrance Le Lab and Malakoff Humanis reveals that 58% of SME managers say they feel stress on an almost daily basis. Nearly one in five admits to having already flirted with burnout without seeking help. Among entrepreneurs, the situation is just as worrying: according to the Amarok Observatory, a third of them are at high risk of burn-out. In support networks such as incubators, flexible workspaces and coworking spaces, coaches and mentors are talking more and more frequently about the psychological fatigue of managers who, since the health crisis, are struggling to get back on their feet.

Let's be clear: these are not isolated cases. A study by Deloitte revealed that 82% of American, Canadian and European CEOs have suffered from burnout.

However, this malaise often remains silent. Few executives dare to verbalize their fragility, so strong is the pressure of posture. They must be visionaries, strategists, drivers and reassurers. They are not allowed to be vague.

This decision-making solitude becomes a burden. It is compounded by the absence of trusted interlocutors with whom to share doubts, contradictions and challenges. In SMEs, managers take on several roles at once (HR director, financial director, crisis manager) in a day-to-day life without a safety net. Added to this is digital hyperconnection and the porosity between the private and professional spheres, making rest almost inaccessible.

A daily life under pressure that often reflects on the company and the team as a whole.

The consequences of this prolonged pressure are not just personal: they have a direct impact on company performance. A weakened executive takes fewer steps back, makes rash decisions or gives up on certain ambitions out of exhaustion. CEOs in a state of chronic stress are more likely to make brutal strategic shifts, often without alignment with their teams. Worse still, in startups, the founder's psychological failure is one of the most cited factors in early company failure.

Yet levers do exist. And things are starting to move. Networks such as Réseau Entreprendre, APM and Premières now offer peer-to-peer discussion forums, where people can talk about moments of doubt without fear of judgment.

Individual or group coaching schemes also help people to step back and rebuild their ability to act more serenely. Some organizations include modules on the prevention of psychosocial risks specific to executive functions in their governance training programs.

Last but not least, a change of reference points and work spaces, and the adoption of a more agile approach to day-to-day work, can help us to take this step, which is sometimes so difficult to do when you're working on a day-to-day basis that you're in control.

Deconstructing the myth of the all-powerful boss

Change also involves culture. We need to deconstruct the myth of the heroic leader, the one who never bends, who resists everything, who stands up for others. It's time to recognize that self-care is not a weakness, but a responsibility.

Self-preservation means being able to deal with complexity over the long term. It's not about giving in to a personal need; it's about meeting a professional requirement. You can't steer a lasting transformation with a saturated mind and chaotic sleep.

Basically, it's not a question of medicalizing the management function, but of putting people back at the heart of management. A successful company is one whose head works well, clearly and serenely. This means recognizing that a manager's health is an asset in its own right, as strategic as a property investment or a competitive advantage.

At a time when people are talking more and more about raison d'être, the meaning of work and sustainability, the mental health of managers deserves a central place in prevention and support policies. Because behind the leader's posture, there is a person. And taking care of that person also means ensuring a more solid future for the organization as a whole.