I’ve just finished working with an organisation that is celebrating improving retention.

They had three senior leaders who were missing strategic goals, repeatedly slipping deadlines and there was high absence and poor retention (this isn’t what they are celebrating… obviously).

The HR Director and CEO had a conversation with me and said they weren’t sure if it was a performance or capability issue.

For many leaders and managers, it can be challenging to distinguish between capability issues and performance-related concerns.

In order to explore further and support the struggles the leaders were having, we booked some executive coaching sessions.

Having an external executive coach means there is an independent person who will provide an objective, structured approach. It can help in determining whether a leader is struggling due to performance issues (such as motivation, mindset, stress) or a capability gap (lack of skills, experience or training).

Through our confidential coaching conversations, these three leaders were able to get clarity on their challenges, uncover blind spots and explore tailored strategies to address them.

With one leader, there was frustration at processes, causing a lack of boundaries, no clear expectations and poor time management.

Another leader had lost all confidence in himself due to the excessive workload, poor teamwork and feeling overwhelmed and this was also showing up with a need to work on improving retention.

The third leader needed help on communication and target setting, so he could develop strategies for himself and the team. This meant they were more included, had clear direction and didn’t miss deadlines.

Although each leader had ‘executive coaching’ sessions, the focus was tailored to their needs to ensure that support and development was targeted, fair and commercially impactful rather than reactive.

After coaching? Those leaders had good reasons to celebrate:

• They changed their approach to leadership.
• The teams felt empowered, included and valued because there was more responsibility, better delegation and clear direction setting.

They saw improving retention by 25% in the three months we worked together and also had people return from sick leave.

This simple way of improving retention meant they avoided the high cost of replacing key employees and saw a direct impact on productivity.

➡ My calendar is open for bookings – book a call to explore how leadership coaching can boost retention and performance.

Book a Call Here ➡

The Cost of Losing Great People

For many organisations I work with, February is the time that businesses start to feel the impact of those January resignations. The teams are stretched and there are gaps in skill sets which creates a growing need to recruit (often without the budget to do so).

But what if you could stop the cycle and see results on improving retention?

Hiring is expensive! I know I don’t need to tell you that.

Estimates suggest replacing an employee costs six to nine months of their salary in lost productivity and recruitment fees. And that doesn’t include the impact on morale, engagement and your remaining teams’ workloads.

improving retention plans these days are needing to focus on more than just perks or pay rises. People want development. Investing in leadership coaching doesn’t just benefit the individual leaders, it drives commercial success too.

By setting boundaries like a pro and getting clear buy-in from team members, those departments implement actions and projects quickly so that operational targets are met on time and delivered well across all levels of your organisation.

➡ Let’s talk now about the specifics of what’s needed to help you with improving retention before hiring costs spiral – book a free call to discuss how leadership coaching can strengthen your talent pipeline.

Top Tip

Companies with strong learning and development cultures experience 30-50% higher retention rates than those without (according to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report).

When you are proactively building leadership skills, you’re also improving retention and creating stronger talent pools for both leaders and teams. It also makes sure you’re reducing knowledge gaps and improving succession planning.

And Finally…

When senior leaders are stretched thin, it creates a domino effect of less delegation, more reactive decision-making and disengaged teams.

Executive coaching helps leaders:

• Prioritise strategically, reducing burnout and increasing productivity.
• Develop and engage their teams, preventing costly turnover.
• Build a stronger talent pipeline, reducing last-minute recruitment needs.

You know, and I know, that great leaders don’t just manage work; they influence culture, strategy, and engagement. All of which works to be improving retention.

Do your senior leaders know how to influence this?

➡ If improving retention of your best people is a priority this quarter, let’s chat.

We can explore how coaching can make a difference across your entire organisation and be happening before the leaders are on their summer holiday!

Talk soon – and let’s give you a reason to celebrate!

Emma Langton has over 13 years experience in supporting leaders to enhance engagement, performance and wellbeing. Her coaching, training and speaking is valued by organisations across the UK for getting results quickly with her straight talking Yorkshire style.

Often referred to by her clients as the boundary queen and the resilience goddess, she shares her passion for progress with practical tips and advice so that her clients improve leadership skills, reduce stress and pressure and elevate wellbeing. She regularly provides insights for BBC, Forbes, Metro and also has a podcast called Lessons for Leaders with 100 episodes.

2024 UK Statistics for Mental Health in the Workplace

In 2024, UK mental health statistics reveal that almost 1 in 4 employees report high levels of stress and mental health issues influenced by work factors. This highlights the importance of mental health awareness as a core part of employee wellbeing strategies. Prioritizing mental health benefits employees and improves employee retention, engagement, and team performance.

5 Tips to Boost Mental Health in the Workplace

1. Start the Week with a Welcome

Creating an inclusive environment starts with acknowledging each team member. A simple Monday morning welcome session where employees greet each other and share a positive highlight from their weekend can set a warm tone for the week. This activity helps foster a sense of belonging, reduces feelings of isolation, and builds camaraderie among colleagues.

This practice also allows leadership to tune into their team’s current mindset and energy levels, making it easier to support those who may need extra encouragement. When employees feel connected to each other, they are more likely to work effectively together and find greater satisfaction in their roles.

2. Express Gratitude

Promoting workplace gratitude can significantly enhance employee morale. Encourage team members to send thank-you messages or appreciate each other’s contributions. This small act fosters employee recognition, which is essential for creating a positive workplace culture.

Recognising small wins and contributions doesn’t take much time but has a big impact on morale. Gratitude fosters resilience and helps create an environment where people feel seen and respected, which naturally promotes wellbeing.

3. Wellbeing Wednesdays

Implementing Wellbeing Wednesdays is an excellent way to focus on self-care mid-week. Activities like group walks, mindfulness sessions, or shared lunch breaks provide an opportunity for employees to relax, recharge, and focus on personal wellness. Promoting mindfulness at work reduces stress and enhances team productivity.

By dedicating time to self-care activities, employers send a clear message: mental health is valued and prioritised. Whether it’s a walk around the office block or a short guided meditation, these moments help create a more balanced workday.

4. Share a Laugh

Humor is a great stress reliever. Consider creating a space for employees to share jokes, funny videos, or lighthearted content to build team connections. Laughter in the workplace not only reduces stress but also builds camaraderie, making for a more positive work environment.

Consider setting up a “funny corner” on your internal chat or noticeboard, where employees can contribute lighthearted content. Laughter is a universal connector and can help break down barriers, making it easier for team members to relate to each other.

5. Encourage Work-Life Balance

Supporting work-life balance shows employees they’re valued beyond their productivity. Encourage team members to share hobbies or personal joys and look at how to support work-life balance. This can reduce employee burnout and improve job satisfaction.

Why Make Mental Health In the Workplace a Priority?

With work-related stress, anxiety, and depression contributing to a significant number of lost working days in the UK, mental health awareness is essential for creating a healthy, resilient workplace. Employees who feel supported in their mental wellbeing are more engaged, productive, and loyal.

By actively promoting work-life balance, employers can help reduce burnout, improve job satisfaction, and foster a culture of respect and inclusivity. Employees who feel encouraged to pursue personal interests and maintain a healthy balance are often more engaged, less stressed, and more committed to their work.

Ready to Prioritise Employee Wellbeing?

For a positive shift in workplace culture, consider these tips as a starting point. If you’re interested in leadership coaching, mental health workshops, or stress awareness training for your team please get in touch or use the contact page. Book a call today to discuss how coaching and training can empower your team and improve both leadership performance and workplace wellbeing.

I get asked a lot about who needs executive coaching. I understand what’s often behind this question. It’s usually someone asking: ‘Is it worth it?’ or ‘what on earth is executive coaching really … is it right for me?’

I’m a straightforward person and I’m not going to pretend executive coaching isn’t an investment. It’s not something to do as a new hobby because you’re bored. Yes, there’s a financial cost involved (more info here). But the far bigger investment is of your time, and your commitment to make changes. 

When is the Right Time to Seek Executive Coaching?

There’s no single right answer to when it’s the right time to seek executive coaching, but I’ve found that my clients and organisations tend to come to me for at least one of these reasons:

• They’ve reached a high level of success in their business but it’s starting to get on top of them and they feel like they can’t carry on like this
• They’re struggling in their work, and perhaps so busy ‘working’ and fire-fighting, they don’t have time for proactive strategy and leadership.
• They’re scared of being ‘found out’ as not really being on top of it all
• They have a big goal in mind – maybe a promotion, career change or growing their business and they don’t know how to make it happen
• Their relationships with friends and family are going downhill because they are thinking about work all the time.

The time to look for executive coaching is when you realise that you’re struggling to overcome adversity or you have challenges in your life that too hard to manage on your own. When I work with my clients I help them get clear on what’s holding them back – and very often, it’s not what you think it is. 

Think of yourself as an onion (stay with me on this!) and imagine the layers being peeled back. Getting to the heart of the problem is what executive coaching can do, in a way that’s nigh on impossible on your own. An onion can’t peel itself!

Here’s another sign it’s your time to look for executive coaching

– you’re itchy for accountability and support (even if you’re a little nervous about it).

There are some brilliant self-help books and study programmes out there, asking powerful questions and getting you to do some insightful exercises. And that’s great. I love those books too … 

But what happens if you don’t quite get to the core of the issue and just move on? Or (shock, horror) skip the exercises? I think we’ve all been guilty of buying a book, skimming it and wondering why it didn’t give us the transformation we’ve been promised (or, if you’re like me, you leave it on the beside table and hope it goes in by osmosis!!)

There’s no hiding with executive coaching – certainly not with me! Don’t get me wrong, it’s all explored with care and understanding. But if you don’t do the work, we’ll look into why. We’ll get to the root of it, and once you’ve pulled your blocks and limiting beliefs out at the roots, they’re not going to bother you. 

We’ll work out tools, tips, strategies that fit into your work, your life, your thought process … so that you actually make the change and use them!

Is Executive Coaching Right for Me?

So if you’re wondering whether executive coaching is right for you over the next few weeks, ask yourself:

• Are there changes I know I could put into place myself? (If so, go and do them, and see what happens. You’ll still probably benefit from a coach but you’ll be in a stronger place)
• Do I know there’s got to be a better way to handle my work and life? (If you’re totally happy with how things are, coaching’s not for you!)
• Do I want things to be different strongly enough to invest my time and energy into making change happen? (If the answer is no, coaching is unlikely to work for you).

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Yes, I want my life to be different, yes, I want to feel calmer, happier, more in control, yes, I know I need some help to get things shifting”, then you’re probably in the right spot to think about coaching. 

There are so many types of coaches out there and not all provide executive coaching (I’ll run through the different support available another time!) that it’s important to choose the right person to help you with your specific issues.

I never take on clients without talking to them first, so we can get to know each other. If you want to book in a free call, just send me a message or connect with me on Linked In

At the beginning of 2022 DDI said wellbeing would be the No.1 priority for leaders, especially as it’s a top driver for retention.

As we hit the halfway point of 2022 how is the focus on leadership wellbeing going?

Well, there’s new statistics out on leadership wellbeing and they are ones you really need to see!   I’ve collated a snippet of some of those stats here with some tips and advice too, and I’ll be sharing these and more in my monthly newsletter which you can get access to by signing

According to Deloitte’s research with Workplace Intelligence, C suite leaders are struggling with health and leadership wellbeing along with the rest of the workforce.

Results show that

70% of C-Suite executives are considering quitting their job for one that better supports wellbeing.

The study took place across US, UK, Canada and Australia to explore workforce wellbeing and to determine the role that organisations have on their employees quality of life. 

It’s not just employees who are struggling with health, wellbeing and excessive demands of the job.  The results shows that a shocking 7 in 10 of the C-suite surveys are seriously thinking about resigning their position.

If C Suite are Struggling with Leadership Wellbeing, Why Don’t They Do More?

What happens when we’re stressed, overwhelmed and burning out is that there’s a part of our brain that begins to shut down.  It’s a natural protective mechanism that happens in the fight or flight mode.  However, it also means that we don’t just shut down our own feelings, we shut down those empathic, caring feelings for others too. 

Complex decision making is also much more difficult, along with our ability to access multiple perspectives. 

This results in a disconnect between C-Suite perspective and employee perspective on how well and organisation is supporting wellbeing, which is evidenced by the results of Deloitte’s latest insights (below).

How Do C-Suite Improve Everyone’s Wellbeing?

When C-suite invest in coaching to support their leadership wellbeing and make it a priority to really, truly, honestly own how they’re feeling, the impact will be wide reaching.  They will become more purpose-driven leaders with better leadership wellbeing, skills and abilities.  It will also have a positive effect on their employees – at every level of the organisation – and on company culture.

86% of organizations saw an ROI on their coaching engagements, and 96% of those who had an Executive Coach said they would repeat the process.

Deloitte says the analysis shows early leadership wellbeing intervention is vital. 

Therefore, providing in-depth support where needed if a person is struggling, alongside organisation-wide education, skills and tips will give an even higher return on investment and culture change.

Looking after wellbeing, with a planned approach of both coaching and training will decrease employee absence, increase productivity, and improve retention.

Emma Langton

To discuss how you can implement positive, practical support and strategies for your leadership wellbeing and mental health awareness across your entire organisation, book a call with me. 

This article was previously published on LinkedIn

Emma Langton has 10 years experience in supporting mental wellbeing in organisations. She helps leaders with 1:1 coaching and organisations with training and workshops. Emma regularly provides insights on leadership and mental wellbeing on her Lessons for Leaders podcast and has been featured in Forbes, Metro, Yorkshire Business Review and The Press Business Section.