Managers aren't therapists – but they're the first point of contact where employees either let stress and strain become visible, or don't. How a manager responds to warning signs often determines whether someone seeks support early or only after a burnout.
What does healthy leadership actually mean?
It's not about psychologically analyzing every employee. It's about manageable behavioral changes: How do I approach a conversation when someone seems noticeably more strained than usual? How do I address overload without pathologizing it? How do I create a team climate where stress can be named openly? These questions are learnable – and studies show a clear link between leadership behavior and employee health and well-being (review: Gregersen et al., Das Gesundheitswesen, 2011).
How do you embed leadership development in WHP?
A half-day workshop builds awareness but not behavioral change. What works is repeated practice: simulating conversations, discussing case examples, peer feedback between managers. Organizations that make Healthy Leadership a fixed part of development programs build competence that's available in daily practice – and doesn't disappear again by the next high-stress season. A good complement is the best practice Leadership Training: The Lever That Strengthens Every Other Measure.
How do you put the measure in place?
- 1Define the group of managers and clarify needs: which topics are pressing – communication, employee conversations, dealing with strain?
- 2Select a qualified trainer or provider for health-oriented leadership and request offers
- 3Agree dates for a training series (several modules) with the managers and block the calendars
- 4Obtain a binding commitment from the management board so that participation has priority
- 5Hold a kick-off event and make the goal clear: healthy leadership affects absence and retention (Fehlzeiten-Report 2011 "Führung und Gesundheit" – absence report on leadership and health)
- 6Collect the managers' expectations and let them feed into the further modules
- 7Send out binding invitations to the follow-up dates of the training series
- 8Run the training modules in a fixed rhythm (e.g. one building block every 2–3 weeks)
- 9Assign concrete practice tasks between the modules – e.g. holding structured employee conversations
- 10Establish peer exchange among managers to discuss experiences and cases
- 11Ask managers to reflect on what has concretely changed in their day-to-day leadership
- 12Collect feedback from the teams on whether communication and the quality of conversations are noticeably better
- 13Plan refresher sessions and anchor healthy leadership in the leadership guidelines
What do you need for it?
- Effort
- multi-day
- Cost
- with budget
- Duration
- 16–24
- Setup
- 960 min
- ✓ Multiplier effect
- ✓ Culture change
- ✓ Sustainable
Tax and health insurance: what is possible
Employer health benefits can be tax-free under § 3 no. 34 of the German Income Tax Act (EStG) up to €600 per employee per year — if they are provided in addition to the salary already owed and are either certified (§ 20 SGB V) or implemented within the company's health promotion process. Gym memberships and corporate fitness are not covered. For ZPP-certified courses (e.g. from Upfit), German statutory health insurers can reimburse all or part of the course fee to their insured members — then only the amount exceeding that reimbursement is tax-free. Projects within the company can be funded under § 20b SGB V, with no entitlement. Only your tax adviser can confirm the tax exemption.
How it works in EasyWHP
This Best Practice in EasyWHP: adopt it, adapt it, measure the effect
Once adopted, the measure is ready in EasyWHP — with instructions, an invitation and surveys before and after. You adapt what fits your company and see at the end what it achieved.
Screenshots with demo data, no real people.
Adopt it for your company
Register for free — and the measure is ready to go in your cockpit: invitation, feedback survey and appointment are already set up. First cycle, first numbers for the boss.
Try EasyWHP for freeRather take a look first? To the live demo →
Contributes to
Measure the impact with
Action field
Stress & Mental Health →A fitting occasion
- Manager Health Check: "Feel Good, Lead Well"
Related Best Practices
Not sure where to start? Self-check in approx. 7 minutes →