Workplace Resilience: It’s giving… ‘just get on with it’.
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I still remember the chill I felt during a graduate event when a director spoke about a colleague who had taken his own life…
The indifference in his tone left the room of fresh graduates stunned. His intention was to be open about the impact of a high pressure career and to remind us to take care of ourselves. But his delivery was detached, as if it was just another slide in a presentation. I’m paraphrasing here, but it was something along the lines of: “It’s a shame but it is what it is… these things happen”.
Why does this happen in large corporations? Why does tragedy become a footnote, discussed like idle news without acknowledging the weight of the human experience?
Sure, things are improving. But the narrative around mental health in the corporate world can be brutal at times. It becomes easier to swerve vulnerability and treat even deep personal tragedies as impersonal announcements in the name of professionalism. In large organisations, the pressure to be perceived as professional coupled with repeated exposure to stories of burnout and breakdowns can create a sense of cognitive dissonance and detachment. Leaders may have also been ‘firefighting’ their own battle with stress at work for decades to the point where they feel it is just a right of passage to becoming successful in business. “If you can’t get on with it then you are just a snowflake who isn’t cut out for the job”… brutal.
Resilience isn't about suppressing our humanity—it's about embracing it.
The rise of ‘resilience’ training at work does have the potential to help people cope better with pressure by helping us to understand that there is both positive pressure (which helps us to achieve career milestones) and negative pressure (which leads to developing burnout). Understanding the difference can help us to perform well at work without becoming unwell. But there needs to be a very clear understanding from management of what a healthy approach to resilience at work actually looks like.
Prioritising ‘resilience’ in wellbeing initiatives has the potential to be taken out of context by leaders and basically become a rebrand of the same old tricks: the pressure to ‘be strong’, to ‘just get on with it’, and to ‘put on a brave face’. With this misunderstanding of resilience, taking a mental health day and going for a long walk, because you know it is the most productive thing you can do, is seen as weak and lacking resilience. This is simply not true. It shows self awareness, discipline and assertiveness. It is a strategic decision to preserve resources so we can continue to perform at our best.
Resilience is not about pushing through difficulties without showing weakness. It’s about prioritising rest, balance, and activities that recharge us. It’s about acknowledging when we’re struggling and talking about it and getting help. It’s not about never faltering, but about having the tools and environment that allow us to come back stronger after setbacks.
What if we made it a standard for leaders to pause and ask ourselves: Are we honouring the human experience in the way we communicate? Are we leading with empathy? A culture that acknowledges the gravity of mental health and leads with open honesty and compassion not only supports those who need it but enriches the entire workforce.
By fostering empathy in leadership and nurturing an environment where openness is welcomed, we can shift the narrative. There is so much strength in vulnerability. When leaders share their own stories and show genuine care, they create trust. This makes wellbeing initiatives feel real—not just a checkbox but a commitment to people’s lives. When we trust our managers we can actually talk to them about our mental health without fear of negative outcomes or being seen as weak.
It starts with awareness and small actions. We can lead by example and be the change we want to see. We can build workplaces where empathy isn’t just a nice-to-have quality in a person but an absolutely critical pillar of our society. We can create environments where people feel seen, heard, and valued—where tragedy prompts reflection, action, and support.
As a leader, you already know that your organisation is only as strong as its people. Take action by equipping your team with practical tools for managing stress and the opportunity for reflection with peers so they can thrive together. Contact us or book an appointment to find out how we can support you on this journey.
If you have an opinion on this subject feel free to leave a comment or get in touch to spark a discussion.
