Why the Best Leaders Show Care with Graeme Cowan

What if I told you that a more relaxed office environment could lead to better performance?Well, today we are joined by the awesome Graeme Cowan to explain his philosophy of the Caring CEO. Graeme Cowan is a resilience author, speaker and a founding director of R U OK? He is a former senior executive at Johnson & Johnson and Kearney, and host of the #2 globally-ranked workplace mental health podcast “The Caring CEO”. Graeme specialises in preventing and treating work related fatigue, stress and poor innovation, and his new book “Great Leaders Care” delivers a practical, evidence-based framework for leading teams that perform under pressure and stay resilient.In this insightful interview, Graham Cowan, resilience author and workplace mental health expert, shares practical strategies for integrating results and wellbeing in leadership. Discover how caring leadership, psychological safety, and a focus on soft skills can transform organizational culture and drive measurable business outcomes.To reach out to Graeme:https://graemecowan.com.au/https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemecowan1/To listen to his podcast "The Caring CEO": https://wecare365.com.au/podcast/And to access Graeme's additional resources just for listeners:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LS3qBetjrKUVNngYHNZSdbMXERIty0QT?usp=sharingFor more information on Alena and the Real Math of Business:https://www.alenabennett.com.au/https://www.linkedin.com/in/alenabennett/Chapters00:00 Introduction to Graham Cowan and His Work00:38 Thought Provoking Question (TPQ)04:04 The Real Math of Business: Results vs. Wellbeing10:26 Defining Wellbeing: Vitality, Intimacy, and Prosperity14:20 The People and Math Ratio in Leadership18:24 Why Care Isn't Soft: The Leadership Advantage22:33 The Importance of Psychological Safety in Teams28:34 The Green Zone vs. Red Zone: Understanding Mood and Performance34:18 The Importance of Self-Awareness and Breaks34:50 Life or Death Scenarios in Work Environments35:35 Integrating Personal Needs in Corporate Norms37:14 Psychological Safety and Productivity39:00 Honesty About Mental Health in the Workplace40:01 Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Approaches in Organizations42:14 Cultural Change in Large Organizations44:51 The Impact of Leadership on Employee Engagement46:52 Encouraging Suggestions and Innovation49:12 Measuring Intangible Aspects of Well-Being51:42 The Role of Clarity in Organizational Culture52:47 Challenges in Leadership and Organizational Culture01:02:10 Introduction to Corporate Money Mindset01:02:11 Listener Question: Hiring a Manager01:05:24 Reflections on Good Management Practices