Leading With Heart

Changes in Leadership

Dramatic changes in the world over the past decade have resulted in a changing workforce.  We are in a time when emotional health is at the forefront of everything we do, including how we perform at work as leaders, teachers, and mentors and at home as parents.  As a result, what we need out of people in leadership roles has changed as well.  Fundamentally, this means out leaders need to adapt to thrive.

The Power of Compassion in Leadership

In a world that often prioritizes profit, efficiency, and data-driven decisions, leading with heart is not just a refreshing approach to leadership, but a necessary one.  Compassionate leadership is not about being overly emotional or making decisions solely based on feelings—it’s about fostering connection, understanding, and a culture where people feel valued and inspired to give their best.

The Essence of Heart-Centered Leadership

Leading with heart means leading with authenticity, empathy, and integrity. It requires a deep awareness of one’s own values and a commitment to fostering growth in themselves and others. The heart-centered leader is one who understands their own emotional compass and is brave to do their own inner work and healing. Leaders who lead with heart prioritize relationships, recognize the humanity in their teams, and create an environment where trust and psychological safety thrive.

Why Compassion Matters in Leadership

  1. Stronger Team Connection – Employees who feel seen and heard are more engaged and loyal.

  2. Increased Productivity – When people feel valued, they are more motivated to contribute.

  3. Resilience in Challenges – Compassionate leaders inspire teams to navigate adversity with courage and unity.

  4. Positive Organizational Culture – A heart-centered leader cultivates a workplace where kindness and collaboration flourish.

The Lasting Impact

Leaders who lead with heart don’t just build successful businesses—they build thriving communities. Their legacy is not only in revenue and results but in the people whose lives they’ve touched. When compassion and leadership intertwine, the result is a workplace that fosters both personal and professional growth.

Are you ready to lead with heart? Learn all this and more in Julie’s newest book “The Heart Centered Leader”.

Leading with heart creates your BIGGEST impact

Being able to lead with heart sounds easy and can be!  To maximize impact, it’s important to practice self care – which, admittedly, can be difficult in the depths of a cold and dreary winter.   That’s why I’ve prepared some great tips to help get you into the right headspace so you can be your best heart-centered leader!

  1. Nourish from Within – Enjoy seasonal superfoods like citrus, dark chocolate, and warming herbal teas to support your mood and immunity. 🍊🍵

  2. Move Your Body, Boost Your Mind – Whether it’s yoga, pilates, or a brisk winter walk, staying active helps shake off sluggishness. 🏋️‍♀️❄️

  3. Get Social, Stay Connected – Combat isolation with cozy get-togethers, wellness retreats, or spa days with friends. Laughter is the best therapy! 🥂💆‍♀️

  4. Glow Up with Self-Care – Treat yourself to hydrating facials, body treatments, or an at-home spa night. Your skin (and soul) will thank you. ✨🧖‍♀️

  5. Embrace the Light – Maximize daylight exposure, open your curtains, or try light therapy to keep your energy levels up. ☀️

  6. Find Your Cozy Ritual – Whether it’s journaling, reading, or mindful meditation, create a daily ritual that brings you warmth and joy. 📖🕯️

Julie Cass

The Positive Change Group

The importance of promoting corporate workplace wellness

The importance of promoting corporate workplace wellness

The traditional work world is seeing a major shift in how employees operate. More people are putting their health first and taking practical actions to keep their mental health in check. With work-related stress and personal concerns, it’s no surprise that employees are leaning toward this route. And managers have begun to take note. 

This has led to corporate wellness programs becoming more popular in many workspaces. 

What is meant by corporate wellness?

Corporate wellness refers to any workplace program designed to encourage healthier lifestyle choices and habits that will improve the well-being of employees.  It concerns employees’ physical, emotional, and mental health and helps foster an organizational culture of health. 

By investing in employees’ well-being, managers are able to benefit from motivated workers who are healthy, productive, and passionate about their jobs.  

In order to be effective at promoting employee wellness, you must address all 5 areas:

  • Mental and emotional well-being
  • Social well-being
  • Financial well-being
  • Physical well-being
  • Digital well-being 

5 pillars of well-being at work

Mental and emotional well-being

The ability to think clearly, operate, and respond to challenges that work presents daily is crucial, not just for the workplace, but for life in general. If employees feel liberated to express themselves and ask for help, it creates a workspace culture of both safety and community. 

Social well-being

Social well-being works hand in hand with the mental and emotional well-being pillars. Feeling connected to other like-minded people and having a strong place of belonging can positively impact our social and mental health. It is important to create a connection, a culture of community, and togetherness among your staff. In order to keep work-play cohesion among departments and teams. Organizing team activities, breaks, outings, and socials can really help to boost the social well-being of your employees and a sense of community. I.e. pot lucks, sugar challenges, etc.

Financial well-being

Financial stress can really take a toll and add to your employees’ stress and anxiety. Money is important for taking care of our needs and giving us a feeling of security in our lives. Talking about money and money management isn’t always easy or comfortable, and it can be even more difficult to cover this topic with your employees. However, removing the stigma associated with financial difficulties while offering tools and resources like money management or retirement programs to help can make a big difference.

Physical well-being

The benefits of being physically healthy with exercise, a balanced diet, and quality rest as a part of one’s routine should not be understated. Contributing to your employee’s physical well-being can look like this: Flexible workdays, a workplace gym or gym membership, healthy snacks and Lunch & Learn programs offered exclusively to employees and direct family members.

Digital well-being

The digital world has become a staple in most of our lives, including in the workspace. Having control of the tech in our lives without feeling overwhelmed, and being able to control screen time, is essential. Knowing when to unplug from the digital world and having a good balance, even as it relates to work, is very important to your employees’ digital well-being.

As a leader, you can promote corporate workplace wellness by implementing these 5 pillars and getting outside help from an expert coach in the field. If you are ready to help your employees take the steps needed to get them on the right track to overall health and corporate wellness, let’s talk! 

by Julie Cass

The Positive Change Group

How Corporate Wellness Boosts Profits

business employees stretch break

What defines the success of your business? Is it profits, customer satisfaction, or impact on the community? The more you break it down, the more you realize all these factors have one thing in common. You can’t define your success without a happy workforce to make it happen.

Leave your workstation, and let’s go for a little retreat. It’s time to show you why corporate wellness is more important than you think!

What is Corporate Wellness?

To understand the benefits of a corporate wellness strategy, we must understand what it entails. Corporate Wellness is any activity or policy within the workplace that improves the health & wellness of employees. 

An effective wellness policy must encourage workers to adopt healthy habits, encourage teamwork and increase productivity without leading to burnout.

Why does corporate wellness matter?

Employees spend the majority of their lives at work. With more employees working from home than ever before, the work-life balance has shifted negatively towards a busier and more stressful lifestyle. 

High levels of inflation have also put a damper on our ability to reap the rewards of our hard work, while supply chains have crippled, making some sales targets hard to reach. This is the reality of many businesses today, but there are ways to help our treasured staff rise above the issues at hand.

Here are the Facts

  • For every dollar spent on wellness programs, workers spend less time absent and less money on healthcare. 1
  • Long working hours leads to an increased risk of heart disease 2
  • Stressed workers cost the US over 300 billion dollars every year 3

How to make your workplace fit for work?

An effective corporate wellness program can make a huge difference in your staff’s productivity and overall wellbeing. You may also notice a positive return on your investment as workers spend less time sick, less time exhausted and more time creating quality products and services.

Focus on Movement

One of the most popular corporate wellness techniques is to create an environment focused on the fitness of your staff. Establishing a gym at the office or incentivizing staff with a free gym membership may encourage them to stay on top of their game and keep healthy without breaking their pocket. Allow employees 15 minutes per day to take a walk as a health initiative.

Corporate entities may also offer cash incentives to employees that meet their personal fitness goals. This gives each worker a motivational boost, knowing that their company cares about their own wellness beyond the workplace.

Clear the Air

Smoking is one of the most lethal habits in workplace culture. Workers who smoke are more likely to spend more on health-related expenses and spend less time on the job. Heavy smokers may also have a lower life expectancy, which increases the turnover rate within the workforce in the worst way.

Smoke Cessation corporate wellness programs aim to reduce the number of employees who smoke through lifestyle coaching, special incentives for quitting, and medical support to keep them away from cigarettes. 

This simple strategy also boosts the public perception of your company as one that focuses on a healthy and happy workforce.

Team Sports

No need to wait for the next Olympics. You can host your own series of games from the comfort of your workplace. When workers are encouraged to take part in corporate wellness activities outside of the usual workflow, they may work better as a team, get a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses and show more initiative.

This can be as simple as a paper toss challenge or complex as a multi-level tournament for a cash prize. Teamwork makes the dream work, after all.

Retreats

It’s easy to lose focus on what’s important when we’re always on the grind. One of the most effective corporate wellness programs is a timely company-sponsored retreat. Releasing your workforce from the usual hustle and bustle for a week and experiencing something new together can do wonders for staff morale. 

A well-planned retreat may also encourage new idea development, increasing the company’s offerings and boosting profits in the future.

Encourage Breaks

A burnt-out staff is never a good thing. It’s important to create an environment where workers feel comfortable moving at a pace that yields the best results. An effective corporate wellness program should encourage staff to take a breather every now and then, without worrying about the pause in productivity affecting their performance review. 

Some large-scale companies offer nap rooms where workers can take a moment to decompress before continuing with the day’s activities. Google famously has sleep pods across the campus for this very same reason.

Lunch Luxuries

Food is one of the greatest motivators in the world. A healthy, tasty, and filling lunch program can significantly reduce stress, improve the diet and incentivize the workplace.

Corporate wellness programs should focus on the dietary needs of their workers and encourage a healthier and happier lifestyle. Many tech companies offer free snacks, beverages, and even meals at any given time of the day. Some companies may even deliver healthy snacks directly to your office.

Wellness Works

It’s easy to build a corporate wellness program within your workplace. Work within your budget and start building today for a better, happier & healthier workplace tomorrow.