A valuable leadership trait
Responding to bad news deftly is a valuable leadership trait. It involves truth-seeking, decision-making, and course correction. These can happen only from the space of response rather than knee-jerk reaction. Good leaders do not shoot the messenger. They do not ignore the message. They do not scare others by saying, “We are doomed!”
Seeking support
Seek support when needed. Often, we shy away from asking for help or resources required for our work. Our reasons for not asking can be shyness, fear of being judged, or false thinking that others already know but may not care to help. Irrespective of our reasons, such delays may impact our career and the organization in the long term.
Taking time to heal
Recovery from mental health challenges may not have fixed timelines. Sometimes, healing takes time. Don’t get surprised if there occurs a relapse or prolonged struggle. ‘Take your time to heal. We are there for you!’ is a better expression of our support than ‘get well soon.’