Leadership mental health crisis exposed in new report

Leadership mentor, speaker and consultant Gary Parsons has teamed up with East Midlands Chamber to gather new research, which reveals the hidden pressures faced by business leaders across the region and beyond.

And to mark the first anniversary of his ground-breaking podcast Leaders in Disguise, Gary has released a remastered version of the very first episode.

The podcast was created to break the silence around mental health and wellbeing in leadership.

It launched after Gary stepped down as chief executive of a multi-award-winning business he co-founded and led for 15 years.

Despite its success, with clients across multiple countries, Gary was privately battling depression – a struggle that inspired him to share his story and encourage others to do the same.

To coincide with the anniversary, Gary worked with East Midlands Chamber to include a set of bespoke leadership wellbeing questions in its Q1 2025 Quarterly Economic Survey.

The results – from 338 business leaders – confirm a growing mental health crisis behind the scenes of UK leadership.

It found that 26.92% of leaders feel very comfortable seeking mental health support.

75% said mental health impacts their decision-making, yet only 4.76% make it a top priority.

Work-life balance (59.15%) and financial stress (53.35%) top the list of wellbeing challenges.

Finally, almost one in five (18.9%) report feelings of isolation or loneliness

Gary said: “These aren’t just personal stories, they’re warnings.

I always knew there was a problem getting leaders to speak out, but I didn’t realise just how widespread it was until this past year.

“Through Leaders in Disguise, I’ve heard story after story of people achieving incredible success while privately battling burnout, isolation, or mental health challenges.

“Many are risking it all behind the scenes with little or no support. We need to stop treating leadership wellbeing as optional. Leaders are the lifeblood of our economy – and right now, far too many are suffering in silence.”

Richard Blackmore, the chamber’s director of policy and insight, said: “Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of business leaders and all levels of a workforce is essential to building a resilient, productive economy.

“The findings of this research help better understand the pressures facing those at the top, which in turn will help shape a future where leadership and wellbeing go hand in hand.”

Leaders in Disguise is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

The full report, Leaders in Disguise: The Truth Behind the Mask – A Leadership Wellbeing Report, is available here https://garyparsons.uk/blog/leadership-wellbeing-report-2025/ .