Wellbeing Made Simple with Phil Wolffe
In this week’s Lead with Less podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with workplace wellbeing expert, Phil Wolffe .
With over 25,000 consultations under his belt and a decade of experience across diverse industries - from tech startups to Papua New Guinea’s gold mines, Phil is on a mission to make workplace wellbeing simple, practical, and effective.
Our conversation dives into how leaders can prioritise wellbeing without overcomplicating it.
Below, I’ll share some of the standout takeaways from our chat, but trust me, you’ll want to listen to the full episode for even more practical takeaways.
Why wellbeing matters in leadership
Phil frames wellbeing as a vital skill set that leaders and their teams can develop over time.
It’s not just about being lucky with good genes or circumstances; it’s about learning and applying the right strategies for your specific context.
And in particular, for leaders, focusing on wellbeing isn’t just about keeping people healthy - it’s about driving performance, creativity, and team cohesion.
Key benefits of prioritising wellbeing:
Phil’s approach to making wellbeing simple
Phil’s philosophy is so straightforward - connect people to a shared purpose, teach them the skills they need, and create an environment where those skills can thrive.
Here's how leaders can apply this in their teams:
1. Commit to wellbeing
Wellbeing starts at the top - for an organisation that's C-Suite, for a team that's the manager, for an individual, that's YOU.
Leaders must genuinely commit to making wellbeing a priority - not just with words, but through actions.
Phil even says "Commitment is even MORE important than resources. Without commitment, your resources won't really do much." (not verbatim, but that's the gist.)
This commitment means that when the choice comes up between wellbeing and something else (like money, we know), the commitment means that we will choose wellbeing. Because we know it equals more money returned in the long run.
2. Balance resources and requirements
Phil emphasises the importance of balancing what’s required of your team with the resources they have to meet those demands.
If requirements consistently outweigh resources, burnout is inevitable. Leaders can:
3. Focus on Recovery
High performing teams know how to rest and recharge - special forces, elite athletes - they know what it takes to perform at a high level, comes with taking adequate rest.
Leaders need to encourage recovery practices, whether it’s flexible working hours, realistic deadlines, or simply respecting people’s time outside of work.
It's really not rocket science.
Health vs. wellbeing: Understanding the Difference
One of the most insightful parts of our conversation was Phil’s distinction between health and wellbeing:
As Phil puts it, sometimes what’s best for your wellbeing isn’t the same as what’s best for your health.
Think of it this way: enjoying a burger and wine with friends might not be the healthiest choice, but it could be just what your wellbeing needs.
It's about knowing what you need and how to bring it back into balance so they are on par again. It's not exploiting one at the expense of the other either. Know yourself and what you need is always going to benefit you the best.
A Leader’s role in wellbeing
Leaders don’t need to be health experts to make a difference. Instead, focus on creating environments where wellbeing is easy to achieve.
Here are a few simple ways to start:
Want to dive deeper?
This is the tip of the iceberg from what Phil shares - this is honestly the podcast that every single person and manager needs to listen to.
Phil’s practical tips and thought challenging perspectives make this episode a must listen for leaders who want to create thriving, sustainable teams.
Tune in now to hear the full conversation - you won’t want to miss it.
As always, we love hearing feedback from the podcast, so if you've given it a listen and are keen to share with us - please do!
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