Why open-minded leaders win in mental health and business

Keywords: mentalhealth, leadership, impact, open-mindedness, strategy

Date: 5 June 2025, WorkLife Digital

Open-mindedness is often cited as a hallmark of great leadership, but its impact extends far beyond innovation and adaptability. For business leaders and managers, cultivating open-mindedness is not only a strategic advantage - it is also a critical driver of mental health and well-being, both for themselves and for the teams they lead.

The link between open-mindedness and mental health

Open-mindedness, defined as the willingness to consider alternative perspectives, try new experiences, and remain receptive to new knowledge, is foundational for personal and professional growth. Research consistently shows that individuals and teams who embrace open-mindedness experience:

Greater resilience and adaptability: Open-minded leaders are better equipped to handle setbacks, uncertainty, and change, which are constant in today’s business environment.

Reduced negativity and increased optimism: A closed mindset often breeds negativity and stress, while openness fosters a more positive and resilient attitude.

Enhanced learning and growth: Open-mindedness enables continuous learning, helping leaders and teams stay agile and competitive.

A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that open-mindedness, along with conscientiousness, promotes the development of resilience and adaptability, which in turn significantly enhance mental well-being. The study demonstrated that resilience and adaptability fully mediated the impact of open-mindedness on mental health, accounting for over 90% of the positive effect. This means that open-mindedness is not just a nice-to-have trait - it is a core mechanism by which leaders and teams build psychological strength and thrive under pressure.

Open-mindedness in teams: Psychological safety and group learning

For managers, the benefits of open-mindedness are multiplied at the team level. Open-minded leaders foster psychological safety - the sense that it’s safe to speak up, take risks, and admit mistakes without fear of retribution. This environment encourages:

Trust and collaboration: Teams feel valued and heard, leading to stronger relationships and better communication.

Higher learning capacity: Open-mindedness has a significant positive effect on group learning capacity, especially when combined with a shared vision.

Prevention of groupthink: By encouraging cognitive (task-oriented) conflict and diverse viewpoints, open-minded leaders help teams avoid the pitfalls of groupthink and make higher-quality decisions.

Real-world examples, such as Bell Canada and Starbucks Canada, show that when managers create open, supportive environments, employees are more likely to seek mental health support, leading to improved well-being and business outcomes.

The business case: Performance, innovation, and retention

Open-mindedness is directly linked to business performance:

Innovation: Openness to new ideas is the bedrock of innovation. Leaders who seek diverse perspectives and celebrate different thinking styles drive creative breakthroughs and competitive advantage.

Employee engagement and retention: When employees feel their voices are heard and their perspectives valued, job satisfaction rises and turnover drops.

Better decision-making: Open-minded leaders consider a range of options and potential consequences, resulting in more robust and effective decisions.

Practical strategies to develop open-mindedness

Open-mindedness is a skill that can be consciously cultivated. Here are evidence-based tips for leaders and managers:

1. Practice active listening

Hold regular one-on-one meetings and encourage team members to share their thoughts without interruption.
Use reflective listening to ensure understanding and validate diverse perspectives.

2. Foster psychological safety

Recognise and reward risk-taking and unique ideas.
Lead by example: admit mistakes and show vulnerability to normalise learning from failure.

3. Seek diverse perspectives

Invite feedback and challenge your own assumptions.
Engage with people who have different backgrounds, roles, or viewpoints - both inside and outside your organisation.

4. Embrace discomfort and curiosity

Step outside your comfort zone by experimenting with new ideas or methods.
Suspend judgment and stay curious when encountering new information or perspectives.

5. Encourage task-oriented conflict

Assign a “devil’s advocate” in meetings to question assumptions and stimulate deeper analysis.
Ensure disagreements remain focused on issues, not personalities, to maintain constructive dialogue.

6. Model intellectual humility

Acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers and show a willingness to learn from others - even your most junior team members.

For business leaders and managers, open-mindedness is not just a leadership style - it’s a strategic imperative that enhances mental health, drives innovation, and unlocks the full potential of individuals and teams. By intentionally developing open-minded habits and fostering inclusive, psychologically safe environments, leaders can support their own well-being, elevate their management impact, and position their organisations for long-term success.

Measure your own personal mental health here and identify your mental health risk areas.

WorkLife Digital is a global mental-wellbeing consultancy driven by the mission to improve the sustainability of businesses. Our psychological wellbeing tool, Worklife Quotient (WL-Q), is modelled on cutting-edge scientific research and provides organisation-wide measurement and intelligence on the mental wellbeing levels and psychological resilience of staff. WL-Q also assesses the impact of organisational practices (i.e. people and culture, leadership styles, organisational purpose and values, social impact) that have a direct influence on staff wellbeing and provides strategic recommendations on addressing risks and promoting strengths.

For more information, get in touch at lisa@worklife.digital

REFERENCES

Zui, C. et. al Exploring self-esteem and personality traits as predictors of mental wellbeing. Front. Psychol., April 2024
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1308863/full

Lord M. Group learning capacity: the roles of open-mindedness and shared vision. Front Psychol. February 2015
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00150/full

Forbes: How open-mindedness encourages growth in leadership. March 2022
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2022/03/25/how-open-mindedness-encourages-growth-in-leadership/