With Mental Health Awareness Week underway, Liz Groundland posits that good leadership is not about removing pressure, but enabling people to handle it confidently.
Mental Health Awareness Week offers the construction industry a useful moment to pause and reflect, not because it is falling short, but because expectations of leadership continue to evolve. Construction has always been a demanding sector. What is changing is how we understand the relationship between pressure, wellbeing and performance, and the role leaders play in shaping that environment.
Live sites, safety-critical activity, tight programmes and changing conditions are part of everyday work. Most people who enter construction do so with a clear understanding of that challenge. Where leadership makes the difference is in how pressure is recognised and discussed, particularly as workloads increase or projects become more complex.
From my experience, organisations that perform well over time are those that treat mental health as part of everyday leadership, rather than something to be addressed only when difficulties emerge.
Managing pressure as part of the job
Pressure itself is not the problem. In many ways, it is part of what makes construction a dynamic and rewarding industry. Difficulties tend to arise when pressure goes unrecognised or when people feel they cannot acknowledge it openly.
On site, decisions are often made quickly and sometimes in challenging conditions, where focus and judgement really matter. When people are tired or distracted, or carrying concerns they do not feel able to raise, the risk profile changes. When teams feel supported and listened to, they are more likely to speak up, challenge unsafe situations and intervene early.
These behaviours sit at the heart of a strong safety culture and are closely linked to mental wellbeing. Managing pressure well is not about removing challenge, but about helping people operate safely and confidently within it.
Why mental health is now business critical
Mental health directly influences attention to detail and decision-making, particularly under pressure. It also affects engagement, retention and how consistently teams deliver, all of which matter to construction leaders and clients alike.
Supporting mental wellbeing means recognising that high performance depends on people having the capacity and confidence to manage the demands placed upon them. Increasingly, clients and supply chain partners expect to see this reflected in leadership behaviour, not just technical capability.
In practice, organisations that invest in mental health leadership tend to see this reflected in stronger culture, steadier performance and safer outcomes.
What strong leadership looks like onsite
Leadership on mental health is often practical and visible rather than complex. It starts with being clear that wellbeing and safety are connected, and that both sit firmly within leadership responsibility.
Presence matters. Spending time on sites, listening to teams and responding constructively when concerns are raised sends a clear signal about priorities. Policies and procedures provide a framework, but people tend to take their cues from behaviour.
This applies at every level of the organisation. Supervisors and managers who feel confident having everyday conversations about workload and wellbeing are better placed to support their teams through busy or demanding periods. These conversations do not need to be formal. Often, checking in early makes the biggest difference.
Encouraging open reporting of near misses and close calls also plays a key role. High reporting levels usually indicate trust and psychological safety. That openness allows organisations to learn and prevents smaller issues from escalating.
Supporting people through everyday action
Some of the most effective mental health support is embedded into everyday site practice rather than delivered through campaigns. Construction remains a people-led industry, and informal conversations can often be the most effective way to offer support.
Peer-led mental health champion networks are one approach that many organisations are now adopting. These involve trained volunteers who act as approachable points of contact for colleagues who may want to talk or seek guidance. Their role is not to diagnose or fix issues, but to listen and help people access appropriate support early.
“Construction will always involve pressure. The opportunity for leaders is to harness that pressure positively, creating environments where people feel supported and trusted to do their job well.”
At Avove, we have seen this work well through a network of volunteer mental health champions across site and office roles. While every organisation will tailor its own approach, the principle is widely applicable. Normalising conversation and supporting early engagement helps create a more open and resilient culture.
As with any aspect of health and safety, progress relies on honesty. Engagement surveys, reporting data and workforce feedback are valuable, but they work best alongside regular conversations with teams. Leadership walkarounds and site visits often reveal issues long before they appear in metrics.
Mental Health Awareness Week helps maintain visibility, but real impact comes from consistency throughout the year. Mental health leadership should be part of how work is planned, how teams are led and how success is defined.
Construction will always involve pressure. The opportunity for leaders is to harness that pressure positively, creating environments where people feel supported and trusted to do their job well. Turning pressure into performance is not about reacting to problems, but about building on what already works and recognising that strong leadership gives proper weight to people as well as programmes.
Liz Groundland is HSEQ director at Avove.
