Episode 058: Mental Health, Trust & Leadership: Moving Beyond Performative with Dr. Steve Winkle

About this episode

The episode discusses building a psychologically safe workplace with insights from Dr. Steve Winkle on mental health disclosure and leadership.

What does it really take to build a psychologically safe workplace; one where people feel supported, not judged? In this episode of DBA Chronicles , we welcome back Dr. Steve Winkle, HR executive, leadership strategist, and mental health advocate, for a timely conversation during Mental Health Awareness Month. Steve shares insights from his DBA research on mental health disclosure in the workplace and what he found may surprise you. While many employees fear the consequences of speaking up, the reality tells a more hopeful story. Together, we explore the gap between perception and reality, the role of leadership in building trust, and why true psychological safety goes far beyond awareness campaigns. This conversation moves us from surface-level conversations to something deeper—how organizations can embed care, trust, and humanity into the very fabric of how they operate. What you will learn: Why employees fear disclosing mental health challenges and what actually happens when they do The surprising finding: 79% of employees reported positive outcomes after disclosure The difference between performative awareness and genuine psychological safety Why trust not policy is the real…

People in this episode

Hosts: Dr. Kelly Burich, Dr. Valrie Grant

Guest: Dr. Steve Winkle

Topics covered

• mental health
• psychological safety
• leadership
• trust
• workplace wellbeing
• emotional intelligence

Keywords

• mental health
• psychological safety
• leadership
• trust
• workplace culture
• empathy
• active listening

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: DBA Chronicles

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