Mental health in tech leadership

Leading engineering teams at Heard, a company supporting mental health professionals, gave me a unique perspective on the intersection of technology and wellbeing. The irony wasn't lost on me: we were building tools for therapists while navigating our own mental health challenges in a high-pressure startup environment.

The Stigma Problem

There's still a stigma around discussing mental health in tech leadership. We expect leaders to be unflappable, but the reality is that engineering executives face immense pressure-deadlines, budget constraints, team dynamics, and the constant need to make decisions with incomplete information.

Creating Space for Vulnerability

At Heard, we implemented practices that normalized mental health discussions:

• Weekly check-ins that went beyond project status
• Encouraging time off without guilt
• Modeling healthy boundaries ourselves

The Business Case

Teams with better mental health support have higher retention, better decision-making, and more sustainable productivity. It's not just the right thing to do-it's good business.

"You can't pour from an empty cup. Leaders need to model self-care."

Practical Steps

1. Normalize therapy and mental health support
2. Create psychological safety for difficult conversations
3. Measure team wellbeing alongside velocity metrics
4. Lead by example in taking breaks and vacations