The ever-increasing expectations, growing demands and always-on mindset faced by our leading executives can threaten even the sharpest, brightest and most resilient of minds. It would come as no surprise to anyone at the pinnacle of their career that the World Health Organization has cited stress as the number one health epidemic of the 21st century.

Workplace stress costs us dearly. Financially it’s estimated to cost the Us economy alone $300 billion per annum, and personally, with a recent study from Harvard Business School and Stanford University concluding that high work stress increases odds of a diagnosed illness by 35% and the chance of early death by 20%. Stress is deemed to be as bad for us as second hand smoke!

So while the business world has rallied to recognise the importance of physical health in leadership performance, we believe that more can be done to ensure the whole self remains in peak condition. a 2016 survey by leading executive search firm The Lighthouse Company concluded that many leading executives will use their own techniques to refocus and reboot by either spending time with those personally close to them or with a qualified professional. It also showed that 80% of leaders are open to methods of psycho-education and therapeutic programmes to progress their professional development.

The traits that help propel senior executives to the top, such as superhuman stamina and resilience, can also mask signs that something is amiss – after all who wants signs of fatigue or unhappiness to be seized on by subordinates or indeed competitors? Furthermore, a 2016 report from the chartered Management Institute found the majority of UK managers spend 29 extra days a year working outside of office hours, more than cancelling out their entire holiday entitlement. Given the great leaps we’ve made in understanding the interplay between physical science and neuro-science, is it not time to take greater care of ourselves and those we lead?

Psyched has been designed to meet the demands of today’s leaders, be that through one-on-one executive therapy or by taking part in one of our exclusive residential retreats. Whatever your needs, or indeed those of your team, we believe that the power of psyched can be harnessed and tailored to deliver tangible, measurable benefit to your business and, most importantly, your people.

We have a duty of care to those that we lead, to those that lead alongside us and to ourselves as leaders.