Why workplace wellbeing is a leadership imperative

Gone are the days when workplace wellbeing was just another corporate buzzword. Whenever the word ‘wellbeing’ is mentioned in an organisation, more often than not, it is associated with the mental health of its employees. Or it is perceived as something to do with stress and depression. Not anymore. At least not in Malaysia. 

So, what has changed? And why has wellbeing recently become more relevant in Malaysia’s workplace? How are business leaders and organisations prioritising employees’ wellbeing as a leadership imperative beyond performance and success metrics? 

To say the least, effective managers and leaders must first be expected to prioritise their own wellbeing before they can be authentic managers and leaders to ‘walk their talk’ in leading great teams. It’s about their commitment to the wellbeing of every employee in their organisation. 

While managers and leaders were figuring out how best to create and build a culture that supports employees’ wellbeing in pursuit of driving business growth, they were in for a rude revelation. The recent release of Malaysia’s 2025 Well-Being@Work Index Report would have brought all organisational wellbeing plans and initiatives to a screeching halt. 

• More CMI Asia-Pacific insights: why networking matters – and how to get it right

Here is the brutal truth

• Wellbeing isn’t just about mental health struggles anymore. It’s about what we really want for ourselves, our family, our friends and everyone around us.
• Wellbeing is not an individual goal. It is a shared responsibility of organisations, managers, leaders, teams, employees and individuals.
• Wellbeing needs to be measured. How else would organisations know that their initiatives have made an impact, if any?
• Hitherto, there has been no one unified, validated, global index that measures wellbeing consistently. But now, we have the Index Report.

What better time than now, when CMI Malaysia convened a high-level roundtable discussion, hosted by the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (BMCC) at the BMCC office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia? Sixteen professionals, senior business leaders and managers from across various industries, academia and corporations, including CMI’s membership community, were invited to participate in the discussion. The roundtable was chaired by Professor Dato’ Seri Mohamed Mustafa Ishak CMgr CCMI, chair of the CMI Malaysia Regional Board, with participation from two other board members, Ts Dr Kelly Wee Kheng Soon CMgr FCMI and Dr Christina SS Ooi FCMI.