When Gordon Watson talks about mental health in the workplace, he doesn’t speak in soft terms, but rather in metrics.
“In business, what gets measured gets done,” he says, and for him, mental health deserves the same attention as any core business driver.
Watson, a visionary global business leader and senior adviser to the AXA Group, has spent decades steering major organisations across continents. But his latest mission is as human-centred as it is strategic: to make flourishing, not just functioning, the new benchmark for modern workplaces.
MAKING MENTAL HEALTH MEASURABLE
After years leading global insurers, Watson observed a persistent gap. “CEOs said they had a mental health strategy, but when we looked closer, only a fraction actually did.” That disconnect between intention and reality sparked a movement. Partnering with New York-based Columbia University and One Mind, a US-based nonprofit, Watson co-developed the Mental Health at Work Index, a science-based benchmarking tool that allows CEOs to measure, diagnose and improve their organisation’s mental health practices.
“The turning point was realising that while leaders believed in the importance of mental health, they lacked a way to quantify it,” he says. “The index gave them a roadmap — one that identified both strengths and blind spots.”
LEADERSHIP THAT WALKS THE TALK
For Watson, mental health is not an HR initiative — it’s a leadership imperative. He insists that CEOs must “walk the talk” by being open, authentic and willing to make mental health personal. He often cites an Australian CEO who asks team members, “How’s your mojo metre today?” and then shares his own — a small change in language that breaks stigma and builds connection.
True to his belief in data-driven change, Watson’s approach blends empathy with evidence. His three-step roadmap for leaders begins with benchmarking, continues with identifying what works, and culminates in embedding evidencebased practices — not as checkboxes, but as cultural foundations. “Leaders must own this,” he says. “It’s not HR’s job alone. Communication must be ongoing, not a once-a-year campaign. The goal is a workplace where everyone feels psychologically safe to bring their best selves to work.”
The stakes, Watson emphasises, are high. The hidden costs of poor mental health, from presenteeism to turnover, can cripple productivity. “The economics are clear,” he notes. “When people are in flow, their output multiplies. There’s no better ROI than investing in the positive mental health of your workforce. Studies show every dollar spent yields a strong return.”
FLOURISHING ON THE BALANCE SHEET
Watson’s latest venture, the World Flourishing Organization, sets an ambitious target: to help one billion workers flourish by 2035. Building on his Master’s in Global Mental Health from the University of Glasgow, he is convening leaders, researchers and practitioners to create an Organisational Flourishing Blueprint — a framework that treats human thriving as a form of capital. “Flourishing is an asset that belongs on the balance sheet. One day it will be recognised as central to business success, part of the secret sauce of high-performing companies,” he says.
Across boardrooms in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong, Watson sees a shift taking hold. Boards are beginning to hold CEOs accountable for employee mental health, often through risk committees where women’s leadership is prominent. For him, that signals both sound governance and cultural evolution.
What keeps Watson optimistic? Flourishing employees fuel better business, stronger communities and a healthier society,” he says. “It’s an idea whose time has come.”
His leadership philosophy blends data with humanity, showing that when compassion meets accountability, not only people, but entire organisations, can truly flourish.