It’s okay to not be okay!

More than one billion people worldwide live with mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders or depression. I came across this headline in teletext last month—and it truly shocked me.

Data from the World Health Organization shows that mental health conditions are widespread and affect all of us—directly or indirectly. One billion people. And many of them get up every morning, go to work, take on responsibility, lead teams—often with a smile that hides exhaustion, anxiety, or overwhelm.

It’s okay to not be okay!

And yet, in everyday professional life, we often behave as if exactly that were not allowed. That is why this sentence is not just a nice phrase—it is an invitation to rethink our attitude.

But we shape the organizational culture in which we work. In many companies, strength is still equated with control, perfection, and distance. So we put up a façade, keep functioning, and hope that no one notices how we really feel. But we don’t connect with façades—we connect with real people.

The research of Brené Brown brings it to the point: Vulnerability.

Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, but the foundation of trust, connection, and effective leadership. Employees and leaders who dare to say “I’m not doing well today” or “I don’t know the answer right now” create space.

Space for psychological safety, humanity, and genuine engagement. Because motivation does not arise from pressure or perfection, but from connection. And connection emerges where we show up as we truly are.