More than 40 million adults worldwide, including 3% of U.S. adults, have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. These people often display higher-than-average levels of creativity, empathy, and resilience, yet, even with these traits, many do not achieve their full potential at work. We believe this results in part from suboptimal aspects of job design, managerial practice, and organizational culture that can be modified to amplify bipolar employees’ effectiveness. In this article, we offer three measures that organizations can take to bring out the best in employees with this condition.
Whether leaders know it or not, chances are their workforce contains people with bipolar disorder. This article discusses three measures that organizations can take to bring out the best in employees with this condition: modifying job features, training managers to…more
Some have called bipolar disorder the “CEO disease” due to its prevalence among entrepreneurs and senior leaders but of course, it affects large numbers of people in a wide variety of occupations and roles. It is a chronic psychiatric condition characterized by at least one period of elevated mood (mania in the case of bipolar I and hypomania in the case of bipolar II) as well as lowered mood and energy during depressive episodes. While it can have a significant impact on how someone functions, individuals with this condition can effectively manage their symptoms with medication, therapy, and maintaining routines.
In developing our recommendations, we drew upon the research available specifically on employees with bipolar disorder such as studies demonstrating links between mania and successful entrepreneurship. We also drew upon our own research on employee well-being in general, including many common side effects of having a disability at work such as loneliness and lack of psychological safety (Constance), psychopathology (e.g., social anxiety, borderline personality disorder) and reputational risks (Hooria), and emotions in organizations (Hillary). In addition, we leveraged the experience of Hooria, who spent more than 10 years as a licensed clinical therapist working with executives in Silicon Valley. Finally, to pressure-test and illustrate our ideas, we interviewed six successful executives with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder who work in various industries. These individuals have developed innovative software solutions, raised record-breaking capital funds, driven growth in startups, staffed thousands of workers, and led efforts that produced new scientific discoveries.
From these sources, we have developed three types of recommendations: for job design, managerial practice and culture. Our advice assumes that the employees are managing their symptoms well and are willing to initiate a dialogue about accommodations with their manager or human resources representative. We recognize that there are many barriers to disclosing disabilities to employers and, as Ludmila Praslova discusses in this HBR article, recommend that individuals carefully weigh the pros and cons of doing so.
For their part, employers should recognize that a lack of documentation of employee mental health conditions does not equal a lack of incidence. Statistically, any mid- to large-size organization is likely to have numerous employees who meet the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder. Thus, we encourage all leaders to consider this advice for enhancing their work environment.
1. Modify job features.
There are common features of jobs that can undermine the productivity of employees with bipolar disorder and that organizations can mitigate. Here’s how:
Consider a job’s impact on sleep.
Although all humans need sleep, the neurological basis of bipolar disorder makes it particularly sensitive to deficits or disruptions to sleep routines. This means red-eye flights, short sprints to different time zones, and regular late night/early morning meetings can be uniquely detrimental.
One of our interviewees, a head of talent acquisition at a UK government agency, flies to locations the day before major meetings to avoid the negative impacts of travel. Even if an early-morning flight is available, he says, “I need to travel the night before so I can perform the next day and the days after.” This enables him to stay healthy while delivering high output on the road.
Be flexible about hybrid work.
Working in person can leverage the extra energy and sociability associated with having bipolar disorder. On the flip side, working remotely can be helpful when facing depressive symptoms.
Our interviewees told us that working from home allows them to reserve their depleted mental and physical energy stores for important work tasks rather than expending it on commutes and in-person interactions. Taken together, it is helpful for employees with bipolar disorder to be able to choose their preferred level of personal interaction.
Allow some autonomy in what employees work on during any given day.
Employees with bipolar disorder can particularly benefit by matching their daily tasks and goals to their current mood. For example, a software engineer in the United States prefers to work on fundamental but important coding tasks, like debugging software during depressive periods and save the more innovative and challenging tasks such as designing new systems for other times.
Provide administrative support.
Bipolar disorder often occurs alongside ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions, a combination that can limit the person’s executive functioning and ability to follow through on bureaucratic tasks. It can help to relieve that burden through targeted support.
For example, a U.S.-based medical researcher became a star performer after being granted a part-time administrative assistant as an accommodation. Just 10 hours of help a week generated great dividends for her organization.
2. Train managers.
Research shows that supervisors play a tremendous role in the mental well-being of their direct reports. Unfortunately, our interviewees told us stories of managers ignoring requests to accommodate them, sidelining promotions, and even firing them after learning about their diagnosis. In other cases, their managers indicated they simply didn’t want to know details about the employee’s condition. One interviewee described her workplace culture as one of “shut up and color” — in other words, stay silent and don’t complain. Unfortunately, many bosses are unwilling or unprepared to talk about mental health issues at work.
The first step to eliminate these negative or unproductive approaches is to train all people managers in mental health basics. Such a course provides education about various conditions as well as practical guidance on how to respond to any disclosures and issues that arise. Organizations should also equip managers with clear information about the relevant health care benefits, compliance rules, and support protocols to guide their interactions with workers.
To facilitate open conversations about mental health, managers also need to promote psychological safety on their teams. Research shows that when employees feel comfortable disclosing a disability diagnosis, their job satisfaction and aspirations rise by an average of 30% compared with employees who withhold disclosure. To foster the type of open environment needed to reveal a bipolar disorder diagnosis, organizations can provide psychological safety training. They can also modify assessment and reward systems, such as including employee ratings of managerial inclusiveness in performance evaluations to focus attention on inclusiveness as a must-have instead of nice-to-have.
Moreover, many managers would find it beneficial to collaborate with their employees who have bipolar disorder on how to support them best. For example, a senior program manager at a start-up accelerator in Lebanon told us that she and her manager discuss on a weekly basis how she is doing mentally. If necessary, they reprioritize her deliverables or shift staffing allocations. This pattern has led to a trusting work relationship that has enabled the senior program manager to be a high achiever.
3. Promote a culture of performance and compassion.
Individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder are more likely to thrive in a culture that values both performance and compassion for employees. None of the high performers we interviewed expected or wanted to be coddled; in fact, high ambition is a common characteristic of those diagnosed with bipolar disorder. One interviewee said, “We’re strong. We won’t break.”
Nevertheless, the cyclical and chronic nature of the condition might impede an individual employee’s ability to perform at certain times. For example, most executives we interviewed said it was helpful to take a day off occasionally if their moods were fluctuating or they experienced side effects from a medication change. Some had taken off longer periods for more-intensive in-patient treatment.
An organization that demonstrates care for its employees, even in difficult times, is likely to generate greater dedication and effort in the long run from individuals with bipolar disorder. Leaders can evaluate and quantify their company culture in terms of both performance focus and compassionate care. They can also encourage peer support and build communities to help individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions to thrive.
When their condition is well managed, employees diagnosed with bipolar disorder are likely to bring unique talents and perspectives to an organization. It is worth investing in their success through adjustments to job design, management practice, and organizational culture. Tradeoffs may be minimal because what is good for employees diagnosed with bipolar disorder tends to improve the work environment for everyone’s mental health.
This article was written by Constance Noonan Hadley, Hooria Jazaieri, and Hillary Anger Elfenbein (HBR)