In this insightful episode, Adam is joined by Dr Lalith Wijedoru.

Dr Lalith is a social health champion, emotional well-being consultant, and a former NHS consultant paediatrician in emergency medicine. He is the founder of Behind Your Mask, a consultancy that uses the power of personal storytelling to improve human connection and trust within teams.

In this interview, Dr Lalith explores the often-overlooked concept of "social health" and how organisations can leverage storytelling to build resilience, empathy, and retention. He discusses:

1. Defining Social Health: Dr Lalith defines social health as the quality of our relationships and connections, distinct from physical health (the body) and mental health (the mind), yet equally critical.
2. The Risks of Disconnection: The severe consequences of poor social health, which include not just loneliness but tangible physical risks like heart attacks and strokes, as well as mental health struggles like depression.
3. Project, Reflect, Connect: How storytelling functions as a mechanism to bridge gaps between people. By projecting a story, both the teller and listener reflect on their experiences, moving from monologue to dialogue.
4. The Mask of Leadership: Why leaders should drop their "professional mask" and embrace vulnerability. Dr Lalith argues that being human and authentic gives others in the workforce permission to do the same, fostering psychological safety.
5. Amplifying Hidden Voices: The importance of looking within an organisation for inspiration. Dr Lalith advocates amplifying the "hidden voices"—often introverts or those in process roles—rather than relying solely on external speakers at events like International Men's Day.
6. Musical Storytelling: A practical and fun icebreaker for remote teams where colleagues share stories attached to specific song prompts (e.g., a guilty pleasure or a breakup song) to fast-track relationship building.
7. The Power of Uncomfortable Truths: Why we shouldn't shy away from "sad stories." Dr Lalith explains that hearing about tragedy or difficulty is often what inspires us to make the world—and our workplaces—a better place.

Dr Lalith offers a profound and human-centric approach to employee well-being. If you want to understand the "missing pillar" of health and how to truly connect your hybrid or remote teams, this is a must-listen-to episode.

Connect with Lalith on LinkedIn: Dr Lalith Wijedoru

And check out Behind Your Mask

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