Balancing mission and metrics: A CEO’s experience

By 2030, mental health problems are projected to cost the global economy $16 trillion. Image: Unsplash / Bethany Legg
- Running a company focused on stress reduction and sleep adds unique pressures, especially when aiming to support both customer and employee mental health, argues the CEO of Calm.
- Driving profits and well-being at once can fuel bold innovation, the company has found.
- Transparency and purpose keep teams motivated under pressure, and mindful stress management shapes a more engaged workplace.
When people find out I’m the CEO of Calm, they inevitably ask me, “Does your team meditate all day?” or “Are you calm all the time?” The honest answer is — I’m pretty stressed out.
To date, Calm has helped 160 million individuals worldwide find rest, relief and growth. We are there for people whenever they need us, day or night. Running a company comes with stress, but running one that people rely on to stress less and sleep more adds a layer of pressure I’ve never experienced before. Plus, our mission is ambitious — to support everyone on their mental health journey, including our employees. Striking a balance between pushing teams to continue delivering a category-defining product and ensuring they take care of themselves can often be anything but calming. The good news is that leading a values-driven organization like Calm reminds me that I must create a balanced work environment for our employees.
Here’s what helps us find balance: Make it clear that purpose and profitability aren’t opposites — they’re partners. Excelling in both allows us to help more people in meaningful ways. This dual focus drives us to model a modern, healthy workplace that blends employees’ values with the company’s full potential.
To help create a bridge for our team, we’ve leaned on transparency, reduced silos between management hierarchies and opted for direct communication, even when things are hard to convey. I emphasize the urgency of our mission and identify the most critical tasks. I also make it a point to share — honestly and unfiltered — not just business goals, but also what keeps me up at night.
Expanding the leadership circle has moved us from filtered feedback to direct conversations, ensuring everyone feels connected to our shared purpose. No more telephone games; we share ideas openly, leading to better communication and a more integrated workplace.
This focus on communication and mental well-being raises broader questions:
- Is there too much mental health talk at work?
- Are employers being pressured to act as therapists?
My answer is that the best way to support employees is by eliminating ambiguity — setting clear expectations and showing how their work contributes to the overall strategy.
At Calm, aligning purpose with profit isn’t just possible — it’s essential. We don’t have a stress-free environment, but we try to distinguish between good and bad stress. Good stress drives progress and growth, contributing to better mental health. Bad stress stems from ambiguity, alienation and lack of clarity — undermining well-being and productivity.
A healthy workplace embraces both individual values and collective growth. Personally, I feel mentally healthy when I’m working hard — often seven days a week — to grow a business that can exponentially improve mental health. But that’s me. It’s true for many CEOs. Most leaders make trade-offs between personal and professional lives. The key is understanding your values and acting on them. It’s about seizing the moment to grow Calm’s impact. At the same time, I respect that everyone finds balance differently.
When people feel supported, they thrive — and so does business.
”Balancing a company’s mission with business metrics is never easy. But leaders must find a way because it affects their organization’s productivity—and their bottom line. After the pandemic, The Lancet reported that 42% of US hourly workers said stress kept them from achieving goals. A 2021 Mental Health America survey found that one in five employees quit their jobs due to stress. The World Economic Forum named anxiety the world’s biggest health problem even before COVID. By 2030, mental health problems are projected to cost the global economy $16 trillion.
Companies have the power to redefine what a healthy, productive workplace looks like. It’s not mission over metrics or vice versa — it’s about helping our organizations find balance. Today’s business leaders can shape the future of work itself. Stress isn’t going away, but how we handle it can transform workplaces. When people feel supported, they thrive — and so does business.
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Olena Zelenska
February 5, 2025