Why Mental Fitness is the Secret Ingredient to High Performance

When people think of high performance, they often picture grit, drive, long hours, and relentless ambition. What rarely comes to mind is mental health.

But for Toto Wolff, billionaire investor and Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, mental health isn’t just important—it’s foundational.

In a recent interview with Men’s Health, Wolff opened up about how years of therapy and inner work have been key to his success—not only in the high-stakes world of Formula One, but in every area of his life.

“There’s this facade that men shouldn’t speak about these things because it’s a sign of weakness—and it’s not, it’s a superpower. It means you’re more aware of things that happen around you.” — Toto Wolff

In a world that often equates resilience with “pushing through,” Wolff offers a powerful reframe: the real competitive edge comes from self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and the courage to pause, reflect, and recalibrate.

Mental Health in High-Stakes Environments

Formula One is one of the most demanding sports on the planet. With a grueling race calendar, relentless travel, and almost zero margin for error, performance is everything—and rest, reflection, and emotional support often fall to the bottom of the list.

But for Wolff, prioritising his mental wellbeing became non-negotiable.

He shared how early childhood trauma and his father’s illness left him with lingering anxiety and emotional numbness. For years, he tried to manage it alone—until it became impossible to ignore.

“At a certain stage it became pretty unbearable. Not always, of course. For many years I would experience nothing, and then a difficult life situation would happen and that feeling crept back… Times came that I couldn't manoeuvre my way out of it.”

It wasn’t until Wolff began working with a psychotherapist using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that things started to shift. He began to recognise patterns of stress, trace emotional triggers, and build simple, powerful habits that supported his wellbeing: quality sleep, intentional boundaries, regular movement, and most importantly—emotional honesty.

“I've learned to acknowledge whatever it is that's bothering me. Men don't do that. They tend to go into avoidance mode, and distract themselves by staying busy. Many turn to alcohol, drugs, anything to provide moments of relief. Long term, that doesn't work. I recognise that pattern now.”

While Formula One carries uniquely high stakes, the same principles apply in today’s business environment. Leaders are navigating immense pressure, constant change, and increasingly complex challenges—and like in F1, their ability to make sound decisions, navigate complexity, face fears and doubts, lead with authenticity and integrity and perform depends heavily on their mental and emotional resilience

Why This Matters for Every Leader

Toto Wolff isn’t an outlier. He’s just someone who was willing to be honest with himself, seek support and speak out about it. And that courage is what sets the most effective leaders apart.

In today’s world, emotional and mental fitness aren’t optional—they’re essential.

The Landscape Has Changed

In a fast-evolving, AI-enabled world, the challenges leaders face are becoming more complex. And the cost of ignoring mental fitness, holistic health and success is climbing.

• 1 in 3 C-suite executives struggles with ongoing fatigue and mental health challenges.

• The majority of people have experienced some form of trauma which is increasingly recognised as a significant factor contributing to chronic illness.

• 70% have considered quitting their jobs to regain emotional balance.

• Over 60% of American adults are managing at least one chronic illness.

• Harvard predicts that 1 in 2 people will experience a mental health condition.

• The UK now has the sickest workforce in the developed world.

• And globally, cancer rates among under 50s are rising at an alarming pace.

The common thread in all of this? Stress, burnout, trauma, and emotional suppression are taking their toll. The status quo isn’t working.

High Performance Requires Inner Work

The most powerful leaders aren’t those who never struggle. They’re the ones who face those struggles head-on, do the inner work, and grow stronger because of it.

They:

• Regulate stress rather than suppress it

• Heal past wounds rather than pass them on

• Pause with intention, rather than push through at all costs

“For a long time, I figured I would never be successful in F1 because I thought, the guys at the top don’t have what I have—[my mental health] is always going to be my limitation. Fast forward, and I’ve beaten those guys by miles.” — Toto Wolff

This is the message we want more leaders to hear: Your inner world isn’t a limitation. It can be your greatest superpower.

Mental Health and Business Success Go Hand in Hand

Toto Wolff is also an advocate of investing in employee wellbeing, “I believe we need to create an environment where people can be happy and prosper and still live their ambitions. I want to get the best out of people, and that means listening to their needs, and creating an environment where they function best. We're really trying to invest in the people. Beyond taking care of the physical body, I also want everyone to feel like they can speak up and say when they're not feeling their best—and feel like there's no stigma around it. The bottle can't stay full all the time. I want to create a safe environment where we speak about the situations in our lives.”

Not only is it the right thing for employees and leaders, studies show there’s a growing body of research showing that investing in employee wellbeing leads to better business outcomes.

Oxford University found that companies with higher wellbeing scores consistently report higher profitability, greater valuations, and market outperformance. Remarkably, this was true across sectors—and predictive of future performance.

In other words: Investing in wellbeing is good business.

When leaders and employees are mentally fit, emotionally supported, and empowered to show up as their full selves—everyone benefits.

It’s Time to Rethink What Strength Looks Like

Burnout isn’t a badge of honour.

And emotional intelligence? It’s not a “soft skill”—it’s a core skill.

Toto Wolff’s story is a powerful reminder that being vulnerable, reflective, and emotionally aware isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom. And it’s time we make space for more of that kind of leadership—at every level of business and beyond.

=================

We’re here to help create a new leadership paradigm—one where leaders feel safe, supported, and in tune with their inner world. Because that’s where true high performance begins.

Want to build more mentally fit teams and leaders?

We’ve got you:

💬 Live programs for teams & leaders focused on stress regulation, self-awareness, and holistic performance.

📘 The Mental Fitness Workbook for individuals ready to do the work.

🚀 Coming soon: Our Mental Fitness Platform—a daily space to grow, reflect, and build resilience.

Let’s reshape what strength looks like at work—and in life.

It starts with the inner work.

👉 Book a discovery call or email us hello@wondersource.co to learn more.