What Working Underground in a Gold Mine Taught Me About Psychological Safety at Work
Mon Jan 12 2026
What does good work actually feel like and what should it never feel like?
In Episode 72 of the mentl space podcast, Scott Armstrong is joined by Mark Rix, Group Managing Director of Sonus Group and the driving force behind the global Wellbeing at Work World Summits, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation about leadership, psychological safety, and why wellbeing must be embedded into how organisations truly operate.
Mark shares the formative experience that shaped his entire leadership philosophy, from working underground in a South African gold mine at just 18 years old, to leading global conversations on mental health and workplace culture today.
Together, Scott and Mark explore:
Why wellbeing is often talked about but poorly implemented
The real impact of untrained managers on employee mental health
Why younger generations are struggling more at work than ever before
How leadership, listening, and psychological safety affect performance
Why wellbeing is not “soft”, but foundational to long-term success
Across the region, leaders are being asked to deliver higher performance while building more human organisations. As the finalists and winners of the mentl awards 2025 demonstrated, workplace wellbeing is no longer a side programme. It is now a core part of business strategy, performance, and culture.
That is why Scott is proud to be chairing the Wellbeing at Work World Summits again in January 2026, marking his third year chairing in Dubai and Riyadh, and a return to Muscat as the summit travels to the Sultanate.
As a mentl follower, you can access an exclusive summit discount:
50% off tickets using code MARK50
An even larger discount is available by joining the mentl community at mentlcommunity.com
Riyadh: Thursday 22 January 2026, Alfaisal University, Riyadh - Click here for more information and tickets https://wellbeingatwork.world/summit/wellbeing-at-work-summit-middle-east-2026-riyadh/#Tickets
Muscat: Tuesday 27 January 2026, Omantel, Muscat - Click here for more information and tickets https://wellbeingatwork.world/summit/wellbeing-at-work-summit-middle-east-2026-muscat-2/#Tickets
Dubai: Thursday 29 January 2026, Standard Chartered, DIFC - Click here for more information and tickets https://wellbeingatwork.world/summit/wellbeing-at-work-summit-middle-east-2026-dubai/
🎧 Also available on Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
🔔 Subscribe to the mentl space for conversations that change how we think about work, leadership, and mental health.
Chapter List:
00:00 – Welcome to the mentl space podcast
01:20 – How Mark Rix personally defines mental health
02:43 – The gold mine story: “This is not how work should feel”
04:45 – Psychological safety, belonging, and being human at work
07:02 – Leadership lessons learned underground
10:18 – Why dangerous work exposes bad leadership faster
11:44 – How attitudes to wellbeing at work are changing globally
18:24 – Performative wellbeing and untrained managers
22:23 – Loneliness, younger workers, and psychological safety
27:59 – Leading across generations and the future of work
40:48 – What judging the mentl Awards revealed about real progress
More
What does good work actually feel like and what should it never feel like? In Episode 72 of the mentl space podcast, Scott Armstrong is joined by Mark Rix, Group Managing Director of Sonus Group and the driving force behind the global Wellbeing at Work World Summits, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation about leadership, psychological safety, and why wellbeing must be embedded into how organisations truly operate. Mark shares the formative experience that shaped his entire leadership philosophy, from working underground in a South African gold mine at just 18 years old, to leading global conversations on mental health and workplace culture today. Together, Scott and Mark explore: Why wellbeing is often talked about but poorly implemented The real impact of untrained managers on employee mental health Why younger generations are struggling more at work than ever before How leadership, listening, and psychological safety affect performance Why wellbeing is not “soft”, but foundational to long-term success Across the region, leaders are being asked to deliver higher performance while building more human organisations. As the finalists and winners of the mentl awards 2025 demonstrated, workplace wellbeing is no longer a side programme. It is now a core part of business strategy, performance, and culture. That is why Scott is proud to be chairing the Wellbeing at Work World Summits again in January 2026, marking his third year chairing in Dubai and Riyadh, and a return to Muscat as the summit travels to the Sultanate. As a mentl follower, you can access an exclusive summit discount: 50% off tickets using code MARK50 An even larger discount is available by joining the mentl community at mentlcommunity.com Riyadh: Thursday 22 January 2026, Alfaisal University, Riyadh - Click here for more information and tickets https://wellbeingatwork.world/summit/wellbeing-at-work-summit-middle-east-2026-riyadh/#Tickets Muscat: Tuesday 27 January 2026, Omantel, Muscat - Click here for more information and tickets https://wellbeingatwork.world/summit/wellbeing-at-work-summit-middle-east-2026-muscat-2/#Tickets Dubai: Thursday 29 January 2026, Standard Chartered, DIFC - Click here for more information and tickets https://wellbeingatwork.world/summit/wellbeing-at-work-summit-middle-east-2026-dubai/ 🎧 Also available on Spotify, and Apple Podcasts 🔔 Subscribe to the mentl space for conversations that change how we think about work, leadership, and mental health. Chapter List: 00:00 – Welcome to the mentl space podcast 01:20 – How Mark Rix personally defines mental health 02:43 – The gold mine story: “This is not how work should feel” 04:45 – Psychological safety, belonging, and being human at work 07:02 – Leadership lessons learned underground 10:18 – Why dangerous work exposes bad leadership faster 11:44 – How attitudes to wellbeing at work are changing globally 18:24 – Performative wellbeing and untrained managers 22:23 – Loneliness, younger workers, and psychological safety 27:59 – Leading across generations and the future of work 40:48 – What judging the mentl Awards revealed about real progress