Had to sit on this one. Quite frankly, I don’t have a bumper sticker answer, more of a gut feeling.
I have always been a fan of the “mission first, people always” mantra. But I seldom say it out loud because it becomes trite.
But it reminds me of a question from my CQB. https://twitter.com/scottjstephens/status/1328419087941177344

CQB is a command qualification board that happens during your DH tour. Usually 2 or 3 COs and 1 O-6 (my DCAG at the time.)
DCAG asked me what was more important, the mission or the people?
I knew what he wanted the answer to be: people. I said mission.

His response was of course people. But because if your people are trained and ready, mission accomplishment happens as a by-product.
Okay, valid, but not the way my brain works.

I think on the extremes where I have to send aircrew on mission where they may not come back. If people were the priority, I wouldn’t send them.

This is my same calculus for the lack of a safety policy for my squadron. Our job is inherently dangerous. If safety was the priority I wouldn’t fly the planes and instead put us in a padded room wearing helmets.

But, and this is a big but, there is a lot of maneuvering room of taking care of the individual while still accomplishing the mission. It requires leadership and attentiveness on all levels to tailor a response to each member of the squadron.

As a CO, this is where the rubber meets the road for my authority and communicating my intent.
I am a huge fan of letting people take a knee when they need it. However, if someone is taking too many knees, we need to make a hard decision to not jeopardize the mission.

There is a passage from Ender’s Game that mentions with large groups he is direct and demanding but when working with individuals he is calm and patient.
That one has always stuck with me, because I hear it in the back of my mind as I interact with my squadron on a daily basis.