25 November

This is Me talks to Alastair Young about burnout

As we approach Christmas and many professionals start to reach end of year work fatigue, This is Me presents a two-part blog series on burnout. In the first blog, we talk to Alastair Young, Partner & Senior Advisor at EMIR (Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research)

Can you share more about your personal experience of mental health challenges?

In 2014 I was a partner at Dentons, which is a large international law firm. I was also managing the Milton Keynes office and leading a team of very busy litigators. November 2014 was a particularly busy time, and I was leading the construction litigation team on a large and complex case which had been going on for a number of years.

In the weeks leading up to the point where I broke, I can recall feeling very unwell and increasingly felt unable to deal with matters that I would normally have been able to deal with without too much difficulty.

I experienced huge tiredness, with real problems sleeping;  it felt as if I had no time to do anything – working hard but achieving nothing; I was no longer decisive with too much self-questioning and I was inconsistent in the decisions that I made; I experienced a loss of confidence; and a growing and dangerous indifference to outcomes.

It all came to a head one Sunday morning in mid-November 2014 when I realised that this situation could not continue, and I could not go to work on Monday. The first person I spoke to was my wife, Sara.

In hindsight, do you think there were any warning signs that you missed or perhaps dismissed due to your belief in thriving under pressure? 

It all happened very quickly and to be honest it caught me unaware. I was conscious that I was struggling during the 10 days or so before the fateful Sunday.

I could, I think, have spoken to my wife, Sara, sooner. Clearly had I been as aware of the risks surrounding mental ill health in 2014 as I am now the outcome may have been different. Sadly, I wasn’t.

Your experience returning to work after a mental health break is quite unique, especially in the legal profession. Can you share what that transition was like for you and what factors contributed to it being a positive experience?

Fundamental to my return was the support I got from my family and friends, particularly Sara and the then Managing Partner at Dentons, Brandon Ransley.

It is important to recognise that my illness was not of the most serious kind, that said it took me over four months, during which I time I received medical support, to be well enough to return to work.

I was careful to listen to the medical advice and only return to work when they thought it was safe for me to do so.

Once cleared to return I didn’t delay, and I think that not delaying my return to work unnecessarily was also important. On my return I was careful to ensure that I spoke to everyone that I felt needed to know what had happened to me.

That way the subject was out in the open and there was less awkwardness. A gradual return to work, building up over several weeks, was key and I was very careful to monitor myself to ensure that there was no repeat of the symptoms I encountered in November 2014.

Although I didn’t advertise what had happened to me, I have always been very happy to talk about it.

Given your military background, where resilience and endurance are often emphasised, how did your understanding of resilience change after experiencing mental health challenges?

You’re right to say that resilience and endurance are highly prized in the military, and I had always thought that I was resilient. What the events of 2014 taught me is that no one is immune to mental ill health. I believe that everyone has a ‘reservoir’ of mental robustness.

The reservoir can, quite easily, be replenished but if it runs dry, due to excess overwork or another event, then most people are vulnerable. 

How did your mental health journey influence your leadership style, especially after you returned to work and eventually became a managing partner?

I tried to be more understanding of the pressures facing others and I also tried to be as flexible as I could be in allowing people to work in the way that they wished to and the way in which they believed they would be most productive and effective. 

That said law firms are highly pressured environments where hard work and long hours are the norm, often with insufficient resource to meet client demands.

Maintaining good mental health requires constant vigilance. Whether I was effective is for others to judge.

What specific strategies or changes did you implement to ensure that you managed stress better and avoided burnout?

The is no magic bullet to deal with this. If there was, we wouldn’t be dealing with the mental health crisis we now face. I now control my work and life balance very carefully, often turning opportunities away.

I manage my fitness and health; I exercise regularly and I do everything I can to maximise good quality sleep

You’ve developed a framework and product aimed at helping senior leaders build resilience and proactively manage their mental health. Could you elaborate on the key components of this framework and how it addresses the unique challenges faced by leaders?

I know from my experience at Dentons that there is a strong emphasis on good mental health and a great deal of support is available.

I am also conscious that whilst many organisations provide similar levels of support the support available for business leaders is often less easily available and it is often those in positions of leadership who shoulder the greatest stress for the longest time.

What can senior leaders do to create a work environment that not only supports mental health but also encourages a proactive approach to managing stress and pressure among their teams?

Hard work, client demands, sustained and high levels of productivity are not going to go away in the professional services sector anytime soon. Assuming that a workplace is otherwise professionally run then the best thing a leader can do is to foster a supportive environment and encourage openness.

If someone does reach out for help, whether directly or indirectly it is essential that the leader listens properly and is empathetic. From there decent human instincts will likely take over and the necessary help and support that is required can be provided.

How can leaders recognise and respond to mental health issues within their teams before they reach a crisis point?

Knowing your team is essential and it is important to look out for often small changes within a mental health context. Even if the leader does not spot a problem brewing, someone in the team likely will and it is important to recognise this when it happens.

The person who has spotted the problem may be reluctant to speak up and potentially break a confidence.

Having the trust and respect of your team is key to making this sort of communication happen in a timely and effective way and hopefully before a crisis is reached. This is not something that can be delegated to the HR Department.

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