Fourteen years in financial services normalised twelve-hour days, weekend work, and a relentless pace that equated busyness with productivity. Questioning sustainability led to founding Invicta Vita to address executive burnout. At least 79% of UK employees experience burnout, about 35% report extreme or high levels, and 88% experienced burnout in the last two years. Seventy-five percent of C-suite executives are considering leaving for better wellbeing support. A culture now treats admitting fatigue as weakness, vulnerability as incompetence, and rest as laziness. The narrative glorifying suffering undermines leaders. Research shows rest and sleep improve productivity; sleep deprivation reduces emotional self-control and leads to poorer decisions.
I spent fourteen years in the financial services sector, navigating an industry where long hours were simply part of the landscape. Twelve-hour days felt normal, weekend work was expected, and the relentless pace was just how business was done. Like many of my peers, I equated busyness with productivity and assumed that working harder would naturally lead to better results.
The statistics paint a stark picture of our collective exhaustion. At least 79% of UK employees experience burnout, with around 35% reporting extreme or high levels of burnout. Even more alarming, 88% of UK employees have experienced burnout in the last 2 years. For those in leadership positions, the stakes are exponentially higher. A staggering 75% of C-suite executives are seriously considering leaving their positions for better wellbeing support.
But here's what troubles me most: we've created a culture where admitting fatigue is seen as weakness, where vulnerability is viewed as incompetence, and where rest is perceived as laziness. This toxic narrative is killing our leaders, literally. As founders and business leaders, we've somehow convinced ourselves that suffering is synonymous with success. We wear our exhaustion like armour, boasting about sleepless nights and missed meals as if they were achievements
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