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‘It’s non-negotiable to be well’ as a lawyer
Being a high-performing senior legal counsel, and then being able to successfully lead one’s team, requires a sustainable approach, says one head of legal.
Grace Robbie
In a recent episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, Mel Storey, the head of legal for the global tech firm Pax8’s Asia-Pacific division, emphasised that maintaining wellness as a legal leader is not just a personal property but a fundamental aspect of sustainable performance and advancement within the legal profession.
“It is fundamental, it’s non-negotiable to be well and to have a sense of sustainable growth and performance,” she said.
For Storey, the cornerstone of successful leadership is an enduring approach that prioritises avoiding burnout and emphasises the significance of health.
“To me, being a high-performing leader and team means a sustainable approach. It means not burning yourself out, and it means looking after your health as a number one priority,” she said.
Storey also pointed out the intrinsic connection between high performance and personal wellness, noting how legal leaders who disregard their health may find it challenging to fulfil the demands of their role. Additionally, she identified how essential it is to recognise and understand the patterns and behaviours that cause unproductive stress levels and to modify those behaviours accordingly.
“You cannot show up and be a high-performing individual, bring energy and bring fresh ideas, and be helpful if you are not sleeping well, if you are stressed beyond the usual nature of that stress point, where we all have a tipping point into what is not productive stress. Or if you’re perhaps not feeling your best within yourself, and we all know how that looks for us, and if we don’t, then it’s time to get curious and change things up,” she said.
One aspect of her life that Storey has had to alter to ensure that she performs effectively in both her personal and professional life is obtaining an appropriate amount of sleep.
To achieve this goal, she explained the specific strategies and measures she has put in place to prioritise and obtain the rest necessary for maintaining a state of freshness and engagement while working.
“If I’m doing early morning meetings, which I often am back in the US, I will carve out time in my afternoon for a nap. I did it just yesterday because I knew I had a late night, and I wanted to be fresh and well rested to show up in my personal life at an event that was important to me,” she said.
She added: “I was up at 05:00am for a team meeting with the US and the UK. So what do I do? Well, you know what, I set my boundary. And look, the senior already helps, but I carved out some hours in the afternoon to go for a walk, to put on a load of washing, and to have a nap.”
For many lawyers, the prospect of taking time away from work can be daunting due to the fear of something important occurring. However, Storey articulated how these fears shouldn’t weigh on you, as taking time for oneself is not detrimental to productivity but essential for long-term effectiveness.
“Ultimately, nothing happened while I was unavailable. Because, really, it’s not all of that urgent for two hours, but it’s just fundamental for me because if I don’t do that, it catches up on you.
“As from a week from now, I’m giving maybe poor advice because I’m a bit stressed, a bit burnt out. Maybe I’ve been partying too much to try and kind of blow off the steam or whatever,” she said.
Reflecting on past experiences, Storey remembered attempting to cope with worries and stress using these methods, only to find them unhelpful and hindering her.
“I’ve done that too. Last year. That was absolutely my mode and that did nothing to allow me to show up and give the best advice and be on point,” she said.
Storey also highlighted the way her current work facilitates an environment that enables her to maintain and enhance her wellbeing by offering an additional two weeks of annual leave beyond the statutory limit.
“We actually have six weeks of annual leave. It’s the extra two beyond the statutory limit, and you get those two weeks the day that you start.
“I was able to book some time off, you know, within the few months of me starting, which I absolutely have and am taking and was encouraged to because I’m here for, you know, the long term, and it’s a sustainable marathon, not a sprint,” she said.
