McCann Group's Head of Talent: How to deal with executive stress

When we think of stress, we tend to think of it as a problem for lower-level employees.

But what about executive stress? The recent suicide of former Zurich CEO Martin Senn has shed light on the issue of mental health, and in particular the mental health of our business leaders.

Dr Thomas Heinsius, Head Doctor at Winterthur’s Policlinic for integrated psychiatry, explained the issue in a recent article for the Financial Times. He wrote: “If you are high in a hierarchy and have a dominant psychology, and you define your life and values as such, it can be very damaging for your psychological wellbeing if you lose your position.

“You become depressed if your psychological repertoire is not sufficiently equipped to deal with the new challenge.”