What Hiring Teams Get Wrong About Ambition

Ambition: a word that should signal energy, drive, and growth potential yet too often, hiring teams misinterpret or even mistrust it.

In their article, “Ambition Isn’t a Dirty Word”, Harvard Business Review highlights how ambition gets unfairly judged, especially in environments where it’s viewed as self-serving or aggressive. In recruitment, these misunderstanding leads hiring teams to overlook talented individuals who are, in fact, quietly and sustainably ambitious.

From my experience as a recruiter, here’s what hiring teams consistently get wrong about ambition and how to change that.

They Equate Ambition with Aggressiveness

HBR reminds us that ambition doesn’t have to manifest as cutthroat behaviour or ego-driven leadership yet many hiring managers are drawn to candidates who “talk big,” assuming confidence equals drive.

What to do instead: Look for evidence of purpose-driven ambition. Does the candidate articulate long-term goals, growth plans, or a clear sense of contribution? Ambition isn’t about dominating the room it’s about direction.

They Penalize Quiet or Non-Linear Candidates

Harvard Business Review points out that ambitious people aren’t always the loudest in the room, likewise, candidates who’ve taken non-traditional career paths are sometimes unfairly dismissed. True ambition often looks like someone willing to take unconventional steps to develop themselves.

As recruiters, we need to advocate for candidates who:

• Took lateral moves to build skills.
• Pivoted industries to challenge themselves.
• Built careers through perseverance, not just promotions.

They Reward Burnout as “Hustle”

HBR warns against glamorizing overwork as ambition yet hiring teams sometimes favour candidates who brag about non-stop schedules. In reality, sustainable ambition is strategic not self-destructive.

Best practice: Ask how candidates’ recharge and grow. People investing in themselves for long-term goals are more likely to stay and contribute at a higher level.

They Focus on Past Opportunity, Not Potential

A lack of advancement in a previous role isn’t necessarily a lack of ambition. As HBR notes, ambitious individuals may be held back by restrictive environments, not their own lack of drive.

Advice to hiring managers: Focus on intent and initiative, not just outcomes. Did the candidate seek learning opportunities? Did they push for change even in challenging settings?

Redefining Ambition in Hiring

As HBR puts it, ambition is a “desire to achieve success on your own terms.” It’s personal, evolving, and often quiet. If hiring teams continue to mistake style for substance, they’ll keep missing out on high-potential hires.

At Corvus People, we encourage hiring managers to rethink what ambition looks like in candidates:

• Prioritise purpose and growth over bravado.
• Value resilience and learning journeys.
• Respect sustainable drive not burnout culture.

Because real ambition isn’t about looking impressive in an interview, it’s about consistently pursuing growth and helping your company grow too.

By Helen Cosgrove, Senior Recruiter at Corvus People

When the Role Can’t Hold the Candidate: Why Executive Hires Fail (and How to Get It Right)

We’ve all heard it before: “They looked perfect on paper.” The CV was impeccable, the interview was smooth, their experience, impressive, even enviable and yet, six months in, something’s not working.

The reason, the role simply couldn’t hold the candidate.

This is an increasingly common and costly issue at the senior and executive level. You secure a high-calibre leader, but the position itself lacks the scope, challenge or strategic alignment to keep them engaged. Before long, they’re restless, under-utilised or quietly plotting their next move.

The Real Cost of a Misaligned Hire

As Forbes’ The High Cost of a Bad Hire highlights, hiring mistakes aren’t just budget line items they derail strategic initiatives, drag down morale, and drain time and energy from the wider team. When the hire is senior, the ripple effect can spread across departments and reach all the way to board-level frustration.

But the root cause isn’t always the person. Often, it’s the role itself or more specifically, a mismatch between the position and the candidate’s capacity, pace or ambition.

Why Prestige Does Not Mean Equal Fit

It’s tempting to chase the big CV. Someone with a high-flying background, household-name employers and all the credentials but as Susan Pike Partners and 1EQ Consultants highlight, hiring for prestige without clearly defining what the role really requires often leads to misalignment.

Executives want to make an impact. If the role lacks challenge, influence or decision-making scope, they will outgrow it or lose interest entirely. A role that does not stretch and evolve becomes a cage instead of a platform.

The Hidden Reasons Executive Hires Fail

Loxo’s 7 Reasons Why Half of Executive Searches Fail digs deeper, pointing to issues like:

• Vague, shifting briefs
• Internal misalignment between decision-makers
• Over-reliance on gut feel instead of structured, evidence-based hiring

The result, mismatched expectations, poor integration and high churn at the most senior levels of the business.

Getting it Right: The Case for Clarity and Partnership

So what’s the solution? It isn’t just about finding stronger candidates it’s about building a stronger process from the very beginning, one that focuses on clarity, alignment and mutual fit.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Start with the “why,” not the wish list
What is the real challenge this hire is solving? What does success actually look like?

Design the role around outcomes, not titles
Think about the impact needed at 6, 12 and 18 months. Does the role truly allow for it?

Be honest about pace, politics and structure
A brilliant candidate can still struggle in a system that does not support or trust their leadership.

Partner closely with your recruiter
When your recruiter understands the job, the context, the culture and where the business is going, they become a strategic advisor not just a CV provider.

Too often, talented executives are placed in roles that were never truly set up for success. The result is frustration, misalignment, and ultimately, turnover. That’s why a more thoughtful approach to executive hiring is essential one that prioritises clarity, cultural fit, and long-term support from the start.

Organisations that take the time to define clear outcomes, assess both capability and behavioural fit, and build roles that can truly support high-performing leaders are far more likely to see those leaders stay, thrive, and deliver real impact.

Because great hires aren’t just qualified they’re energised and the right role doesn’t just attract them, it holds them, if it can’t, eventually, it won’t.

By Charlene Craig, Senior Recruiter at Corvus People

More of the CVs I see tick every box. They quantify impact, they tell the story, properly and that would usually mean, “they’re worth a screening call”.

It’s very different to how it was even 12 months ago.

It’s going to lead to a significant time sink for internal hiring teams and hiring managers.

Unless you’ve got somebody at the front end who knows how to properly interview and assess talent, you’re just going to waste more time. And time, in this context? That’s bad hires, wasted budget, slower growth, internal friction… take your pick.

How many leaders/managers have had proper interview training?

How many managers know how to properly score an interview, read body language, take detailed notes, probe deeply into what somebody has achieved?

I’d argue it’s fewer than you’d think.

Most people become managers due to being good at the job they do. They then become responsible for hiring people. They usually learn how to interview from somebody else who didn’t have interview training.

How it used to work (in a lot of businesses):

A need arises because Jeff handed his notice in. They’d dust off an old Job Description (probably from a few years ago), change the last reviewed date in the footer to today’s date and then post it on a job board (and probably send it out to a few recruiters). When it comes to interviewing, they’d either look for past interview questions or if they couldn’t find them, they’d use their trusty friend, Mr/Mrs. google for some.

Simple.

We had a candidate last month who looked perfect on paper. But five minutes into the interview, it was clear they couldn’t evidence half of it… (Has it happened to you yet?)

Nowadays, they go onto their chosen AI model, ask it for a JD for a _______ role. Then ask it to write an advert. Then get it to create some interview questions. If they’re really good with AI, they’ll also ask for a scoring matrix.

On the candidate side. They’re wise to this. They upload the JD to their chosen AI model (potentially the same one as the hiring company) alongside their CV and they ask it to “tailor my CV to this job”.

Few seconds later, and depending on how good they are at prompting, out pops a CV that looks like a perfect fit for the role.

They hit apply. The CV does the job. A few days later, they’re invited to interview.

They don’t remember applying for the role. So they dig out the JD, upload it to their model, and ask: “What questions might I get?”

Then they go one step further: “Based on my CV, how should I answer that?”

So, you now have a bunch of candidates with cracking CVs, ready prepared answers to your questions and a bit of initiative.

So what happens when you’ve got polished answers, polished CVs… and no one in the room trained to tell the difference? Do you see the problem yet?

In a market this competitive, if you can’t tell what’s real at interview… someone else will.

That’s the bit we focus on at Corvus People, getting past the polish.

We ask better questions (We often hear “that’s a good question, I’ve not heard that one before”) and we know what to look for.

It’s what we do every day, and if that kind of sharp thinking would help you, just give me a shout.

By Michael Hewitt

AI is no longer a future concept, it’s here, embedded in our workspaces, reshaping roles, and redefining what it means to be “employable.” As AI agents become increasingly capable of performing tasks once thought to be exclusively human, from analysing data to writing code to managing workflows, the natural question arises: What do we bring to the table that AI can’t replicate?

The answer lies not in doing what machines do faster, but in leaning into what makes us fundamentally human. For too long, the world of work has prioritised IQ technical knowledge, reasoning, and hard skills while EQ (emotional intelligence) has been sidelined as a “nice to have.” That era is over.

To stay relevant and to prosper we need to actively develop the intersection between EQ and IQ. In fact, the most valuable skills of the AI era may well be those we’ve traditionally labelled “soft skills.” It’s time to recognise them as the core skills of the future.

Here are the five human skills you must develop to accelerate in the age of AI:

Imagination: Seeing What Hasn’t Been Seen

AI excels at identifying patterns based on what’s come before. It looks back to predict or generate what might come next. But it doesn’t imagine. It doesn’t dream, hope, or intuit something entirely new.

Imagination is where innovation begins. It’s the ability to see beyond the data, beyond the trend, and beyond the obvious. Whether you’re designing new products, building a brand, or reimagining an entire industry, your capacity to imagine is your competitive edge.

Growth Mindset: Adapting to the Unknown

A growth mindset, the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, is no longer optional. AI is evolving fast, and so must we.

In a world where the “right” answers can be retrieved in seconds, the real value lies in asking better questions, being open to feedback, learning new tools, and getting comfortable with uncertainty. The professionals who thrive will be those who embrace change, not resist it.

Creativity: Sparking the Original Thought

AI can assist creativity, it can riff, remix, and generate ideas based on what already exists. But the original spark, the leap that connects seemingly unrelated concepts, still starts with a human.

Creativity is not confined to the arts. It’s critical in problem-solving, strategy, leadership, and innovation. The more you cultivate divergent thinking, the more value you bring in a world where sameness is increasingly automated.

Storytelling: Making Meaning, Creating Connection

In a data-rich world, storytelling becomes the differentiator. It’s how we make sense of complexity, build trust, and inspire action. Whether you’re pitching an idea, leading a team, or presenting to stakeholders, your ability to tell a compelling story is what creates resonance.

AI can mimic structure, even tone but it lacks emotional resonance. It doesn’t live experience. Only humans can draw on nuance, empathy, and shared meaning to tell stories that truly move others.

Conscience: Leading with Empathy and Integrity

As the All Blacks say, great players ‘leave the shirt in a better place.’ This ethos speaks to something AI simply cannot replicate: conscience. It’s the ability to act with integrity, to weigh ethical implications, to care.

In practice, this means empathy, active listening, moral judgement, and the ability to consider others’ perspectives. In a world of automation, these deep human capacities will become more essential, not less especially in leadership.

The Takeaway: Be More Human, Not More Machine

AI will continue to take on more of the mechanical, analytical, and even creative workload. That’s a reality we must embrace. But that doesn’t mean we become obsolete. It means we must become more human.

The skills we’ve traditionally undervalued, imagination, adaptability, creativity, connection, and conscience are emerging as the true power skills of the 21st century. The challenge now is to develop an awareness of these capabilities, to actively build them, and to lead with them.

In a competitive, AI-enhanced world, the humans who will accelerate ahead are those who lean into what makes us irreplaceable.

By Mollie Weatherup

In a world increasingly augmented by AI, the spotlight is shifting to the human skills machines can’t replicate; imagination, creativity, emotional intelligence, ethical reasoning, and storytelling. These aren’t just “nice to have” anymore. They are becoming the core skills of high-performance teams and resilient organisations.

But there’s a catch.

We’ve spent decades assessing IQ and technical ability, with well-established testing and development frameworks. Meanwhile, critical human skills, often bundled under vague terms like “soft skills” or “emotional intelligence” have remained undermeasured and underdeveloped.

That has to change.

To keep pace with AI and retain our relevance, we must treat these human capabilities with the same rigour and intentionality we’ve historically reserved for technical skill. That means we need to measure them, develop them, and embed them into how we recruit, assess, promote, and lead.

Why Measurement Matters

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Historically, we’ve hesitated to measure human-centred skills because they feel subjective or harder to quantify. But that no longer holds water.

Modern assessment tools are now available that can reliably evaluate human skills such as:

Emotional intelligence (EQ) – through validated tools like the EQ-i 2.0 or MSCEIT

Creativity and divergent thinking – using tasks that assess originality, fluency, and flexibility

Imagination and future-thinking – through scenario-based assessments and innovation simulations

Storytelling and communication – via structured narrative exercises and audience feedback

Moral reasoning and empathy – with ethical dilemma frameworks, 360 reviews, or behavioural interviews

Forward-thinking companies are already embedding these assessments into leadership development, hiring, and team building, not as add-ons, but as core competencies.

How to Develop These Skills in Practice

Unlike some technical skills, human skills aren’t “one and done.” They’re lived, practised, and refined over time. Here’s how organisations and individuals can nurture them:

Imagination: Seeing What Hasn’t Been Seen

AI excels at identifying patterns based on what’s come before. It looks back to predict or generate what might come next. But it doesn’t imagine. It doesn’t dream, hope, or intuit something entirely new.

Imagination is where innovation begins. It’s the ability to see beyond the data, beyond the trend, and beyond the obvious. Whether you’re designing new products, building a brand, or reimagining an entire industry, your capacity to imagine is your competitive edge.

Growth Mindset: Adapting to the Unknown

A growth mindset and the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work is no longer optional. AI is evolving fast, and so must we.

In a world where the “right” answers can be retrieved in seconds, the real value lies in asking better questions, being open to feedback, learning new tools, and getting comfortable with uncertainty. The professionals who thrive will be those who embrace change, not resist it.

Creativity: Sparking the Original Thought

AI can assist creativity, it can remix and generate ideas based on what already exists. But the original spark, the leap that connects seemingly unrelated concepts, still starts with a human.

Creativity is not confined to the arts. It’s critical in problem-solving, strategy, leadership, and innovation. The more you cultivate divergent thinking, the more value you bring in a world where sameness is increasingly automated.

Storytelling: Making Meaning, Creating Connection

In a data-rich world, storytelling becomes the differentiator. It’s how we make sense of complexity, build trust, and inspire action. Whether you’re pitching an idea, leading a team, or presenting to stakeholders, your ability to tell a compelling story is what creates resonance.

AI can mimic structure, even tone, but it lacks emotional resonance. It doesn’t live experience. Only humans can draw on nuance, empathy, and shared meaning to tell stories that truly move others.

Conscience: Leading with Empathy and Integrity

The ability to act with integrity, to weigh ethical implications, to care is essential.

In practice, this means empathy, active listening, moral judgement, and the ability to consider others’ perspectives. In a world of automation, these deeply human capacities will become more essential, not less, especially in leadership.

The Role of Leaders and Talent Professionals

To build a workforce fit for the future, leaders and talent professionals need to do more than acknowledge the importance of human skills, they must actively integrate them into organisational life.

That means:

• Redesigning job descriptions to prioritise human capabilities alongside technical ones.
• Embedding human skills into performance reviews and promotion criteria.
• Providing coaching and learning journeys focused on empathy, communication, creative thinking, and ethical leadership.
• Creating psychological safety so people can practise, experiment, and grow without fear.

From Intuition to Intention

These skills have always mattered. What’s changed is that in the age of AI, they’re no longer optional, they are what sets us apart.

The organisations and individuals that thrive won’t just acknowledge these human capabilities. They’ll intentionally measure, develop, and embed them, turning human potential into a true competitive advantage.

In the race with AI, the winners won’t be the ones who try to out-compute the machines. They’ll be the ones who double down on what only humans can do.

By Mollie Weatherup

In today’s fast-moving often unpredictable business climate owner-led and privately held firms face a unique leadership dilemma. They’re scaling quickly, investing in new markets or navigating periods of transformation but, don’t always have the capacity or confidence to bring in full-time senior executives.

Enter: fractional leadership.

What is Fractional Leadership?

Put simply, fractional leaders are experienced executives who work with organisations on a part-time, interim, or project-specific basis. Rather than hiring a full-time CFO, for example, a business might bring in a fractional finance director 2-3 days per week for a defined period bringing senior-level insight without the long-term cost or risk.

It’s a model that’s becoming increasingly common. LinkedIn recently reported a sharp rise in roles tagged as “fractional” in the UK, jumping from just 2,000 in 2022 to over 110,000 in 2024. In sectors like manufacturing, engineering, and infrastructure where transformation and succession challenges are real but budgets and headcount may be constrained, this flexible leadership approach is gaining serious traction.

Why It Makes Sense Now

Owner-led businesses often reach a tipping point. They’ve outgrown their original leadership structure but aren’t quite ready to commit to permanent hires at the executive level or they need specialist skills such as financial restructuring, digital transformation and operational scaling but only for a window of time.

As one Chairperson we recently spoke with put it: “We didn’t need a full-time Commercial Director, we needed someone who could steer the ship for six months while we restructured our client base and pricing model. The fractional model gave us just that.”

Fractional executives offer not just flexibility but focus. They’re typically highly experienced, often ex-C-suite leaders who bring both the strategic thinking and the “get-it-done” mentality that fast-moving environments demand.

Benefits for Owner-Led Businesses

• Cost-Efficient: You access top-tier leadership without the full salary, benefits, and long-term commitment.
• Speed to Impact: Fractional leaders are used to hitting the ground running—they make a difference fast.
• Fresh Perspective: They bring an outside-in view, unclouded by internal politics or legacy thinking.
• Scalable: You can increase or reduce involvement as business needs change.

Perhaps, most importantly, these leaders can act as trusted advisors during key transition points prepping the business for investment, succession, or permanent senior appointments.

Is It Right for Every Business?

Not necessarily. If you’re looking for someone to build deep, long-term relationships with clients or culture-shape over a longer period of time a permanent hire may be the better fit.

But for some of the clients we work with particularly in fast-scaling environments or moments of strategic shift fractional leadership is a powerful and underused lever.

As one interim MD told us:

“There’s something liberating about being brought in to solve, not to settle. You’re there to challenge, move things forward, leave things better.”

The executive landscape is changing. The old rules of hire slow, embed deep and stay forever don’t always work in today’s climate. For ambitious, owner-led businesses who need senior talent with precision and pragmatism fractional leadership offers a smart, strategic alternative.

By Lesley Armstrong

Resources

“How I juggle three jobs at once: the rise of ‘fractional workers’” in the version available via The Times thetimes.co.uk, June 2025

The Harvard Business Review article titled “How Part‑Time Senior Leaders Can Help Your Business”, authored by Tomoko Yokoi and Amy Bonsall, was published in July 2024

Let’s talk about something that’s quietly becoming a big deal in Northern Ireland’s business community — succession planning, especially in family-run companies.

NI has a rich tradition of family-owned businesses. From engineering firms in Mid Ulster to food producers in Armagh, these businesses have been built on hard work, strong values, and local pride. But there’s a challenge many are facing and not enough people are talking about it.

The Leadership Gap Is Coming

Many founders and long-standing business leaders are starting to think about stepping back. Some are nearing retirement, others just want to slow down a little. The question is: who steps in?

In some cases, the next generation is ready and willing. In others, they’ve chosen a different path or just aren’t quite there yet in terms of leadership experience. That’s when things get tricky.

Why It’s So Easy to Avoid the Topic

Succession planning can be uncomfortable. It’s personal. Emotions, legacy, family dynamics all of it comes into play. So, a lot of business owners quietly avoid it. Some hope it will sort itself out. Others assume that when the time comes, “we’ll figure it out.”

But here’s the truth: hope is not a strategy.

Without a plan, businesses can lose direction, stall growth, or worse fall apart just as they’re meant to thrive.

Where Executive Search Comes In

This is where a good executive search partner can make a real difference.

We’re not just about putting names on a shortlist. What we actually do is help business owners:

• Have honest conversations about what’s next
• Understand if internal talent is really ready
• Explore external leadership options, people who fit your culture and bring fresh perspective
• Think long-term: not just who leads today, but who sets the company up for the next 10 years

Sometimes, the answer is a family member supported by an experienced Chair or CEO. Other times, it’s about bringing in someone new entirely. Either way, having options matters.

The Bigger Picture for Northern Ireland

NI’s economy depends on strong, resilient, well-led businesses. Family firms are a huge part of that. If we want to keep these companies thriving for the next generation, we need to start treating succession planning as the strategic opportunity it really is.

So if you’re a business owner thinking, “I should probably deal with this at some point”, consider this your sign to start now.

You don’t have to figure it out alone. The right guidance can make all the difference.

The professional services industry is rapidly evolving in the face of technological disruption, shifting client expectations, economic uncertainty, and increasing regulatory demands. In this climate, simply being competent is not enough. Relevance is the new currency.

The professional services industry  is rapidly evolving in the face of technological disruption, shifting client expectations, economic uncertainty, and increasing regulatory demands. In this climate, simply being competent is not enough. Relevance is the new currency.

Why Staying Relevant Is Crucial

Remaining relevant in your sector is not just a matter of job security—it’s a strategic investment in your long-term professional value. Here’s why it matters:

Client Expectations Are Evolving: Clients now demand more strategic input, faster responses, and deeper sector knowledge from their advisors. If you cannot speak their language or anticipate their needs, you risk being replaced by someone who can—or by a piece of software.

Firms Are Restructuring: Many professional services firms are undergoing digital transformation and rethinking their business models. Those who upskill and innovate are seen as assets; those who don’t risk being sidelined.

The Industry Is More Competitive Than Ever: New entrants, globalisation, and technology are intensifying competition. Standing still means falling behind.

Technology Is Redefining Roles: AI, automation, and digital platforms are taking over routine work. Ask yourself how you are using AI in your current role to get ahead?  Relevance increasingly means offering insight, judgement, and empathy—things machines can’t easily replicate.

Benefits of Staying Relevant

Remaining current doesn’t just help you survive change—it helps you thrive in it. Here are the key advantages:

✔ Career Progression

You’re more likely to be promoted or headhunted if you demonstrate thought leadership, adaptability, and awareness of current trends.

Firms reward those who bring fresh ideas, identify new revenue streams, and contribute to strategic goals.

✔ Stronger Client Relationships

Staying on top of trends allows you to deliver value beyond the brief, turning clients into long-term partners.

Clients trust professionals who clearly understand their industry, challenges, and ambitions.

✔ Job Security and Mobility

Relevance gives you options. Whether you want to climb the ladder, pivot into a new role, or go independent, up-to-date skills and networks make it possible.

✔ Increased Confidence and Influence

When you’re informed and in demand, you speak with more authority, contribute more meaningfully, and have a seat at the table in critical discussions.

How to Stay Relevant: 8 Practical Strategies

1. Commit to Lifelong Learning and Upskilling

• Professional services revolve around knowledge—your expertise is your product.
• Stay sharp with a growth mindset and ask yourself; what was the last business book you read and how did you implement your learnings.
• What business podcasts and audio books do you listen to?

2. Embrace and Leverage Technology

Don’t fear tech—understand it and use it to your advantage:

• Get comfortable with AI tools, automation software, and cloud platforms used in your field.
• Stay informed on sector-specific technologies (e.g., legaltech, regtech, proptech).
• Champion digital adoption within your firm or department.

3. Strengthen Your Professional Network

• A strong network multiplies your relevance:
• Attend events, join professional associations, and participate in working groups.
• Build meaningful relationships with peers, mentors, and clients on platforms like LinkedIn.
• Share knowledge and offer introductions—it keeps you front-of-mind.

4. Develop Commercial and Strategic Awareness

• To offer true value, understand the business context behind your work:
• Follow sector news, regulatory changes, and economic trends that affect your clients.
• Learn how businesses operate—focus on profitability, operational risk, ESG issues, and digital growth.
• Position your advice within the bigger picture: “What does this mean for the client’s bottom line or long-term goals?”

5. Build a Strong Personal Brand

• In a competitive sector, visibility is as important as ability:
• Share insights or lessons from your work (while respecting confidentiality).
• Publish articles, speak at events, or lead internal training sessions.
• Be known for something—whether it’s expertise in a specific regulation, sector, or methodology.

6. Be Client-Centric and Responsive to Change

• Clients increasingly seek agile partners who can pivot quickly and deliver tailored solutions:
• Enhance your listening and questioning skills to better understand what clients really want.
• Be flexible and collaborative when navigating ambiguity or shifting priorities.
• Go beyond billable hours—offer value-added ideas or make relevant introductions.

7. Seek Mentorship—and Offer It

Mentorship is not only about guidance—it’s about perspective:

• Find a mentor who challenges you to think differently and plan long-term.
• Offer to mentor juniors or graduates—it keeps you sharp and grounded.
• Participate in reverse mentoring to gain insights from younger professionals and digital natives.

8. Stay Agile and Open to Reinvention

• The ability to adapt is a powerful differentiator:
• Explore lateral moves or secondments to expand your perspective and skills.
• Learn how to manage change and ambiguity—especially during restructuring or transformation projects.

Be ready to pivot—your career path may not be linear, and that’s okay. By continually developing your expertise, embracing technology, cultivating relationships, and staying attuned to clients’ needs, you not only protect your career—you elevate it.

Relevance leads to influence, resilience, and opportunity. It helps you deliver meaningful impact for your firm and clients—and ensures your professional life is both secure and fulfilling.

When you’re aiming to be the best you can be at something, burnout can become a problem. Developing your own way of avoiding burnout is crucial for emerging talent as the responsibility and impact of your role increases over time. 

What does burnout look like? 

There are several early warning signs for burnout. If you constantly feel physically and emotionally exhausted even after a full night’s sleep, increased irritability, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, frequent illness, difficulty concentrating, reduced performance, detachment, negative outlook or even physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension or other unexplained aches and pains.  

I’ve experienced burnout several times in my life. It’s never been due to external pressures but always a result of the pressure that I put upon myself. 

There was a time during early 2021 where I’d recently become a dad for the first time, taken a step up to director and was doing all I could to develop new business but hitting brick wall after brick wall.  

I was lucky enough to have a supportive employer who encouraged me to have some time off, focus on me and my family and I was able to come back to work energised. 

When you work hard at work, in a job that’s mentally or emotionally challenging it can impact other aspects of your life. 

I’m not an expert on burnout but I can be open about what works for me in the past. 

To give you a bit of context, I work full-time, I’m a husband and I’m also a dad to 3 under 5’s. 

Life is a real juggling act. To be a good leader, individual contributor, husband and dad concurrently is a challenge that I certainly haven’t nailed yet. 

With that context in mind, this is what I do to try to maintain as much balance as possible. 

Use my annual leave 

It may sound simple but it’s important to slow down and take a real break from work a few times per year. Where your out of office is on, your work phone is off, and you’ve got other people that you can rely on to look after your workload. Taking breaks can improve mental health, productivity and overall wellbeing. 

I find it really useful to have something to look forward to and properly plan for my time off which enables me to properly switch off. 

Taking breaks can prevent long-term health issues related to chronic stress. 

Exercise 

This is where I have tripped up in the past, life has been so busy that I’ve not made the time to go for a swim, run, cycle or walk. This is now a non-negotiable for me. I walk or run on my lunch break or go for a run after the kids are in bed. 

Even a short walk during your lunch break or on your morning commute will make a difference. One small change that I introduced is that I always take the stairs when possible.  

Practise Mindfulness  

This can be different for everyone. I’ve tried meditation, deep breathing and journaling. The easiest way for me to practise mindfulness is by trying to focus on one thing. My mind is naturally very busy, I find reading a book enables me to focus on one thing, so I pop on my noise cancelling headphones (to avoid distractions), put on some lo-fi music and read a book. I also try to take regular “mindful walks” with my kids. 

Mindfulness is a great habit to get into so by encouraging my kids to listen to the sounds of birds or look out for different plants and animals, it’s giving them a good foundation for the future when they can sit still… for longer than 30 seconds. 

Mindfulness helps to reduce anxiety and improve concentration.  

Focus followed by a break 

Throughout the day I have periods of hyper focus. Take right now for instance. I’m focusing on writing a blog. I’ll spend 45-60 minutes “in the zone” and then I’ll have a 5 – 10 minute break. During my period of focus, I’ll be consciously productive and avoid all distractions. My way of working is based on a mix between the pomodoro technique and time boxing.  

Hobbies/Volunteering 

I’ve always found volunteering helps me take my mind off my everyday worries/challenges. It allows me to give back and to be part of a different, diverse team. I volunteer with DadBodsNI, a not for profit who’s mission it is to support, educate, connect and inspire Dads and their families in NI while promoting healthy habits and making happy memories. Volunteering has always given me a sense of accomplishment and purpose. 

Hobbies can provide a creative outlet and balance work stress – lots of the high performing executives that I know are very active, they run marathons and some are triathletes… (perhaps one day eh?)  

Quality sleep 

Good sleep improves cognitive function and productivity. We all have different sleep needs but like most things, quality trumps quantity. Having a wind down routine, a cut off for being on screen time and being in a calming and dark environment can help. 

What we eat and drink throughout the day will impact the quality of our sleep. I try to avoid caffeine after 14:00 (up until that point, I drink a lot of coffee). 

Conclusion 

 As mentioned before, we’re all different and you may have your own strategies that help you to avoid burnout.  

I find time off, exercise, mindfulness, focus strategies, volunteering and focusing on good sleep hygiene work well for me.  

Everyone’s journey to high performance is different and you’ll have different challenges at different times; like when you move from an individual contributor to a leadership/management role. Your journey is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to avoiding burnout. 

If you find yourself struggling with burnout despite trying these strategies, It’s important to seek professional help. It’s okay to ask for support, and professional guidance can make a significant difference. 

Take care of yourself and keep striving for excellence.  

 – Michael Hewitt

Director, Executive Search