The Dream

There was a time when it felt like there was a deal to be done: work hard, plough through some of the boring stuff and get a good life. Do the right things until eventually, you reach a place where it gets easier. Maybe you even feel secure and in control.

"In the early days, it felt like magic,” says Rachel, now a senior partner at a top London law firm. “I was the girl from a council estate working with people you read about in the paper. I thought ‘this is it. I’ve made it.’”

Anne, who now holds a global head role in a bank, remembers the pride she took in how hard she worked and how well she did. “I wore very long hours like a badge. I was the person who could be relied on. I thought if I did enough of that, the stress would fall away and I’d have enough seniority to feel calm.”

Stuart, a senior transformation leader, said yes to a promotion to the board because it came with the promise of having an impact. “They told me it was mission-critical. I was flattered, excited.”

But the dream hasn’t quite delivered.