Professional Services - Value, Culture and Depression 3: John Brogden

Very briefly because I am about to leave for Queensland.

JOHN BROGDEN: I understand what it’s like to be in such a dark place that taking your own life is the only way out and I understand how hard it is to come back from that. How, people saying to you, ‘Don’t worry it’ll all get better,’ actually sounds like an insult. It actually sounds as if your intelligence and emotions are being insulted because from where you are at that time it is impossible to imagine how you might come back…

For the benefit of my international readers, John Brogden was the leader of the opposition in the NSW Parliament.

I met him in Armidale at the Drummond College Drummond oration and dinner soon after he became leader. Later he resigned as leader and then attempted to commit suicide. We then learned that he had been suffering from depression.

My thanks to Neil (Ninglun) for his plus for this series and for the material on which this post is based.

A little later

Having posted, I realised that this post was going to be far too cryptic for someone seeing it for the first time without the background of previous posts. I will add a little more on my return from Queensland.

Posts in this Series

Precursor posts:

• 18 March Common Management Problems - dealing with poor performers
• 6 April Common Management Problems - dealing with poor performers 2

The Depression series:

• 25 April Managing Depression - a problem for individuals and firms
• 28 April Professional Services - Values, Culture and Depression 1: IT vs law
• 1 May Professional Services - Values, Culture and Depression 2: case study - Free at Last
• 4 May Professional Services - Values, Culture and Depression 3: John Brogden
• 7 May Professional Services - Values, Culture and Depression 4: Guidelines
• 16 May Professional Services - Values, Culture and Depression 5: Jan's Case
• 16 May Professional Services - Values, Culture and Depression 6: Wrap Up