Can personality predict burnout? A primer for lawyers and managers

There are some obvious signs that tell us someone is struggling. Behavioural changes, withdrawal or a noticeable – perhaps sudden – dip in utilisation figures are easy ‘tells’. But there is an opportunity for clued-up managers to anticipate problems sooner. One area is a better understanding of how lawyer personality traits drive low wellbeing and burnout.

The idea of a ‘typical’ lawyer is problematic and personality profiling is controversial. Many of the most popular personality tests used in the corporate sphere (e.g. Myers-Briggs) lack scientific validity. But psychologists have managed to turn personality theory into a rigorous and helpful paradigm for understanding human behaviour. A handful of dominant personality characteristics have emerged, some of which will feel very relatable to those who work with lawyers.

‘Neuroticism’

Neuroticism describes a tendency to experience negative emotions such as worry, anxiety, self‑doubt, frustration, anger and low mood. Lawyers with this tendency may react strongly to pressure or uncertainty at work (though not necessarily visibly – the engine may be running very hot, but under the bonnet). They may also find it harder to switch off (and, instead, ruminate on matters that feel unresolved). Anecdotally, lawyers tend towards high neuroticism. This is a problem, because the academic literature points very clearly to a strong correlation with negative mental health.

A lawyer with these tendencies might, for example:

Worry excessively about making mistakes, even when their performance is objectively strong
Replay conversations in their head or revisit emails, wondering how they were perceived or how it might have gone differently
Find it difficult to switch off
Focus on worst‑case scenarios
Feel overwhelmed during busy periods or when deadlines are looming

Incidentally, people high on the neuroticism scale may be described – often by themselves – as ‘control freaks’ (a need for control being a function of anxiety management).

‘Conscientiousness’

Conscientiousness describes a tendency to be organised, dependable, disciplined and goal‑focused. People high in conscientiousness are typically careful, make detailed plans and are motivated to meet commitments and professional standards. Anecdotally, lawyers tend towards conscientiousness. This is good news because, generally, the literature suggests that conscientiousness correlates with high levels of wellbeing (perhaps because conscientious people are more likely to do what they feel is needed to achieve their goals).

A lawyer with these tendencies might, for example, display behaviours that are very likely to help them progress professionally and operate at a high service level for clients and colleagues:

Plan work carefully and meet deadlines religiously
Take obligations very seriously
Work very long hours
Prepare thoroughly for everything
Feel highly responsible for their own work but also the broader outcomes within the team or the business
Prefer clear structures, systems and expectations

The obvious problem is that a conscientious lawyer’s value system and behavioural tendencies can work against their wellbeing. As we will see later, when matched with high levels of neuroticism, there is a dark side to conscientiousness.

‘Perfectionism’

In personality theory, perfectionism is not a distinct personality trait. Instead, it sits within both neuroticism and conscientiousness.

Within conscientiousness, the sub-domain of ‘perfectionist strivings’ describes generally adaptive behaviours e.g. people working on something until it is ‘just so’, not from a sense of obligation but because it gives them personal satisfaction. However…
Within neuroticism the sub-domain of ‘perfectionist concerns’ describes a tendency towards generally maladaptive behaviours e.g. overthinking, worrying or fussing over things that are objectively inconsequential.

A lawyer with maladaptive perfectionist concerns might, for example:

Spend excessive time checking or rewriting work that is already good enough
Feel unhappy with ‘imperfect’ work for fear of negative judgement by others
Struggle to delegate tasks through fear they will not be done properly
Take criticism personally and negatively, even when constructive

In my own academic research, I am seeing evidence that lawyers tend towards perfectionist concerns (i.e. worry and rumination). This also tallies with my experience as a therapist, where I have heard lawyers describe perfectionism laced with a sometimes paralysing fear of errors (“yes, people make mistakes but lawyers don’t make mistakes!”).

‘Driven, but tense’

In personality research, there is a designation for those with a combination of high conscientiousness and high neuroticism: ‘driven but tense’ (lawyers, driven but tense? Surely not I hear you say…!). This combination of traits correlates with a high risk of ‘over‑commitment’. In the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model, over-commitment is driven by a ‘high effort / low reward’ imbalance. The ‘imbalance’ refers to a mismatch between:

The amount of energy, time and psychological investment someone puts into their work e.g. long hours, intensity, emotional load (the effort) versus
The returns they perceive for that effort e.g. pay – but also recognition, career development, job security, esteem (the reward)

When effort is perceived as high relative to rewards that are perceived as insufficient, the imbalance can lead to chronic stress. The ‘social contract’ at work feels unfair and this drags people down (as a matter of basic justice, human beings expect hard work to result in fair outcomes). Left unchecked, this creates a platform for burnout, anxiety and depressive symptoms.

OK, but what can managers do differently?

Here are just a few pointers:

Try and factor these relationships between lawyer personality, behaviour and negative mental health outcomes into your people management. Talk to your team about this stuff.
Who finds boundaries and switching off really difficult? Who struggles to delegate? Who seems self‑critical and negative despite solid performance? Who worries most about mistakes? These are predictors – not just symptoms – of stress and burnout. Pre-emption is better than crisis management.
Have conversations around expectations and what’s ‘good enough’. Are you being explicit about what merits extra effort and what doesn’t? These conversations need to feel relational, normal, safe.
Finally, if the ‘effort–reward balance’ feels outside your control, explore what’s within your gift: little moments of recognition, validation and positive feedback can go a long way (but become less frequent when you are stressed yourself…).

More about Paulo Karat

Paulo is a former commercial solicitor at two national firms. He is a Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Law School and leads the Wellbeing Group at the Centre for Legal Education. A doctoral researcher in lawyer mental health with an MSc in Psychology, Paulo is also a practising psychotherapist, corporate trainer & wellbeing consultant. He can be contacted at [email protected] and @paulokarat on LinkedIn.