Mental Health: Everyone Struggles

I was struck hard by this open essay by Lenny Mendoca, the Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom. 

By the time I joined McKinsey in San Francisco in 2008, Lenny Mendoca was already a legend. He had built his career in the banking and finance sector and, as he became more senior, he shifted toward his real passion: politics and policy. Anyone junior at McKinsey who shared that interest was directed toward Lenny. And so, I too, found myself in Lenny's little pod, hauling out to his brewery at Half-Moon Bay for happy hours of 'brews and views'. Lenny was notoriously generous with his time. He took seriously the human aspect of business and was a role-model of the 'no hierarchy' and 'obligation to dissent' values that McKinsey espoused.  

I imagine that being the Business and Economics Advisor for the 8th largest economy in the world was Lenny's dream job. 

So when he resigned abruptly in March to 'spend more time with family', it was puzzling. In this essay, Lenny illuminates that he had been hospitalized with what one-in-three Americans are struggling with now: Anxiety and Depression. 

It became clear I couldn’t keep serving the people of California with my health challenge. I resigned, and the day after the announcement, my wife and a close friend took me back to the hospital. I was diagnosed with an even deeper depression. It felt like a 350-pound lineman had slammed me to the ground and hit me hard against the head. The doctor told me if I intended to see my granddaughters grow up, I needed to press the restart button. 

That is what I’ve done. For the last three months, I’ve been in recovery. This includes hospitalization, individual counseling, medication, and mandatory prioritization of sleep and exercise. 

Bravo to Lenny for his courage and vulnerability. You were a leader and shone as one of the best of us then and now. Thank you.