Mark McGowan’s burn out was 30-years in the making

WA Premier Mark McGowan announces he is quitting politics. Sarah his wife on his right side. Picture: Colin Murty

Mark ‘Sneakers’ McGowan needs a rest.

Before he became a “political superstar, a sensational politician”, he was the spectacle-wearing, scrappy MP who worked around the clock in the shadows of both his party and portfolios.

He earned the unfortunate nickname of “Sneakers” for his close relationship with former federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazely. Beazley was the first to congratulate Mr McGowan when he defeated Liberal Premier Colin Barnett at the 2017 election, and a year later Mr Beazely was appointed WA Governor.

In opposition - a place where he spent the first five years of his career as a state parliamentarian - Mr McGowan was tireless and ran rings around minor Liberal ministers.

In the lead up to the 2001 election where Geoff Gallop defeated Liberal leader Richard Court, a time before social media and the 24/7 news cycle, Mr McGowan worked the press to his advantage often making himself available on Sundays forcing his opponent, like then Liberal MP Norman Moore, to also work seven days a week.

Mr McGowan would seize every opportunity to make public rebuttals and get his name in print or in the 6pm news bulletins. Calling into newsrooms on weekends to provide commentary about minor government announcements in his shadow portfolios which included tourism, sport and local government.

But what has taxed him so severely that he has decided to quit just 20-months shy of a historic third tilt at leading a state flush with cash and thin on opposition, both within parliament and outside it?

His abrupt departure is the latest in public officials resigning due to exhaustion and burn out.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern responded like Mr McGowan during her final interview as leader when she was asked how she was feeling.

“Tired,” Ms Ardern said as tears welled in her eyes.

Long serving German Chancellor Angela Merkel also cited exhaustion for calling time on her public career, as did former Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein and WA’s most recent Opposition Leader Mia Davies.

It’s also happening more frequently now in other high-stress, high-profile arenas like the AFL, where two senior coaches have quit just this month due to the emotional toil, including Richmond’s Damien Hardwick.

“The issue of burnout in leadership positions is becoming more prevalent with increasing social pressure to perform at the highest level,” internationally-renowned HR leader Professor Julia Richardson said.

“They have all resigned after reaching what they felt was their capacity as leaders. Whereas we often focus on the strategic, financial and budgetary demands of leadership, we cannot and should not underestimate the emotional demands of supporting others, managing one’s own performance, and demonstrating concern for stakeholders.”

The head of Curtin’s School of management and marketing also said the public scrutiny is more intense and an “additional demand” and without the right personality traits, these jobs - especially politics - can become unbearable.

“Another thing which has impacted on leaders is difficulty in ‘switching off’, with the technology such as social media making it hard to escape from work,” Professor Richardson said.

But perhaps rather than tiredness, this is just another symptom of long Covid. He’s seemed bored since the border closing height of his powers.

Issues that have been on the boil - from a crumbling health system to the constant riots at Perth’s juvenile jail - have escaped serious criticism due to his overwhelming parliamentary majority and enduringpopularity with elements of the local press.

But instead of being Premier, he seemed to relish the role of a social media influence since the pandemic has passed, with Instagram posts about taxpayer funded Coldplay concerts and a recent trip to China for nothing more than a photo opportunity(where he was overheard running down federal MPs).

He failed to delegate appropriately to his more than competent cabinet including deputy leader Roger Cook and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti. After the Covid era he continued to front press conferences and announcements with his ministers rather than letting them shoulder some of the responsibility and public scrutiny.

Leading shouldn’t be tiring, but micromanaging can be.