The Human Side of Employment Law: Marianne McJannett on Leadership, the Juggle and Why "Doing It All" Is a Myth
Leaders in BusinessShow Notes
Marianne McJannett is one of the rare people who knew what she wanted to do from a young age — and is still doing it today. Now an employment law partner at Aberdein Considine, leading the firm's employment offering in Glasgow as part of a team spanning Scotland and Northern England, she has spent her career seeing leadership at its very best and its very worst. In this episode of Leaders in Business, Marianne joins Marlene Lowe to unpick one of the most common threads running through her casework: talented people promoted into management without ever being taught how to lead. From mishandled return-to-work meetings to grievances that could have been avoided entirely, she explains why almost every dispute she sees has a leadership or managerial failing at its heart — and why investing in ongoing management training is always cheaper than the alternative. But this conversation goes far beyond the law. Marianne dispels the myth that legal life is glamorous (sorry, Suits fans), shares why storytelling drew her to employment law in the first place, and opens up about the reality of the juggle — partnership, parenthood, and the question she gets asked weekly that men in her position rarely hear: "How do you do it all?" Her answer is refreshingly honest: she doesn't. She prioritises, she says no, and she's learned that that's okay. Along the way there's charity ballroom dancing in front of 500 people, a reading habit that has replaced television, and a reminder that behind every corporate facade is a whole person worth getting to know.
Great employees don't automatically make great managers Promotion is too often treated as a reward rather than a role change — people are handed line management responsibilities with a pay rise but no training, and expected to simply step into leadership overnight. The vast majority of employment disputes Marianne sees have a leadership or managerial failing somewhere at their root, from poorly handled difficult conversations to botched disciplinary and redundancy processes. Management training is an ongoing investment, not a tick box Induction alone isn't enough; skills need refreshing regularly, and peer learning between managers — sharing how they've handled tricky situations — is a powerful, low-cost tool. Taking people away from their desks for training feels costly in the moment, but the risks of getting it wrong far outweigh the investment. Be proactive, not reactive Leadership is steering the ship in good times and bad, and staying attuned to how people on the ground are feeling — anticipating problems rather than firefighting them. People and stories are at the heart of it Marianne was drawn to employment law because every case, whether acting for a business or an individual, is a human story that deserves to be heard. Acknowledging that clients come to her at vulnerable moments — and breaking the ice accordingly — is part of the job. "Doing it all" is a myth — prioritisation is the reality Asked weekly how she copes as a partner, lawyer and mum, Marianne is candid: she doesn't do it all. She does what she prioritises, with a supportive husband, nearby family and honest trade-offs. Learning to say no — to client socials, office events and commitments that don't fit — is a strength, not a failing, and there are other ways to build relationships (hence her love of LinkedIn). Everyone in a leadership role needs something outside work to switch off — for Marianne it's reading every night, and, when time allows, dancing.
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