Leadership and Mental Health with special guest Paul Gaumer
02/08/23 • 47 min
Leadership and mental health isn't talked about often. It's uncomfortable and people often don't want to acknowledge it out of fear of it being perceived as a weakness. But when a leader is struggling with their mental health it's not a weakness.
Today, author Paul Gaumer joins me to discuss his experience struggling with his mental health. Paul is the COO of an Illinois Credit Union. Today, he describes how he pushes through when his Bipolar disorder is causing him to experience severe self-doubt.
Time Stamps:
[2:46] - Bo tells a little known story about Abraham Lincoln's mental health.
[7:00] - Paul introduces himself and recounts his past experiences with his mental health.
[10:05] - When Paul was at his lowest, he started going to church and thought everything was going to be better.
[11:50] - Every morning Paul wakes up with self doubt.
[14:30] - Looking back at everything his credit union had accomplished helps Paul quiet his self doubt.
[15:40] - Bo has two Johns who shaped his leadership and Paul has two Toms.
[18:33] - Paul tells a story about how he met his first Tom.
[21:40] - A good leader always reassures their employees that they deserve to have the job they have.
[22:30] - We hear about Paul's second Tom.
[25:20] - Leading by intimidation and deception is a recipe for unhappy employees.
[28:00] - Taking the time to get to know your employees is essential.
[32:43] - To be a good leader, you have to be willing to listen.
[37:31] - Paul recounts a story highlighting how to help someone struggling with their mental health.
[40:00] - The days of heavy handed leadership are gone.
Links:
Leadership and mental health isn't talked about often. It's uncomfortable and people often don't want to acknowledge it out of fear of it being perceived as a weakness. But when a leader is struggling with their mental health it's not a weakness.
Today, author Paul Gaumer joins me to discuss his experience struggling with his mental health. Paul is the COO of an Illinois Credit Union. Today, he describes how he pushes through when his Bipolar disorder is causing him to experience severe self-doubt.
Time Stamps:
[2:46] - Bo tells a little known story about Abraham Lincoln's mental health.
[7:00] - Paul introduces himself and recounts his past experiences with his mental health.
[10:05] - When Paul was at his lowest, he started going to church and thought everything was going to be better.
[11:50] - Every morning Paul wakes up with self doubt.
[14:30] - Looking back at everything his credit union had accomplished helps Paul quiet his self doubt.
[15:40] - Bo has two Johns who shaped his leadership and Paul has two Toms.
[18:33] - Paul tells a story about how he met his first Tom.
[21:40] - A good leader always reassures their employees that they deserve to have the job they have.
[22:30] - We hear about Paul's second Tom.
[25:20] - Leading by intimidation and deception is a recipe for unhappy employees.
[28:00] - Taking the time to get to know your employees is essential.
[32:43] - To be a good leader, you have to be willing to listen.
[37:31] - Paul recounts a story highlighting how to help someone struggling with their mental health.
[40:00] - The days of heavy handed leadership are gone.
Links:
Previous Episode
"How did I grow into becoming a great (accidental) leader?" Guest - Jennifer Pham
No leader's path is the same. But all leaders have certain things in common, authenticity, kindness and honesty just to name a few.
Today, Jennifer Pham joins me to discuss her journey from a junior graphic designer to a Vice President at Your Marketing Company. Going from a team member who barely spoke in meetings to a true leader, Jennifer is the true definition of an accidental leader.
Time Stamps:
[2:30] - Jennifer Pham joins Bo and explains how she joined Your Marketing Company.
[7:20] - She never really wanted to become a leader, Jennifer describes how she learned what a true leader is.
[9:00] - Good communication is the key to being an effective leader.
[11:30] - Understanding yourself is the key to being a good leader.
[14:00] - People really remember when they've worked with a bad leader.
[17:08] - The hardest part about being a leader for Jennifer, is when she has to fire people.
[19:36] - Letting people go from a company never gets easier.
[22:05] - When you're a leader, especially an accidental leader, it's progress over perfection.
[25:00] - A lot of times, leaders talk themselves out of things. It's important to trust your gut.
[27:55] - If your people succeed then you succeed.
Links:
Next Episode
Overcoming your "can't" with Special Guest: James McBride
"Can't never did a thing." Every time we use the word "can't" we've already ruled out the possibilities of what we can and can't do. When we say "can't" we've already failed.
Today, CEO of Lion's Share Credit Union, James McBride joins me to discuss how his diagnosis of cerebral palsy set him up for a life of not letting other people's perceived limitations become actual limitations. He's never let anyone tell him what he can't do and today, he instills that mindset into the employees he leads.
Time Stamps:
[1:00] - Bo recounts a story about how his kindergarten teacher fostered his creativity.
[4:00] - James doesn't let other people's perceived limitations affect how he lives his life.
[8:45] - Being a rebel is how James has accomplished what he has. When he was told he couldn't do something he set out to prove them wrong.
[10:10] - Perfection isn't what's important, it's the pursuit of perfection that matters.
[12:05] - No one but you can decide what you can't do.
[15:05] - When James joined Lion's Share, the first thing he wanted to do was meet each employee and understand them as individuals.
[18:30] - As a new CEO, building trust is the key.
[22:00] - Making tough discussions is the unfortunate job of all leaders.
[24:30] - It's challenging to know when it's the right time to give bad news.
[28:00] - Once a tough discussion is made, it's like a sigh of relief.
[30:02] - Invest in people while they're with you, not because they're with you.
[33:00] - James shouts out his leadership mentor.
[37:40] - Making your employees make their own decisions helps them grow.
[40:00] - "Can't" is oftentimes just a different way of saying you don't want to do the work.
Links:
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