Tuesday, February 25, 2014

How to put together Depression and Leadership

First, I'm sad to see that Harold Ramis has died.  He was funny.  But he suffered a terrible, painful disease for 4 years.  But it's a reminder that even good people can die.

So I'm writing a book (or books, don't ask, it's complicated) and I was talking about it to my wife and I said of the three topics in the book the Leadership part doesn't fit with the other two (my life and Depression).  I said "No one who wants to read about Leadership wants to read about my crappy life or about Depression.  Then I had a profound thought:  Being a leader and understanding Leadership principles are easier for me because of my Depression.

People with Depression need to have ways to deal with it on a daily basis.  I call these ways of dealing tools and when I talk about the many ways that I have to battle my Depression I call it my tool box.  One of the tools that I have in my tool box involves looking inside of myself and being accepting of who I am.  I have weaknesses and strengths just like everyone else.  I'm overweight, I have a hard time being motivated, I have difficulties dealing with people on a personal basis.  But I do the best I can, I try to be helpful to other people, I try to always be a better person than I was yesterday.

And I think that being true to who you are and understanding those strengths and weaknesses are important to being a true leader.  Someone the other day said to me that I was not being very positive and that I was doing a lot of negative type talking.  Well I looked at myself and realized that she was absolutely correct.  I am secure enough in myself to be able to see when I am wrong.  And therefore I've been trying to correct this behavior.

So I think that there is a connection between Depression and Leadership.  But I still don't think anyone would want to read about my crappy life (I'm still working on that positive thing).

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