Leadership Lessons from a Life-Threatening Illness

About this course:

Dr. Espinoza will take you on a journey of reflection about leadership while battling a life-threatening illness. The course is anchored with three over-arching themes: 1) I am not invincible 2) Be assertive for yourself 3) Be patient with yourself. Vulnerability often makes a list of character traits people admire in leaders. Studies reveal increased employee trust in the leader and engagement with work. But like so many other obvious concepts, it can be difficult to express. Axioms like, “Never let them see you sweat” can send the message that being vulnerable is a bad thing. It’s a catchy phrase for a deodorant commercial, but not leadership development. Being assertive for oneself is critically important to career development and personal wellness. Don’t wait for others to come to their senses and recognize your genius, plan your advancement, or advocate for your health. Other people are not sitting around and thinking about your needs 24/7. You take the lead! Being patient with yourself is perhaps one of the more difficult learnings for a leader. Sometimes it means moving beyond a mistake, the pursuit of career expectations, or life in general.