Are your strongest, most energetic leaders secretly drowning? In this powerful episode of Connected Leadership Bytes, Andy goes into the
archives for a conversation that is more relevant today than ever before. He revisits the very first episode of the podcast, featuring two senior corporate leaders who appeared to have it all—until they didn’t.
This isn’t just another talk on Mental Health; it’s a raw, honest look inside the minds of high-achievers who hit rock bottom.
Discover why the “brighter the light, the darker the shadow,” and why
the people you least expect are often the most vulnerable. Our guests, Jeff McDonald, former Global VP of HR for Unilever, and Perry Burton, Head of People and Culture at Grant Thornton, share their deeply personal stories. They shatter the myth that leadership is about invincibility and expose the performative wellness trap—where “bananas in the canteen” and a single “wellbeing week” replace genuine, strategic investment in people’s Health.
Listen to learn how to transform your organisation’s culture from one that diminishes its people to one that enhances their lives, making health the ultimate driver of performance.
Key Takeaways
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The Brightest Lights Cast the Darkest Shadows: High-performers and seemingly energetic, positive leaders are often exceptionally good at masking their internal struggles.
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Vulnerability is a Leadership Superpower: When leaders share their own struggles, it normalises the conversation, reduces stigma, and creates a culture where it’s safe for others to ask for help.
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Health is a Performance Driver, Not a Perk: The energy of your people is your most critical asset.
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Asking for Help Isn’t Giving Up; It’s Refusing To: Seeking support is an act of strength and control, demonstrating a commitment to recovery and getting back on track.
Actionable Insights
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Conduct a “Wellness Audit”: As a leader, critically evaluate your company’s efforts. Are you just offering perks (the “bananas in the canteen”), or are you actively changing workloads, management styles, and communication to genuinely reduce Stress and enhance energy.
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Schedule Your Own “Self-Compassion” Block: You cannot pour from an empty glass. Block out 30 minutes in your calendar this week for a non-work activity you will not move (e.g., a walk without your phone, reading, listening to music).
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE
EPISODE
Connect with Andy Lopata: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | X/Twitter | YouTube
Connect with Geoff McDonald : Website |LinkedIn |
Connect with Perry Burton: Website |LinkedIn |
The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring
Connected Leadership Gold: Geoff McDonald and Perry Burton
Andy Lopata is a specialist speaker on professional relationships, mentoring, networking, and social media strategy. He is a firm believer that professional relationships underpin our success in business, our roles, and our careers. The right relationships with the right people can lead to new business opportunities, investment, collaborative working, innovation, and career progress. We just need to be comfortable approaching those relationships strategically, without making people feel ‘networked’ by us.
Andy has worked in the field of networking and professional relationships for 25 years, working with global giants such as Paypal, GSK, AstraZeneca, Wella, HSBC, Wembley Stadium, the BBC, and the Prime Minister’s Office of the UAE, among many others during that time. He has also worked with leading universities including NYU, Duke University, and Oxford University’s Said Business School.
A regular blogger for Psychology Today, Andy has been quoted in The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, and The Guardian, as well as many other national and regional newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has written or co-authored six books on networking and professional relationships, with his sixth book, "The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring," being published in Spring 2024. He is also the host of The Connected Leadership Podcast and has interviewed globally recognized names in business, academia, sports, and entertainment for the show.
Andy has been inducted into the PSAE Hall of Fame – the Professional Speaking Association Award of Excellence, which was held by only 21 other speakers at the time it was presented. He is a Fellow and a former President of the Fellows’ Community of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA), a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), and a Member of the Association of Business Mentors and the Meetings Industry Association.
