Deep Rest: The Leadership Lesson Hiding in Depression

Send Lauri a message Speaker, author, and purpose-driven coach Larry Kesslin joins Untamed Leader to unpack the difference between the self you were trained to perform and the one underneath it. After four waves of depression over eight years, Larry stopped treating it as something broken in him and started calling it deep rest: his body's way of refusing to keep playing a character that was never really his. We talk about the discomfort of silence on stage, why most of us have never separated identity from ego from self, what leadership looks like when it's conducted instead of commanded, and his "20-something rule": the world spends your first twenty years telling you who to be, and the rest of your life is yours to decide whether you'll listen. If you've been running at 300% to prove something nobody's actually asking of you, this conversation is your permission to set it down. Key Takeaways Silence isn't empty … it's where some of the most riveting leadership is born. Depression can be deep rest from a character you're tired of playing.  Identity, ego, and self are three different things. Many of us have never separated them, which is why the outside world feels impossible to control. Untamed leadership works like conducting an orchestra: listening and responding in the movement toward harmony. Every system produces exactly the results it was built to get. Want different results? Change the system.  Our best ideas come from the quiet. The conscious mind's job is to execute them, not run the show. Handing responsibility over to whoever best knows the terrain is true leadership, not surrender. I’ve written a new book, Land Your Message, and I'd love for you to be a part of getting it into the world. Back the Indiegogo campaign, grab early access, or share it with someone who needs it: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/laurismith/land-your-message The Speaker Alter Ego Quiz Take the Speaker Alter Ego quiz to find out which protective mask hides your natural radiance so you can learn how to get present, connect deeply, and share your vision when it matters most! https://voice-matters.com/speaker-alter-ego-quiz/ If you love this show and you’re looking for some new shows to fill your queue, head over to feministpodcasterscollective.com to explore everything FPC has to offer.  Support the show Thank you so much for listening! Take the free Speaker Alter Ego Quiz to find out which protective mask is hiding your wild, untamed radiance. https://voice-matters.com/speaker-alter-ego-quiz/ Follow me on: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/voice_matters_llc/ Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauri-smith-voice-matters/ YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@voicematters9646