This week we are resharing our interview with Patrick Sallee, the President and CEO of Vibrant Health KC and the author of The Solitary CEO. In his book, Patrick generously shares stories that require immense of vulnerability and humility, as well as the lessons he's learned and applied in his personal and professional life along with his road to sobriety. Patrick and Host Anthony Shop discuss how to break out of the siloes leaders build around themselves, address the specific needs of multiple stakeholders, and engage with a community to create profound change.

Takeaways:

• Leaders should break down the silos they build around themselves and their work, reconnecting with the purpose of their work to foster connection, succeed, and avoid becoming defensive or resentful toward their team and organization.
• Prioritize the needs of the people you serve. For Patrick, in the nonprofit sector, the key to handling the needs of multiple stakeholders is keeping the mission and the lives of those being served at the forefront.
• The focus of your leadership should not be on yourself; it should be on the mission you are working to accomplish. Addressing the needs of different stakeholders requires a specific strategy for each group. Ensuring that all these strategies align with the mission makes it possible to manage the completion of the mission.
• The best way to understand community members' issues is to talk with them and engage them in developing solutions to those problems. There is no better way to gain buy-in for a project than by listening to stakeholders' feedback.
• When dealing with complex problems, if members of the community lack the skills or knowledge to understand the problem and possible solutions properly, leaders should take the time to bring them up to speed and teach them the necessary disciplines so they can make informed decisions to solve the problems they face.
• Own your mistakes and don’t try to hide them. Whether you’re interviewing for a job or negotiating a deal, if you try to conceal past mistakes, you risk others using them against you. Be upfront and honest about who you are.

Quote of the Show:

• “If I own it, and I say it first, you can't use it against me” 

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricksallee/ 
• Vibrant Health website: https://vibranthealthkc.org/ 
• The Solitary CEO: https://a.co/d/g0IyOB6 

Shout Outs:

The Power of Giving Away Power by Matthew Barzun