You cannot paint and discuss mental health without thinking of Vincent Van Gogh. I had the privilege of visiting #SaintRemydeProvence this year and the facilities that hosted the painter during his illness. It’s a humbling, yet relatable experience.
If I can leave you with a thought about one’s ability to perform while convalescing, remember that it is here that he painted Starry Night, probably his most remarkable artwork, one you can see at #MOMA , the #MuseumOfModernArt in New York.
If you are a leader, and you know someone who struggles, be mindful and helpful. Struggling is not poor performance, but rather a demonstration of performance while under undue pressure. If you can be bothered, you just might allow some incredible talent to flourish. This is not rhetorical or a metaphor. There is something inside each of us that just begs to be let out to shine. Sometimes it is buried deep underneath the scars and low self-esteem.
The other question I have been asking myself a lot is how a leader who suffers can continue to lead effectively, or even come back to his responsibilities after a leave. It is directly relevant to me because I have a day job that requires me to lead in a very high performance organization. Will people see me differently? Will they trust me? Will they follow me? Will I trust myself? My judgment? My decisions?
And the more I've thought about it, the more I convinced myself that being open about my state and my struggles at least will help people follow my reasoning better than if I was closed off. From my experience it has led to more people opening up about their own challenges and a lot of recognition for my honesty. At that point I started feeling a lot less alone. So many people around me experience some form of struggle and never dare talking about it. It was astounding. I thought I was gonna be an ugly duck... it turns out: that's what ducks look like!
Also, deep down, to be fair, I thought that this is who I am and I am not going to pretend for the sake of a job, as wonderful as it is. That's like art: it is what it is. If you paint too much for you brain you loose the heart.