Stronger Than Stigma - Talking About Mental Health in the Workplace with Ian Adair

2022-01-12

Nonprofit leaders and staff alike face unique challenges that often place a strain on their mental health. With everything that we have our plates, how can we prioritize wellness? How can we create safe places at work to have these conversations, even when we may be struggling ourselves?

My guest this week is Ian Adair - TEDx and keynote speaker, 3 time nonprofit CEO, recognized leadership and nonprofit management expert, and author. Ian brings an honest and open first-hand perspective to the topic of mental health, having faced his own anxiety and depression, and having watched family members face addiction and suicide attempts. He wrote the book Stronger Than Stigma, A Call To Action - Stories of Grief, Loss, and Inspiration to share stories of ordinary people in extraordinary situations and help break down stigmas around mental health issues.

Here are some of the topics we discussed:

How leadership has changed in the last two years due to demographic shifts and employee expectations (and what nonprofits need to consider)
Ways to support emerging and established leaders in this "new normal"
The inspiration for his book and the personal story behind his own struggle
How we can start to advocate for more mental health resources in the sector and in our own workplaces

An Ian Adair quotable: "If leaders want to be supportive, start by normalizing conversations about mental health... The goal for leaders should always be to promote the acceptance and inclusion of those dealing with a mental health related issue and they can do this by just improving support systems. They can do this by spreading awareness when possible. They can do this by creating an environment of safety for discussions to take place."

Connect with Ian:
https://www.strategy27.com/
https://twitter.com/ianmadair
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianadair2010/
His book - Stronger Than Stigma: A Call to Action: Stories of Grief, Loss, and Inspiration
Ian's TEDx Talk

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About Julia Campbell, the host of the Nonprofit Nation podcast:

Named as a top thought leader by Forbes and BizTech Magazine, Julia Campbell (she/hers) is an author, coach, and speaker on a mission to make the digital world a better place.

She wrote her book, Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits, as a roadmap for social change agents who want to build movements using engaging digital storytelling techniques. Her second book, How to Build and Mobilize a Social Media Community for Your Nonprofit, was published in 2020 as a call-to-arms for mission-driven organizations to use the power of social media to build movements. Julia’s online courses, webinars, and talks have helped hundreds of nonprofits make the shift to digital thinking and raise more money online.

Clients include Mastercard, Facebook, GoFundMe Charity, Meals on Wheels Ameri