The Human Behind the Pipeline: fix the human side first
Sam Kuehnle on the martyrdom trap of hustle culture, prioritizing the human over the leader, and how eczema on his face was a signal to get his life back.
Sam Kuehnle knew his mental health was taking a hit when his stress showed up as eczema on his face. He had started skipping the things that kept him balanced, like workouts and nightly walks with his daughter. He realized that most of the stuff he was stressed about, he couldn't even remember weeks later. So now he has a new rule. Will he regret this work thing in two weeks, or will he regret missing his daughter see snow for the first time? The answer is pretty obvious.
Early in his career, Sam thought a packed calendar meant you were important. Now he knows it just means you are a bottleneck for your team. He has had to learn that as a leader, your words carry a lot more weight. You have to be clear, because any gray area can cause problems you did not see coming. It is a lesson you almost have to learn by messing up first.
When you feel like you are failing as a leader and a person, Sam says to fix the human side first. You are probably failing as a leader because you are failing as a human. He is not buying into the hustle culture martyrdom trap, the one where leaders have incredible business success but also bad health and, his words, shitty marriages. He models this for his team by actually taking time off, showing them it is okay to be human.
“If you're failing as a leader and as a human, fix the human side first.”
Notes
- Stress physically appeared as eczema on his face, which was a signal he was sacrificing his health for work.
- He let go of the belief that a busy calendar is a sign of importance, realizing it just made him a bottleneck.
- If you are failing as both a leader and a human, his advice is to 'fix the human side first'.
- He questions hustle culture's 'martyrdom trap,' asking if you would trade for a leader's success if it meant taking on their bad health and 'shitty marriages'.