Hard Yards in Leadership

22. Dane O'Connor: From aspiring career to cancer warrior

Listen on

Episode notes

Trigger warning: terminal cancer and depression

We’ve discussed how hard it can be to lead when battling personal illness on this podcast before. But how do you handle things when you have a terminal illness?

That is a question that Dane O’Connor has absolutely answered.

Dane is a Senior Business manager for the Department of Regional NSW and he is also a member liaison Officer for the Cancer Council NSW.

On top of that he lives with a terminal brain cancer and is currently living well beyond the odds that were given to him at his diagnosis.

In this episode Dane shares:

His first leadership experience as a kid
How he discovered natural leadership skills in rugby
The first ‘pot hole’ experience was when he felt a lump
The mental health battles that came with the cancer and how it affected his work
How after the diagnosis he wasn’t leading how he should have been because he wasn’t present.
The new career stuff he took on after his first cancer journey
The big career move he made when his cancer returned
Leaderships skills he applies as a parent
The battles with depression he had in amongst all the cancer
The moment he told his work colleagues about the cancer
How this journey has changed his approach to work

Key Quotes

“If you make a mistake use that as a learning tool, don't think of the mistake as bad you.”

“I have an hour lunch every day and I go for a walk. People say to me, we’re too busy. It’s bullshit, you’re not too busy.”

“There’s always going to have to be a break point with everything.”

Find out more about Dane

You can connect with Dane via linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dane-o-connor-a53b25131

If you want to find out more about what Wayne does, check out his business via the website:

http://engage4performance.com/

Or you can follow him on socials:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-reuben-engage4performance/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.