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

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/

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