EP 06: Psychology of Leadership, Self-awareness & Burnout

This week Sarah & Nicole chat with Kurtis Smith a Clinical Psychologist Intern in the US Army. We talk about the psychology of self-awareness, leadership, and how to overcome burnout with resiliency. Topics discussed include: 

• Self-awareness as the foundation for personal growth 
• Mentorship or counseling as a resource for personal growth 
• Qualities of excellent leaders: communication, being assertive, empathy, and taking care of ourselves
• Developing motivation with re-framing
• Using writing as a tool for reflection
• Positive and negative traits of leadership 
• Resiliency to combat burnout 
• What to do if you've reached burnout 
• Advice for new leaders
   

Book Recommendation:  Self-Esteem by Matthew McKay 

 

About Kurtis: 

CPT Kurtis M. Smith M.A.

Kurtis grew up in Holt Michigan, attending Holt Public High School. During his junior year he took his first psychology class and found the science to be extremely interesting and easy to learn. Graduating in 2012 he enrolled at Alma College located in Alma Michigan. He graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, minoring in Integrated Physiology and Health Science. He then attended The Chicago School of Professional Psychology obtaining his Masters degree of Clinical Psychology in 2018. He was the recipient of the one year Army Health Professions Scholarship Program in 2019. In 2020 he was accepted into the Army Clinical Psychology Internship Program which he is currently serving at Tripler Army Medical Center located on island Oahu of Hawaii. 

Kurtis is currently married to his college sweetheart Shannon. They have one fur baby named Namaste. She is a rescue that his wife brought back from Thailand while on a trip providing veterinary care to elephants. Kurtis plans to work with active duty service members for the foreseeable future.

 

 

You can reach us at:
 Email: [e-mail]
IG: https://www.instagram.com/earful.of.leadership/

 

This podcast was inspired by: Military Mentors, Militarymentors.org

 Special thank you to your first sponsor: LTC Eskelund

 

Disclaimer: Earful of Leadership is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any Military component. The views expressed are those of the host and the content of this podcast is not meant to provide any legal or medical advice.