Cancer Made with A Better Manager

This as-to-told-to essay is bassed on a conversation with Stephanie Essenfeld, A Psychotherapist Who Also Hosts Conferences Helping Businesses Learn Assertness and Boundaries. IT HAS BEEN EDIted for Length and Clarity.

Back in november of 2024, my team and i were excitedly talking about the year’s year – New Retreats and Conferences We were in 2025.

Nor the year ended, of felt a lump in my breast. Days late, The Doctor Told with Had an Aggressive Type of Cancer.

Suddenly, i was filled with uncetainty and fear

For years, i haad been teaching people about radical Acceptance – not rejetting pain, but recognizing pain as a part of reality right now, and learning how to live with it.

Eight though i initily Questioned “Why Me?” I Immediately see “What Now?” Cancer was happy, and it was one of the Challenges i was going to have to deal with. I was going to get through this journey has come from a place of peace and grave, Rather than Fear.

In my sadness, anger, and pain, i’d open mySelf up to the amazing things that was a result of Cancer.

Over the last six months, i’ve experiment a lot of good stuff. My Relationship with My Husband Has Strenghened, My Daughters Have Been Amazing, and the Support i’ve from Friends and Family Has Been Incredible.

Cancer has Also Made with A Better Leader.

I was honest with my employees

Be i was diagnosed, i was afraid of liteting my team down. I didn’t want to say to carry that wasn’t theyir own, or to panic about the futures.

At one of the first monday team meeting in January, I was hone – i told my team about the Cancer and all the uncetainty that felt Very uncomfortable.

Every subsequent weeke, i say updates and shared my fears about Cancer and Treatment.

These Meetings Became Group Brainstorming Sesions – Making Decisions About Next Steps. Prior to this, I made decisions, and my team would execute say. With Cancer, I Stepped off My Peedestal to Allow the Team to Be a Team on a Mission together.

We all started nShing for Help more openly

Initially nervous that asking for help would with look weak, i learned that by inviting say into the decision-mction, brainstorming process, they felt and heard. They were no longer puzzle pieces I Moved AROUND, but they were budilding the puzzle.

Over the last six months, there have ben days when i have no energy, and i say. They, too, have started doing Similar Things. Be one of us is down, the rest of the Team pulls to Help each Other.

I stopped micromanaging

Continuing to work throughout chemo, I let go of control with Loising Vision. AS A LEADER, I COULD SET OUT A CLEAR PURPOSE AND MISSION WITH MICROMANAGING EVERY DETAILS. Instead of Supervising Everyone of Each Staff Member, Something I No Longer Had the Energy to Do, Started Trusting.

I used to think that in order to lead, there is had to be pressure on my team to get the results i was looking for. While they have Always met the goals, they weren’t meeting say in a way that was fulfilling. With a lot of pressure, you don’t create from a place of Enjayment.

On this Cancer Journey, of haven’t had the energy to apply that pressure, but I was still present, trusting, supporting, and excited for the staff.

With this leadership style, prioritized People over performance. I didn’t just want to hear about my staff’s performance; I WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT How they were doing.

Instead of Falling Apart, My Team Showed Up, and They Showed with the Kind of Leader I Want to Be Once I’ve Completed My Treatment. We’ve Gown, Not Only As a Team, but as a Business. I’ve Never been so fulfilled about my work as i am no.