• April 20

#46 Breaking the Silence: Leadership and Mental Health with Adam Nemer

The Learning To Lead Show with Mark J. Cundiff

Breaking the Silence: Leadership and Mental Health with Adam Nemer

In this powerful episode, Mark Cundiff sits down with Adam Nemer to discuss the often-unspoken reality of mental health in leadership—and the life-changing impact of one courageous conversation.

Adam shares his personal journey of leading at a high level while silently struggling, and how a simple 5-minute conversation with a leader changed everything.

🔑 Key Topics

  •  Why mental health is still one of the most avoided conversations in leadership 
  •  Adam’s personal story of silent struggle while leading at an executive level 
  •  The 5-minute conversation that helped change—and save—his life 
  •  How to recognize when someone on your team may be struggling 
  •  What holds leaders back from speaking up (and how to overcome it) 
  •  The role of stigma—and why it keeps people from getting help 
  •  How leaders can create a culture of psychological safety and support 
  •  The connection between mental health, performance, and team effectiveness 
  •  Simple, practical ways to support your people starting today 

💡 Why This Episode Matters

If you lead people, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership, awareness, and responsibility.

Because sometimes…


 The most important leadership moment is a 5-minute conversation.

Resources Mentioned:

  • Simple Mental Health: The ROI of Vulnerability — Adam Nemer
  • Article: Breaking The Silence: Leadership and Mental Health with Adam Nemer
  • The Five Dysfunctions of a Team — Patrick Lencioni
  • The Odyssey — Homer
  • Shakespeare’s Tragedies (especially King Lear)
  • Disturbing the Peace — Václav Havel
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen R. Covey

Free Learning To Lead Resources

  • Free Book: The Trust Gap
  • The Learning To Lead Newsletter
  • LeaderNotes

🔎 About LeaderNotes

LeaderNotes is a quick-hit companion to each episode of The Learning to Lead Show. In just 5–10 minutes, Mark Cundiff recaps the top leadership insights, frameworks, and action steps from each interview, designed for busy, growth-minded leaders who want to review and apply the episode’s biggest takeaways on the go. It’s like the highlight reel + playbook—all in one.


Contact Mark at: mark@markjcundiff.com

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