Matthew's Legacy with Gail Lloyd

**CONTENT WARNING – in todays podcast episode we discuss trauma associated with sickness but also the sudden loss of our guests son, which we know can be distressing. It might be a lot to take in, so if you need a breather— take a break, come back later or skip this episode if it is too much. There is a strong leadership message in our discussions but understand this may be a lot for people to hear **

Gail Lloyd has experienced significant grief and trauma but she refuses to let it define who she is, and how she leads her life.  After loosing both her parents within 12 months of each other, her 26 year old son suddenly and unexpectedly passed away due to a reaction to the medication he had been put on whilst on the waiting list for psychological help.  You would think this would be enough for the family to endure, but then  early last year, Gail received a breast cancer diagnosis.

Through her story with us she shares and the lessons she has learnt that she has taken with her in her role as a Practice Manager. She is vulnerable and willing to share what she has learnt as she had to show up for some of the toughest days anyone could ever imagine let alone live through. Gail shares her story with us so Matthews legacy lives on. 

“I have learnt so much through these experiences, but my greatest wish is no one else has to go through the extremes I have been through to find similar life and work lessons . . .”

Some key messages Gail shares:

• I have learnt I’m not indispensable, other people can do things that I was doing, even if they sometimes do them differently or if things sometimes need adjusting afterwards. 
• If you aren’t at work and your team continues to function in a strong manner, you’ve done your job properly.  
• I have learnt that delegation is really good and really important, if you keep waiting till you think you’ve got time to teach someone something properly it will never happen.
• Find the right professional help that is right for you if you need it. 
• Don’t wait till something goes wrong to address succession planning, it is so important
• Have a no blame culture, make it safe for people to admit they made a mistake, then work as a team to fix and learn from it. Don’t make them feel like they will get into trouble.
• Work on your negotiating skills, if you know something is important, have the difficult conversations and find a solution. 

“If I can find one tiny silver lining out of the chaos my life has become, it is the fact I love and appreciate my job more than I have for many years and I suspect I’ve got more years of work left in me than I would have had if I’d kept pushing myself to the limits I was before.”

**During this episode we discuss the challenges of mental health  which we know may be distressing for some

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Thanks to our Podcasting producer, Josh at Deadset Podcasting for all his work behind the scenes.

Thanks for listening!