Jan 14, 2020
I've been
obsessed over the past couple of weeks with Malcolm Gladwell's
book, "Talking to Strangers." In processing through the information
I started to think about loneliness and mental health--especially
for those of us working in nonprofit and mission-driven leadership.
This provided the context for an interview with Dennis Gillan.
Dennis and I were speakers at TEDx Hickory this past November, and
his talk on suicide prevention presented the topic with gentle
humor and warmth. I've been wanting to share his story with the
Virtual Executive Director audience ever since, and this was our
chance.
Suicide is not a simple matter for research and curiosity, so
I'm glad we were able to talk about it with openness and without
the hushed tones one reserves for delivering bad news in front of
strangers. That said, if you or someone you know is thinking or
behaving in a way that has you worried, please call 800-273-8255.
This is the number for the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline.
Links and resources for this week:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Dennis Gillan's website: http://dennisgillan.com/
Suicide prevention resources: https://themighty.com/suicide-prevention-resources/
"Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell (affiliate link):
https://amzn.to/2QOG8l2
Executive Director Mastermind Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExecutiveDirectorMastermind/
Dennis Gillan's TEDx Hickory talk, "Dying Alone": https://youtu.be/9NES3hSNv6o