Topeka City Manager Stephen Wade’s battle with depression and mental illness came to a head in June when he attempted suicide. Wade was a “hometown” boy done good and was only about 10 months into his tenure as city manager. After being placed on indefinite leave with pay, he would be shockingly terminated for cause about a month later.
In the aftermath of his dismissal, Wade opted to courageously share his mental health struggles publicly by granting an interview with the Topeka Capital-Journal. After reading that article I contacted Stephen and invited him to be a guest on the show, which he graciously agreed to do.
This episode features a raw, intimate, and unfiltered look at mental health, suicide, and the extreme stress and pressures city managers must endure as they lead a city and attempt to keep multiple bosses (e.g., elected officials) and stakeholder groups happy.
SHOW NOTES:
During the interview, Stephen cited two sources of help that may be of value to you. This includes:
The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino, and
Damon Parker and “The Jones Project”
SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
If you like the show and enjoy the content, please take a moment to leave a rating AND a review on Apple or your preferred platform. It really does mean a lot to me and gives me a lot of motivation to continue producing content for the podcast. It is a lot of work and very time consuming.
Thank you!