The Invisible Tax of Leadership: Chelsea Byers on Depression, Vulnerability, and What Strength Actually Looks Like

About this episode

Chelsea Byers discusses the hidden struggles of leadership, including her experiences with depression and the importance of vulnerability.

There is a version of leadership that looks flawless from the outside, strong decisions, growing numbers, a polished presence. And then there is what is actually happening inside the person carrying all of that. For far too many leaders, the gap between those two realities is enormous, and the cost of maintaining that gap is quietly enormous too. This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered if showing up as a whole person at work would somehow make them less of a leader. Chelsea Byers, a high-growth operator and C-suite leader who helped scale an education startup to $100 million in revenue, opens up about navigating clinical depression, infertility, and the pressures of leadership during one of the most scrutinised periods in workplace culture. In her memoir Course Correct, and in this conversation, she makes the case that vulnerability is not a liability in leadership. It is the foundation of trust, resilience, and the kind of human infrastructure that makes organisations truly work. About the Guest: Chelsea Byers is a high-growth startup operator and C-suite leader who has held roles including VP of Product and COO, helping scale organisations through complex growth…

People in this episode

Host: Avik Chakraborty

Guest: Chelsea Byers

Topics covered

• leadership
• vulnerability
• mental health
• depression
• workplace culture
• trust
• resilience

Keywords

• leadership
• vulnerability
• depression
• mental health
• workplace culture
• trust
• resilience

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Course Correct

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