Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show host or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation please call 911 or go to your nearest emerg.
[00:00:42] Speaker B: It's 6 o'clock in time again for Brain Matters, the official radio show of the UA Counseling Center. We are broadcasting from the campus of the University of Alabama. Good evening. My name is Dr. B.J. guenther and I'm the host of the show along with my colleague and producer Kathryn Howell. And in case you don't know, this show is about mental and physical health issues that affect college students and in particular you UA students. So you can listen to us each Tuesday night at 6pm on 90.7 FM or you can listen online at WVUAFM UA. Edu. You can also download some apps to listen to our show or replays of the show. I like the MyTuner radio app. You just type in WVUAFM 90.7. Also, we're probably not quite halfway through the semester. We don't do shows in the summer, so we only do our shows in the fall and the spring. And I've got many shows already scheduled for this semester. But I some ideas for show topics for the last month. I guess maybe about four or five shows. So if you're listening and don't forget, nothing is off limits. If you're listening and you have some ideas for show topics, email those to me@brain mattersradiovuafm ua edu and of course I'll try to consider using your idea and I'll try to remember. Catherine will help me to give that email out again periodically throughout the show because we have suggestions for shows and you know, like I said, no topic is off limits. Even though you may think or you may have heard us do some shows like on depression or test anxiety, stress, stress or sleep issues. I feel like we can always present those shows again because they're useful in different ways and sometimes there's trends that we need to talk about even though it's the same topic. If that makes sense. That might not make sense. Let's go ahead and get started. Tonight's topic. I've been wanting to have this person on the show ever since I heard him speak as the keynote speaker at our state annual conference. The Alabama Counseling Association Conference was in Montgomery, Alabama this year back in November. And this person spoke as the keynote speaker and I just didn't know what to expect, to be honest. And after we were done, and I'll tell, I'm telling him this right now before I introduce him, I tried to get in line to talk to you and there were so many people in line that I had to leave because I was meeting somebody for lunch and I just took a card. Here's the card. I still have it. And I knew I would make contact with you eventually and hopefully you'd be on the show. So thank you so much. Tonight's topic, how to Lead and Make a Positive Impact Leadership in the College Context is about more than holding a title. It's about how you make an impact on your classmates, school and your community and colleges look for students who are proactive, self starters and can handle responsibility. Demonstrating leadership often stems from a genuine passion for a particular area, be it athletics, academics, the arts or community service. And don't forget admission counselors and committees look for these leadership qualities to determine what you will contribute to the campus community. And that's what we're going to talk about tonight, how this how you can make a positive impact here on campus and throughout your life. My guest is Lacey Gano and I hope I said that right. Director of well Being at Zach Brown's Camp Southern Ground over in Fayetteville, Georgia. I do believe that's where you are right now, which is on Eastern time. So I appreciate you being it's a little bit later over there. Lacey is a retired lieutenant colonel of the United States Air Force where he excelled as an instructor pilot and wing Inspector general with over 4,000 flight hours, including 1,000 combat hours. Lacy's experience spans aircraft such as I don't even know what these are, but it is impressive. The KC135R. You'll have to tell us what these are, the T37 and the T6. He's a proud native of Alderson, West Virginia, Virginia. I remember that specifically Alderson because I have a cousin from there and we'll talk about that in a little bit. And he graduated from West Virginia University through the Air Force ROTC program. He currently serves as director, as I mentioned, of well Being at Zach Brown's Camp Southern Ground, in case you don't know, dedicating efforts to supporting warriors. And Lacey, first of all, thank you for being on the show. First of all. Yeah, tell the listeners a little bit more about yourself. And we're going to get a little more in depth. I want to. To talk about, like, how you decided to enlist in the Air Force, how you chose to be, like everybody who goes in the Air Force, you know, enlist in the Air Force. Is everybody a pilot?
You know, my family is in Pensacola and they're Air Force too, so. But they're not pilots. So, you know, how did you end up being a pilot? That sounds scary.
[00:05:36] Speaker C: I'm still trying to figure that out. BJ and thank you so much for having me on the show. Thanks for what you do. It was a pleasure meeting you there. And just what all the counselors do. You know, this show is called Brain Matters, but it's a matter of the heart with what you guys do. And just thank you for having me on the show. It's an honor to be here.
So just to answer your question quickly, not everyone has the opportunity to fly, but everyone has something to do with that flying mission. And to fly, fight and win, it takes every single person, whether they're in supply, they're maintaining the aircraft and, or the ones that have the honor of flying it. We all have a mission and we do that very well. And it was an honor to serve just under 23 years in the Air Force. It was a privilege to do it. And a little bit more about me. I'm happily married to my wife Kay, who is a graduate of UA Roll Todd.
[00:06:32] Speaker B: As I did not know that, I.
[00:06:33] Speaker C: Gotta give her a shout out, yeah, Roll Todd. And you know, she is just such a blessing in my life, drives me to be better. And I wouldn't be who I am without her. And then I got a little boy named Ro gano, and he's 2 years old. And he's the best part. He just keeps me young and smiling. And I'm learning so much more about leadership, having a kid. Wow. And I'm passionate about serving people, leading people, mainly myself first to be an example and inspiring people to make a positive impact in the world. And it's a, it's a privilege to have done that in the Air Force and then now here at Camp Southern Ground.
[00:07:09] Speaker B: I mean, the Air Force. You know, this is a general question that probably has a very long, detailed answer, but I just imagine like being in the Air Force or any of the armed forces somehow. How do you learn leadership in the Air Force? Do you have that opportunity? Like, is that taught? That sounds like a crazy question, but do you know what I mean? Is that taught?
[00:07:37] Speaker C: Well, I think it's taught, but I also think it's really learned by good and bad examples. Like any other workplace that you would be in, the Air Force Force does have, you know, you have boot camp. And whether it's learning to follow and to lead, there's a lot of examples there. Like you mentioned earlier, you know, I was involved with Air Force ROTC and I actually have a friend who's at, at UA at the, I think believe it's Dec.10 there that's leading the next generation of officers and ROTC. You know, their mission is to train, equip the, you know, the next leaders of the Air Force. So there's a lot of leadership in the ROTC program. They're going to teach them a lot of academics, cognitive training and then effective like they're going to put them in the field. And the juniors and seniors, they're actually leading the program and the officers are just really coaching them. So yeah, they teach leadership. But I do think that leadership is a personal journey. It's something that if you really want to excel at it, it's remaining curious and learning to lead yourself and then lead others. And you're constantly getting feedback, you're going to make mistakes. And it's the influence of others for mutual gain for the mission, not personal gain. Right. So we're influencing others. It's just how are you going to use that as a gift? And I think the Air Force and most military branches out there are doing a pretty good job of training individuals to lead and giving them opportunity to learn along the way.
[00:09:02] Speaker B: Yes. And I think that opportunity is just about everywhere. If you think about it like not just a college campus but at the workplace. It's just, I don't know why certain people are. You hear this all the time. Certain people, you know, I hear students say I'm a leader or I'm a follower. I've had some that say I'm a follower. Follower. Do you believe in that or do you think everybody has the opportunity to be a leader no matter what kind of background they come from?
[00:09:30] Speaker C: I mean, I think every day we're leading and following.
Whether you're in a title or not, you are leading and following. And I think to be a really good leader, you need to learn how to follow. And I think when you follow great examples and learn from bad, you can become a good leader. But again, it's just influence. I believe leadership is influence and no matter where you go, you are influencing someone. I think it's important to, if you're walking by someone even offering a smile. We're really good in the south about asking how people are doing, but if you're just smiling, you're influencing someone that may smile back. So I believe that leadership. I think John Maxwell may have talked a little bit about how leadership is influence, you know, and we just really want to leverage that influence in what we do every day for a positive impact on all that we encounter.
[00:10:17] Speaker B: Yeah, because you never know. You know this from being a dad. You just never know who's watching, what they're watching. You know, who you might be influencing. You really Never. Sometimes. You will never know. Sometimes people. I'm sure with you, people have come to you and told you maybe how you've influenced them, you know, in a sense.
[00:10:35] Speaker C: Yeah, I think. I think that's important. I think that we exist as example, whether it's bad or good. Right. And that's kind of what you're saying. A great example is Zach Brown, our founder here at Camp Southern Ground.
You know, he didn't really tell too many people, but he came to camp just, I think, last year, year before last, and was a camp counselor all week. He stayed the night. He literally was one of the best camp counselors, they said. He said it was exceptional. He played music. His tribe was called the Baconators. Like, he. He existed as example. So leadership, I think, is leading from the front, you know, and, you know, being an example for others. So he's not just saying, I have this nonprofit in this mission, but he is existing as example. I think you walk piece of trash on the ground, and you don't. On campus at ua, and you don't pick it up and put it in the trash can. Maybe that's a character thing that you should reflect on, because we constantly. Where the people are watching, which is the. Basically, the definition of integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching. And if you're. Especially if you're in college, if everyone is watching and cheering your name to do something stupid. Right. So don't.
[00:11:42] Speaker B: I know that.
[00:11:44] Speaker C: And I'm not saying I was perfect, but at the end of the day, we all have this opportunity called leadership and leveraging our influence. You have to make the choice of what you're gonna use that for.
[00:11:56] Speaker B: Yeah, we're gonna take our first break, but then when we come back, I want you to tell us how you mentioned Zach Brown's Camp Southern Ground, which is where you're the wellness director now. I want you to mention how you went from Air Force to this position and what you do specifically like what your job is and what your duties are. So hang on. We'll be right back here listening to brain matters on 90.7 the capstone.
[00:12:30] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa. This show is not a substitute for professional counseling, and no relationship is created between the show host or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
[00:13:11] Speaker B: Hey, you're back listening to Brain matters on night 90.7, the Capstone. I'm BJ Guenther and we're talking tonight with Lacey Gano, who is the wellness director at Camp Southern Ground, which was founded by Zach Brown. I'm not sure what year. We'll find that out in just a minute, but we're talking about how to lead and make a positive impact. It's so important, especially at this age.
18 to 24 is usually about the age group that I see at the counseling center. But, you know, we have all ages here at the university, all level bachelor's masters, you know, PhDs. So we have all different ages, but that's usually the most common ages. Don't forget. Before. Before I forget, let me give you our email. It's brain mattersradiobuafm.ua.edu. send me any topic ideas that you have or any questions that you have. And Lacey, we're also gonna take some email questions if you're okay with spontaneity.
[00:14:04] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, far away. I'm excited to get them.
[00:14:07] Speaker B: Tell us how you got from Air Force to the wellness director at Camp Southern, Graham.
[00:14:13] Speaker C: So one of the things I would encourage folks out there is that your gifts can make room for you. I say that because along the way, while I was flying airplanes, while I was teaching at Stanford University, I was involved in different veterans service organizations. I was volunteering my time. And through that network opportunity, I was traveling over to Georgia and I met some few. A few folks while I was here serving and attending a church. And through that relationship back in 2016 and 2018, I was asked while I was teaching at Stanford to come over and be a part of this thing that Zach Brown is starting called Warrior Week. It is going to be a military transition program for transitioning service members, and they would like me to, you know, just consult, kind of help set it up. And that was, through that relationship, I was able to come here and be a part of the very first Warrior Week.
[00:15:02] Speaker B: What year was that?
[00:15:04] Speaker C: That was in 2018. Okay, 2018. And so I would get a call from my buddy here, like, once a year just to check in. And he called me after my son was born in 2022. And he. We did our normal thing, check in, like, hey, you know, would you be interested in coming here and working here? And I looked at the math and looked like, you know, I could retire here soon and maybe make it happen. And we ended up making it happen. So it was through volunteering and connections and networking that this opportunity come and all that, because I was just trying to serve, lead, inspire people. And when you help, help enough people get what they want and serve people, like, doors start to open for you.
[00:15:42] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:15:42] Speaker C: And that's what happened here. I got this opportunity, and I've been here ever since I came here in 2023.
[00:15:50] Speaker B: So camp something. Does it. Does it have, like, what population? I guess you mentioned veterans, but also children, too. At some point. At some point. So, like, what different sections or. I don't know how to ask that.
[00:16:05] Speaker C: What look, I got.
[00:16:06] Speaker B: You have. You know what I mean?
[00:16:08] Speaker C: I do, yeah. So I love. Ask me that, because if there's one thing I really want to unpack is this mission. And this mission has two causes. So within the summer, we are a summer camp. So if you have children between the ages of 7 to 17, we run an inclusion model, which means that 30 to 40% of those kiddos are non typically developing, neurodivergent children on some form of the spectrum. And we love to serve them. And I would love to say that, you know, that's where the biggest change happens. But really and truly, it's the 60 to 70% of the typically developing learning that different is not good or bad. It's just different.
[00:16:43] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:16:43] Speaker C: And the change that can happen in connection here through our structured inclusion model can facilitate change inside this gate. And we hope that it happens outside the gate to positively impact the world. So we have a summer camp that runs eight weeks out of the year. Each week is 100 kids. So public math, that's roughly 800 children coming here each year. We have an incredible set of staff and camp instructors that are here that do an incredible, incredible job. So we do that over the summer while the kids are out of school. But when the kids go back to school, that's when our warrior programs start back up and we run three. Currently we run a Warrior Path program.
We are one of nine sites across the nation and this program is all about post traumatic growth. It is about that growth mindset for those that have a struggle and we're able to help them through peer based training get to a place of post traumatic growth. It's a free program, no cost. You can fly from Hawaii, wherever it is.
[00:17:46] Speaker B: How do you. How. What's the limit of the service people you can take and how does somebody get referred?
[00:17:56] Speaker C: So if you go to campsouthernground.org, click on veteran programs, go down to Warrior Path, Warrior Week or Warrior Family Camp. All three programs, all the details are going to be there. For this particular path program, 16 programs run throughout the year. We have eight slots. They run all male or all female cohorts throughout the year. And this is your referral. So just go to the website and you can go from there.
But you know, it's all explained on the website there.
[00:18:25] Speaker B: That is amazing. I mean, we have a great. We have a Veterans affairs and Military affairs department here. It's. I've seen it grown since I've been here because I've been here almost 20 years, maybe longer. Oh my gosh. So I've seen it develop. We didn't used to have one at all. Develop and grow and become such a necessity on this campus. It is amazing. Do they know about Camp Southern Ground? Do y'all publicize to campuses or to VA or how do you publicize Camp Southern Ground?
[00:18:57] Speaker C: Well, we need opportunities like this to get the word out and we appreciate you doing that. Anyone that's listening, if you could just share the website with a veteran, you know, we will take great care of them and go from there.
We're not necessarily working with, you know, too many of the VAs. We'd love to do that. I believe we do work with Student Veterans of America, the sva. We work with different campuses and what you'll find is you have incredible servicemen and women that are transitioning back to Alabama or wherever they're going back to school. They may look a little different, might be a little older, and, you know, they're just an incredible asset to our communities. And them coming back to that campus is an amazing opportunity and we would love to help them with the next program I can talk about, which is called Warrior Week, which is that transition program. Now we focus on the Gallup Strength finder so they understand what their strengths are. We'll focus on their top 10 strengths from all that science based Data. And whenever we focus on those top 10 strengths through that assessment, that individual can have a more fulfilling life.
[00:19:57] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:19:58] Speaker C: Now we teach, train and mentor them on that throughout their week with us. It's also a no cost program that they can come here and find out. But the important thing about being on campus, this, this veteran that's transitioned, that's newly a veteran that has transitioned out, we want to help them put that ladder against the correct wall so they're not pursuing a PhD and they climb that PhD ladder only to realize, oh man, this ladder's against the wrong wall. We want to teach them their strengths. We want to make sure that they know what they're pursuing, what their target is, what they believe, their values, their purpose. So we can shar down to make sure that they're on the right direction of where they want to go. And we do that through that Warrior Week program. So we're super excited about that one. Or if they're just about to graduate, that's another great time. Right. Because we want to help them sharpen that to what career, what problems they want to solve in the world, what culture they want to go into to use that purpose and that degree. And so we're currently on our last day of our second cohort of Warrior Week right now. I'm in one of the rooms and we have some incredible, incredible individuals here. And we love doing this. We do this eight times a year. We have 20 people in each class, 160 a year. Again, it's free. We have some people from Alabama, we have three next month coming. I'm super excited about that. We will fly you here or we will reimburse your mileage. It's no cost to the veteran. We'd love to have you.
[00:21:21] Speaker B: I mean, how fulfilling that must be for you as a veteran yourself.
I know this from working in the counseling field. I feel like, I don't know how to say this, but if you have more credibility when you've lived that experience.
Do you know what I mean?
[00:21:41] Speaker C: I do. I will just say this, that being able to spend this the past few days with these veterans, whether I'm a veteran or not, I mean, that does make a difference. I think you have commonalities and you can relate, but I would challenge that too to say all civilians can relate. You just don't know somebody well enough yet.
[00:21:57] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:21:57] Speaker C: We're all human. We all have these same values and we really want to connect. I'm sure. But yeah, it's rewarding to the point where I'm completely moved this week of the progress these individuals are making. It's absolutely humbling to stand in front of them and not instruct and teach and yell at or try to tell them how to solve problems, but to let them know that the answers inside of them and be a facilitator versus an instructor. Like, just facilitate the questions and the coaching, much like a counselor would, to help them figure out their own game plan based off of their own solutions. And that's the best way that change is going to happen. So I'm absolutely humbled this week, honestly, and just. I mean, just honored to be a part of what's going on this week.
[00:22:42] Speaker B: Well, you know, Lacey, before I say this every week, but before every show, I try to do a little bit of research about the topic, you know, so I appear to know what I'm talking about. And one of the things, there were several key leadership skills that I kept reading about over and over again, and you just kind of touched on one that I think is very important, and that's communication and listen.
That was always listed in all the articles that I've read on leadership skills, how important communication and not only that, but listening is.
[00:23:18] Speaker C: Yeah, and I fully agree with that. You know, growing up in the Air Force, they're going to teach you integrity first, service, support, self excellence in all that you do. There's all these core values, and I think that is almost a given. You have to have those to maintain the character of being a leader. But I think what really defines, and this is even a current challenge with me is, is slowing down to actively listen. And you can get all the training on actively listening. And that is, that does not matter if you don't actively listen. And the best way to phrase it these days that I'm offering it to myself first and to others is just being curious instead of trying to judge a situation like, okay, well, why'd you do that? Like, say, hey, help me understand, you know, you know, what made. What made this decision good for you. Like, let's get to that. Because when you peel it back, back, and have the best intention, like if you have the best possible intentions of assuming their best possible intentions, you start to be human and find commonality to. To coach in a way by listening and helping them figure out their own, you know, their own way forward.
[00:24:21] Speaker B: That's right. That's right.
[00:24:22] Speaker C: So I think remaining curious is another way of saying actively listen is to be curious about people, be curious of why they do what they do and how to get to Know them better. So then you have that deeper relationship to lead.
[00:24:34] Speaker B: You know, when you spoke at the conference, you started out talking about your upbringing. And Alderson, which my cousin's father. Well, I guess he's like my great uncle. I don't know how we're cousins, but, you know, they're passed away now, but his son, we still keep in contact. But I've been to Alderson one time, you know, and I mean, Alderson is famous for. We all know where Martha Stewart was in prison. We know that. I mean, that's what you. I mean, if you know Martha, you know. Right. But what really made an impact on me when you were speaking was talking about your upbringing, and it sounded like. It sounded tough to me and how you have developed into the leader that you are now, not just with the Air Force. It's like something in you, something in you, like we all have something in us, but something in you spurred that on. You know, I know we've all made mistakes, mistakes, but that really made an impression on me at first. You know, when you go to conferences and you hear keynote speakers, I'm not gonna lie, you're like, what is this about? What are we gonna hear today? It's early. I'm not a morning person. I'm a night out man. It really. I don't usually stand in line to meet somebody after they speak. I'm just not that type. But I did. I tried to stand in line, but there were so many people I had to go. But I knew we would talk again. So talk a little bit about, like, Alderson, that growing up in West Virginia, going to the, you know, West Virginia University. How did that help you become a better leader? Can you touch on that?
[00:26:13] Speaker C: Yeah, I'd love to.
So I grew up in, always, say, middle of nowhere West Virginia. And Alderson, you know, is just down the road from where I actually grew up. I always like to say I grew up in a trailer down by the river, and my dad was making $8,000 a year. And, you know, and while those things are true, it was a privilege to be there. And while we didn't have much money, I had a four wheeler. I was always out having a lot of fun. But my parents got divorced. Single household with just my dad. And that was very tough. Without a praying grandmother and two grandparents that really just loved me and believed in me, I would have went a very different direction.
And you can look at this a few different ways. For me, I had to look at. At it as it As I grew older that, you know, this can happen for me or I could be a victim and this happened to me and I can use it as an excuse. And there's times I really wanted to do that, obviously.
But what I did was I tried to believe in myself as much as I could, but that was also hard. But I had had this amazing experience of having people believe in me more than I believed in myself. Isn't that crazy? I had. I had my grandmother pouring into me. And then when I got to college, you know, randomly, I had my Uncle Melvin, who's a family member.
[00:27:34] Speaker B: I forgot about Uncle Melvin. Yes, Uncle Melvin.
[00:27:37] Speaker C: Uncle Melvin, he's leading this ROTC thing. And your boy, me, I'm showing up with earrings and, you know, blonde hair, look like Nick Lachey and Justin Timberlake put together. And thinking, you know, hiding behind this mask, that I had it all figured out. And I went to this thing called rotc and I'm like all these nerds and they broke me down. And, you know, and it gave me an opportunity. And at first I was doing it to prove them all wrong. But the only thing more, more. More important and more powerful than proving people wrong, it's proven the right people right. My grandmother, the people believing in me. So Uncle Melvin gave me a shot, got me there. I got a haircut, took the earrings out. Then I got the pilot training. They picked me to be a pilot, and they shouldn't have. Like, I didn't even know really what that was, right? And like, so in the inside, I'm saying this little boy, like, I'm a small town boy from West Virginia, dad, many thousand dollars a year, divorced, home. That's the real in my background. But I went ahead and stepped out, got the pilot training. I almost quit. In pilot training, the instructors, they usually kick you out if you're trying to quit. They pulled me into the room and said, lace, man, you should. You should stay here. We want. They believed in me more than I believed in myself. So I stayed. Next thing you know, I'm flying around the world. Before I took off to go overseas with my crew, I looked at myself. I'm thinking to myself, I'm a small town boy from West Virginia. Can't believe I don't know if I can do this. Next thing you know, like, I don't know. 11, 12 deployments later, they asked me to be an instructor pilot back in Columbus, Mississippi. I go there and I'm like, oh, my gosh, I'm a small town boy. I stopped.
I stopped and it's like, yeah, it's like 8 mile and I'm Eminem, like B. Rabbit or something. And this is what happens when you change the way you look at things. The things you look at can change. And all of a sudden I had this shift in my life, which is the most important shift anyone can have. Even listening now that maybe it happened for me because I changed it up and said, you know what? I am a small town boy from West Virginia. My parents were divorced. My dad, he did make $8,000 a year. And here I am, am an instructor pilot in the United States Air Force.
[00:29:33] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:29:33] Speaker C: And if I can do this, then what can other people do? So when I graduated pilot training and I started to do those things, the first place I went was not Disney World. I went back to my elementary school. I went to any school that would hear me because I had this message inside of me to let kids know if this West Virginia boy from a trailer down by the river can be a pilot in the United States Air Force, then whoever's sitting in this audience could go to the moon.
[00:29:55] Speaker B: I'm in.
[00:29:55] Speaker C: You can do, you know, and I'm not saying you can do anything you want to do. I believe there's a certain skill set that you are good at. There's value that every single person can bring to the table that will be phenomenal. But you have to find that and make that move. So, you know, you could be a victim or you can, or you can use that as fuel to move forward in your life. That's what I was trying to do.
[00:30:15] Speaker B: I can so relate to that. Just talking to students every day because I just talked to a student today whose self esteem is pretty low based on her family life. I'm just not going to get into it much, but it's a little bit similar to what, what you're talking about. And it's very hard for me, even as a counselor, it's hard to teach somebody self esteem. Like it's not just something you can just teach, you know, it's a feeling. It's like a epiphany. You have to have kind of like you had, you know, and you have to kind of. Well, we call it cognitive behavioral therapy, you know, where you change your thoughts, change your behaviors. That's basically what you did. But you talk about passion and I have a lot of stuff. Students who will say things like they don't know what their purpose is.
And I mean, I'm talking. Sometimes they're seniors, you know, they've gone to college and they think they're going to have this like passion for something because they see other people who do have that, you know, they might have a passion for nursing and they don't necessarily have that. What would you say to those kind of students? Not to just put you on the spot, but I'm putting you on the spot.
[00:31:20] Speaker C: No, put me on the spot. I think, think, you know, there's a story I love to tell about a, a young dog that's chasing his tail and it's chasing his tail trying to grab it. And the dad dog or you know, this wisdom dog comes up and says, why are you changing your tail? And he's like, well if I catch my tail, my purpose is in there and I'll know what my purpose is. And the older dog, the daddy dog says, yeah, your, your, your purpose. If it, even if it is your tail, it's attached to you. Wherever you go, it will go where you go.
So I like to say it this way, that you know, I believe that we were uniquely made. We have, you know, a unique skill set. All of us have tremendous purpose. And if you don't know what it is, then what does your heart hurt for? What do you want to solve in this world? What do you care about? And it's never a dead end road. If you needed to go there, it might be three jobs away, three classes away.
[00:32:10] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:32:10] Speaker C: Like you can expect to not figure it out for a while, but that doesn't mean you don't go go. Right. Like the Wright brothers, they took three sets of parts with them when they were failing in Ohio because they wanted a fourth shot at it because they cared so much. And oh, by the way, they had the right recipe for flight, but they ended up in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina because that's where the wind was, that's where they, when they landed, the sand was. So they just weren't in the right environment. So when trying to find your purpose, I think you need to understand what you believe, what your values are, what problems you want to solve in the world that hurts your heart, where you feel like you're stressed, strengths, your talent can make a difference and chase after that. It's never a dead end road if you needed to go there. And along the way you're going to pick up enough experience to figure it out on your own. And if you can't, if you don't see it and there's not a job for it, you will create a company, a non profit or something to solve that problem. That's wanting to make you come alive. And a lot of this is internal. Like this is reflection and it's a self discovery. Like you can't even offer self esteem. I believe it's built right. So Howard Thurman said it this way. He said, don't ask what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive. Alive. Because what the world needs is for you to come alive.
[00:33:19] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:33:20] Speaker C: So I believe if you want your purpose, you need to look inside yourself and your heart and look at the problems you want to solve, what moves your heart and what's going to make you come alive and go and do that and you'll figure it out along the way.
[00:33:31] Speaker B: Do you always include a Wright brother slash pilot analogy in your talks?
[00:33:37] Speaker C: No, it's just to sound cool, you.
[00:33:39] Speaker B: Know, where your mind is.
[00:33:42] Speaker C: That's such a good story. Because these were bicycle makers and flying was not a thing. Right. And, and their dad, evidently, whether it's, you know, true or not, you know, the bishop, he was a bishop or Milton Wright was like a clergy guy that came and said to these young kids with a dream, you know, if God, if, if, if men were meant to fly, God would have given him wings. And what a metaphor for any kid out there that's doing something they don't love and they're not having the support system to pursue a dream and be the first to do it. Pioneer something not just for technology and the world, but pioneer a new something for their family. Like change your family tree by doing something new.
[00:34:22] Speaker B: Yeah, definitely. Hey, let's take another break. I'm way late on taking breaks. Sorry, Catherine. I'm not ignoring you. And when we come back, will you be okay taking a few email questions off the cuff?
[00:34:31] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:34:32] Speaker B: Okay, we'll be right back. You're listening to brain matters on 90.7, the capstone.
[00:34:47] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa. This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show host or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
[00:35:28] Speaker B: Hey, we're back. You're listening to brain matters on hello 90.7 the Capstone. I'm Dr. BJ Guenther. We're talking tonight about how to lead and make a positive impact. It's harder than you might think. And I think a lot of students here on campus, they. I don't know how to say this, but I'm just going to say it. I feel like a lot of the things that they're involved with, they're more consumed with resume building than anything. And some will admit that. My guess is Lacey Gano. Lacey is the well being director at Camp Southern Living. Camp Southern Living. Well, you know where my head is at. Camp Southern Ground in Fayetteville, Georgia. Camp Southern Ground was founded by Zach Brown. Was it founded in 2018? Did he start it in 2018?
[00:36:17] Speaker C: No. So we kind of started this journey in 2011. But I like to say it really started in Zach's heart when he was 14 years old and he knew he wanted to build a camp because he was a camp kid. So I believe the dream and the idea started when Zach was 14.
[00:36:31] Speaker B: That's cool. So you get what I'm saying about some of these kids. And Kathryn surely understands because she's worked with college students. I feel like a lot of times their focus is off a little bit because they just want to be a part of something to put on their resume, you know, and I don't feel like sometimes it's genuine.
[00:36:53] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I think some people are probably just paying bills to try to get that door to open. That doesn't sound authentic. And I think eventually you might be be in a gap where you're, you know, your, your work puts you in a place where your character and your heart won't keep you.
[00:37:06] Speaker B: I know.
[00:37:07] Speaker C: And if you, if you fake it there, you're going to end up in a place where maybe you're not happy.
[00:37:11] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:37:12] Speaker C: And, and then that's a rep and a set, you know, to, to learn and build the strength to make the resume reflect like who you really are and you know, you gotta be authentic and pursue something meaningful.
[00:37:26] Speaker B: Let me. Here's the first email question. I mentioned that before the break. So I want to be sure we get to it. I don't think we've an. It may be. College students are often elected to serve or lead in organizations in organization positions for just a year or so. This typically requires them to raise up the new leader who will fill their shoes. Since this can be an overwhelming task. This is a long question. What advice would you give a student who is currently serving in a leadership position but will be passing the torch to another student? And how can they lead in such A way that prepares others to lead well after. That's a good question.
[00:38:05] Speaker C: Yeah, I like that question. And, you know, as a leader, you want to teach, train, and mentor people to be able to take your job. And I think a true testament of your leadership is how it operates when you're gone. I think if you inherit a job, you. You create all the, you know, the. The checklist, the procedures.
[00:38:24] Speaker B: You.
[00:38:24] Speaker C: You kind of have a binder or a virtual binder, whatever works for you. Of everything that happens.
[00:38:30] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:38:30] Speaker C: And then you figure out how to make that more effective, more efficient. Efficient. And always thinking of the next person that's coming down the line and how you can increase that effect, you know, effectiveness and efficiency. So whenever you're handed off, it's better than you found it and keep that legacy building. And I think that's what, you know, that's what makes you want to improve and do things. You just go through the motions, then you may not have a lasting impact. And hopefully that's driving them and it's something that they love to do and they're looking for ways to improve it.
[00:38:58] Speaker B: Yeah.
What about, you know, I mentioned some of the key leadership skills you just mentioned. Teach, train, and mentor. One of the two of the skills that I mentioned earlier on in the show were communication, listening. What are some other skills you think people need to possess?
[00:39:18] Speaker C: I think integrity. You know, it's not just on the right thing. I think it's making sure that you know what you believe shows up in behavior behaviors. Right. So you can say something, but you need to live that out. I think that's something important.
I think you have a responsibility to do that. For me, you know, teamwork is big. I think you move at the speed of team.
That's Stephen Covey book Speed of Trust talks a lot about moving at the speed of team, and I think that's important. I think understanding your culture, like, what are your values and living up to those so you can reward that when it happens and also coach it when it doesn't, is important.
For me, it's being a servant leader, like being willing to jump in and all that. And, you know, we're a Gallup strengths organization. But I don't need a strength to tell me to clean a toilet or to make sure I open a door or pick up trash. Like, I think teamwork is big to me and make sure we're all jumping in as a servant leader to get the mission done, and the list goes on. But I think it really comes down to who's Listening. Like, what are your core values? Like if I listed. If you listed 10 of them, what's the top five? And then if you circle the top three, how do you live out those every single day?
[00:40:26] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:40:27] Speaker C: And if you. If you just choose to live out those top three core values to you every single day, then you're gonna get on a path to leading yourself, and people will see your leadership and behavior.
[00:40:38] Speaker B: What about. This is another question, and I think this is good one. And we're kind of talking about this. What are some tips or reminders for ourselves to be positive toward others? And you've mentioned you touched on this a little bit, but what else can you add? Anything else that you haven't?
[00:40:53] Speaker C: Yeah. You know, the golden rule has always been that you treat people the way that you would want to be treated. And I started saying a long time ago, there's a platinum, platinum rule out there, too, that you treat people the way that they want to be treated.
[00:41:08] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:41:09] Speaker C: Like, how does. You know, someone may not want to be treated the way that you treat yourself? You may be really hard on yourself, and you're hard on others. Right. Hardy people hurt people. Or, you know, there's different ways to look at this, but I believe getting to know people. Gallup strengths, what we use, and Warrior Week is an exceptional way to do that, to understand how people work, what. How they want to be led is important. And having those curious conversations of how to honor people, how they want to be rewarded, or how they want to be corrected and coached, and I think that's the start of a deeper relationship. And the deeper you go with yourself is the deeper you can go with them.
[00:41:48] Speaker B: What do you think about personality types? Do you think, like we mentioned earlier, own. Maybe there's leaders and followers. I don't know. Or both. Do you think there's certain personality types?
[00:42:00] Speaker C: You know, I like personality assessments. I think they're a lot of fun. I think sometimes I set them down just to get the job done at times. And I could do a better job of observing personalities. But, you know, we've had experience with Enneagram. We've used that before.
[00:42:13] Speaker B: Yeah, we had a show about that, too. Yeah, it's complicated. I thought it was more complicated than I thought.
[00:42:19] Speaker C: Well, the Enneagram tool does offer some insight on how you show up when you're not healthy, and so that does offer some unique insight. The disc is pretty good. I used to help with the growth track at Church of the Highlands there in Alabama, and we ran the growth track. There's four lens. There's 16 personalities. Myers Briggs. And I think it's a personal discovery and I think that remaining curious, these are great tools to use and I think just remaining curious and having open communication about what works and what doesn't. Um, and the Jelly Roll said something interesting the other day that helped me. Jelly Roll said that he stopped asking what's wrong with people and started asking what happened to that person. So if I start viewing people as like, this person's just a wrong, got the wrong personality. If you just start to learn, like why they have that personality, you know, why they do this and that and what happened to them to make them that way, you can start to connect on a deeper level, understand each other more fully. And then hopefully, because there's differences, you cover each other's blind spots. Like, I'm a very. I'm a very task oriented person. And one of my pastors actually said, well, Lacy, you know, the greatest task is always people. And that hit me. So I try to surround myself with people that see emotion and see people while focus on tasks so we can put it together. So hopefully you learn enough about each other and build a strong team to have each other's backs and blind spots to move the needle faster.
[00:43:44] Speaker B: Yeah, I never thought we'd be quoting Jelly Roll on this show, but that was pretty cool. Thank you for.
I kind of say something similar to students when they're having problems, when they're having drama, you know, drama with a roommate or a friend or even a parent. Sometimes I kind of get them to see that person through like sympathetic eyes. And I know that sounds weird, but almost like they feel sorry for them and it kind of gives them some empathy toward that person and they have a different perspective. And I guess that's a little bit different than what he said. Do you know what I mean?
[00:44:23] Speaker C: I do. And you know, sometimes when I'm working with people, you know, most of the time I've noticed that people are really hard on themselves.
[00:44:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:44:33] Speaker C: And that's a great tool as well. I used to, as a flight instructor, you know, I had people that had come back after a five day break of flying and their heads low because they were terrible. And I said, you know, and say their name's David. I would say David, if you had a son that was five years old, you went to the beach for five days, came back and he hadn't really learned how to ride the bike when you left, but he almost got it, went on a five day beach trip and come back and he regressed a little bit. Would you be mad at him?
[00:44:56] Speaker B: Yeah. No.
[00:44:57] Speaker C: And he was like, no, no, I get him back on the bike. And I'm like, well, let's get back on this bike, baby, and do this thing. Because it's. We don't have that same empathy for others as much as we don't have the same empathy for ourself. And when we start to learn that we need that grace, we need that empathy, then hopefully we understand the value that we can share with others. Now, there's a certain point where you got to set boundaries learning that too. But, yeah, understanding the perspective of where the people are coming from versus the perception of what you have of them can be very different.
[00:45:28] Speaker B: Let's take our last break and then when we come back, we'll talk about some of the challenges and some of the resources you might have for listeners. And Catherine, cue up the Top Gun music too. Okay, so we'll be right back.
We'll be right back. You're listening to brain matters on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:45:56] Speaker A: WVUAFM, Tuscaloosa. This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show hosts or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UAE Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
[00:46:36] Speaker B: Hey, you're back listening to brain matters on 90.7 the Capstone. I'm BJ Guenther. We're talking tonight about leadership, how to lead and make positive impact. My guest is Lacy Gano, veteran lieutenant colonel, flight instructor, pilot, you name it, but currently the well being director at Camp Southern Ground over in Fayetteville, Georgia. Started by Zach Brown. It just sounds like an amazing place. It really does. I bet it's pretty too. Picture risk.
[00:47:04] Speaker C: Oh, I'm telling you, when you drive into this place, it's a serenade. It's a serenade to the soul. 411 acres.
Our facilities are absolutely incredible.
[00:47:15] Speaker B: You'd have to see that just playing all the time. Is it just like playing all the time all over the place?
[00:47:22] Speaker C: You know, I will say Zach's vision is everywhere. And you know, when you say you're going to a summer camp and you're staying in a cabin, you're not thinking about staying in A, you know, a geothermal wrapped in zinc. Leeds Platinum. Yeah. I'm telling you, it's amazing places. But it's not just that. It sounds cool and it's the most elite facilities in the nation for a summer camp. Probably it's because of Zach's vision he want, he doesn't want it to be wood and last a certain amount of years. He wanted this to be a 100 year build based on legacy and impact. That's why it's wrapped in zinc. That's why it's Leeds Platinum certified green. And that's why, you know, the vision here in the impact is so important to him and to our staff. So the facilities match the facilitators. Like we wanted to make sure this brand is solid to support Zach's vision, which is incredible.
[00:48:11] Speaker B: You know, I mentioned before the break, like about challenges, how can challenges be used to teach others? Like the growth mindset you mentioned, you know, your upbringing. But what if you've got somebody who is discouraged because there's so many challenges? Let's say finances, let's say family, you know, a lot of different aspects are just really keeping them down. What do you say to that? How do you lift somebody up from that?
[00:48:40] Speaker C: You know, my wife told me this statement the other day and she, she was talking about the vision is in the valley. And you know, in life we all want to be positive and sunshine and rainbows, we all want to be on top of that mountain and have that view. But to really know who you are, it's found in the valleys of life. It's found in the valleys of financial. Not having the community, not having the support, the social circle, feeling like you don't have the right career, your lack, lacking purpose and sense of self, all those things, it allows you to get into a place where you're, you're taking it down to the metal to figure out who you really are. So is it happening to me or is it happening for me? And in that valley is where you can galvanize this vision of the person you want to be. Those grounding beliefs, values, and understand who you are so you can build yourself up. So whenever adversity comes your way. I'm not saying, okay, good, let's, you know, it does her. But it's only going to be for a season and you have to change the way you look at things. So the things you look at change instead of asking, why has this happened to me? It's what can I learn from this? What skills do I have to acquire to be able to overcome this. And if you continually do that with that growth mindset, not this is the end, but this is. This is what happened. So what happens now is I bounce back and you keep growing in life, then, you know, you keep doing that consistently, then good things are going to happen down the line. Not all the time.
[00:50:08] Speaker B: I bet you're good at your job and I bet you were a great pilot, instructor, flight instructor, because you are very encouraged, you're very encouraging. You just have that kind of personality. You're very. And I know you've had ups and downs, but just to talk to you is very encouraging. So thank you for being on the show.
[00:50:25] Speaker C: Yes, ma'am. And I will say this last thing. Like, I think heart. I think heart is something for every leader because it's not how much you know, it's how much you care. John Maxwell said that. And I've cared about every person I've flown with. I care about all my staff, my participants here. But I think whenever you. You love people and you really want to. Yeah, And I think. I think that's one of the biggest things, having a heart. It's hard to lead with a big heart because you have to make tough decisions at times. But I think when you're a leader, you just need to have the right heart for people and the organization.
[00:50:57] Speaker B: Yeah. Any resources for listeners, Any books, apps, websites, anything you can add.
[00:51:04] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I really want to make sure that people know about Camp Southern ground. So campsouthernground.org, depending on what they're looking for, there's a million books out there that you can go. How to Win Friends and Influence People. Viktor Frankl's Man's Search For Meaning. There's a million books out there.
[00:51:23] Speaker B: And John Maxwell, he's one of the best.
[00:51:25] Speaker C: I've quoted John Maxwell so many times here.
[00:51:28] Speaker B: My husband's been to his home in Alpharetta, Georgia. Oh, yeah.
[00:51:32] Speaker C: Oh, that's incredible.
[00:51:33] Speaker B: Something else.
[00:51:33] Speaker C: He's written so many, so many book. 21 laws, irrefutable laws of Leadership is a great book. There's so many out there. But I will say this, that in today's day and age, ignorance is a choice. If you want to learn about a topic, it is out there for you to learn. And I think being proactive, you'll find the books that work for you.
[00:51:50] Speaker B: You can. Thank you. Well said. Thanks again for being on the show. Tell Kay Roll Tide anytime she wants to come over and go to any sporting event, we're there.
I want to remind everybody don't forget our shows are recorded and podcasted on Apple Podcasts, audioboom.com and voices.
Just type in Brain Matters and you'll find our past shows. There's also a link to Voices ua Edu on our Counseling Center's website, and that's Counseling UA Edu. Don't forget we'll be back next week. I always like to thank some people who have made the show possible. Our executive director here at the counseling center, Greg Dr. Greg Vanderwaal, my producer and my colleague, Katherine Howell. My colleagues here at the Counseling Center, Katherine Ratchford. She's the who edits our shows weekly and does a fantastic job for wvua. And of course, my guest tonight, Lacy Gano. Don't forget, like I said, we're gonna be on again next week and it's gonna be a really interesting show. It's hypnotherapy, which I'm intrigued by and I don't know how I feel about it yet. That's why I want to have this person on the neuroscience behind rapid and lasting change. So we'll see where that goes. Join us next week, same time, same place. Thanks for listening to Brain Matters. Good night.
[00:53:11] Speaker A: This show was not intended as a substitute for professional counseling. Further, the views, opinions and conclusions expressed by the show hosts or their guests are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Alabama, its officers or trustees. Any views, opinions, opinions or conclusions shared on the show do not create a relationship between the host or any guest and any listener, and such a relationship should never be inferred. If you feel you're in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, please contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective county's Crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
