Ep 36: A CEO Dad On Emotional Intelligence And Letting Go

A CEO and father of two opens up about why raising kids became his real education in emotional intelligence. Topher Stephenson had his children while in medical school and residency, and looks back on how becoming a dad reshaped how he sees himself and everyone around him.

Key takeaways:

Emotional intelligence starts with realizing you're not the center of the universeKids reveal how far your own emotional maturity has (or hasn't) comeEmpathy means letting someone else's experience be real without needing to agree with itBoarding school and letting go are their own kind of parenting lessonThe skills that make you a better father also make you a better leaderTopher also shares the one piece of advice he wishes someone had given him as a brand new dad

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00:00 Cold open

00:29 Meet Topher Stephenson

01:24 Larkin and Finn, his two kids

03:34 Having kids in med school

05:13 What fatherhood taught him

07:15 Reparenting yourself as a dad