NFLPA Medical Director Dr. Thom Mayer on NFL Player Safety, Leadership, and Learning from Mistakes

My guest for Episode #274 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. Thom Mayer, the Medical Director for the NFL Players Association, Executive Vice President of Leadership for LogixHealth, Founder of BestPractices, Inc., and Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University and Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more.

He was recently nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. USA Today named him one of the “100 Most Important People in the NFL.” Tom Peters, the internationally acclaimed leadership guru, referred to his work as “gaspworthy.” Thom's new book is Leadership Is Worthless...But Leading Is Priceless: What I Learned from 9/11, the NFL, and Ukraine.

On September 11, 2001 Dr. Mayer served as the Command Physician at the Pentagon Rescue Operation and has served on 3 Defense Science Board Task Forces, advising the Secretary of Defense. Most recently, in 2022, Dr. Mayer helped lead a mobile team to Ukraine, treating almost 350 patients and training over 1,700 Ukrainian medical staffers.

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of NFL player safety and the proactive strategies that have been implemented to protect athletes on and off the field. Dr. Thom Mayer shares his insights on the science behind the latest innovations in helmet technology, including the Guardian Cap, and the critical importance of having emergency physicians on the sidelines—a decision that has already saved lives.

We also explore the profound difference between leadership as a concept and leading as a daily practice. Dr. Mayer discusses how finding and following your "deep joy" is essential for both personal fulfillment and professional success. He emphasizes the power of learning from mistakes and how failure is not just a part of success, but an integral component of it. Drawing from his experiences during 9/11 and his recent mission to Ukraine, Dr. Mayer offers powerful lessons on resilience, proactive leadership, and the value of engaging with the people who do the work. This episode is filled with wisdom on how to lead effectively in times of crisis and beyond.

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Questions and Topics:

• What are your thoughts on the new NFL kickoff procedures and their impact on player safety?
• Of all the things you’ve done in your career, what would you say is your favorite mistake?
• Can you give an example of a time when you deviated from your deep joy, and how do you find deep joy in your professional endeavors?
• Can you share an example of when you coached someone through a situation where they had deviated from their deep joy?
• Can you talk about your experience with Damar Hamlin and the importance of being proactive in NFL player safety?
• Can you share your experiences on 9/11 and the leadership lessons you learned from that day?
• How did you end up going to Ukraine in 2022, and what motivated you to take on that mission?
• What would you say to NFL fans who resist changes like the new kickoff rules or the use of the Guardian Cap?