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 If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad!  Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com.  Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/ 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 09:21 Defining emotional intelligence 13:10 Growing up in a stoic household 16:02 The LifeSpring retreat story 20:44 Empathy and holding two views 23:43 Why fatherhood shifts your focus 26:04 Nature vs nurture in his kids 28:28 Boarding school as a family choice 33:23 The bittersweet of kids leaving home 36:16 From dad to CEO 39:57 Advice for a brand new father 43:01 Being a father, the best role