Reframe for Resilience - Episode 24, Part 2: Living the Story - How Reframing Adversity Shaped a Legacy of Leadership with Dr. Mark Vincent

Reframe for Resilience

In Part 2 of this Reframe for Resilience conversation, Dr. Frank L. Douglas continues his discussion with Dr. Mark Vincent, founder of Design Group International. This episode takes a deeper look at how we integrate the lessons of adversity into leadership—and why managing our mental energy and staying open to learning are vital for resilience.

From executive brain function to protecting your body’s energy capacity, Dr. Vincent shares actionable frameworks that can help leaders stop reacting, start perceiving, and lead from a place of clarity and purpose.

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Episode Summary:

In this insightful continuation of Reframe for Resilience, Dr. Frank L. Douglas and Dr. Mark Vincent dive deeper into the wisdom gained from integrating personal adversity with professional leadership.

Dr. Vincent explores how fighting disease but not death parallels navigating inevitable change in the corporate world. He shares the power of openness, awareness, and managing physical and cognitive energy as vital elements of resilient leadership. This episode unpacks timeless principles to help listeners reframe their mindset and stay mentally and physically aligned in a fast-paced, change-driven world.

Key Topics

• Integrating personal adversity into professional growth
• The corporate parallel: Don’t fight change, fight dysfunction
• Living and leading with open hands
• The difference between knowing and learning
• Building resilience through executive brain function
• Managing your “body battery” and mental energy
• Reducing reactionary behavior in high-stress environments
• Signals it’s time to reframe your thinking

Timeline Summary

[00:00] – Cancer, stress, and living 16 years past a 2-year

prognosis

[01:00] – Linking the fight against disease to navigating change in leadership

[02:30] – Breaking compartmentalization between work, life, and caregiving

[04:00] – Openness to learning as a leadership imperative

[06:00] – Principles that repeatedly help stuck leaders regain clarity

[07:00] – The importance of executive brain function in decision-making

[08:00] – Managing physical energy and protecting your “body battery”

[09:30] – Why running on redline thinking leads to burnout

[10:30] – Dr. Douglas’ signals that it’s time to reframe

[11:00] – Closing reflection on pausing, perceiving, and reframing

Links & Resources

Book by Mark Vincent & Lori Vincent: Fighting Disease, Not Death

Featured book: Listening Helping Learning by Dr. Mark Vincent

Learn more about Design Group International

Connect with Dr. Frank L. Douglas at Safe Haven Dialogues LLC

Listen to more episodes at Reframe for Resilience Podcast

Closing Remark

This episode is a reminder that resilience doesn’t just come from strength—it comes from awareness. By managing your energy, staying open to learning, and reframing the urge to resist change, you create space for long-term impact and inner peace.

As Dr. Vincent puts it: "Return to life with open hands, not cold dead ones."