What My Cancer Diagnosis Taught Me About Leadership

The Journey Begins…

My urologist walked into the room, looked me in the eyes, and said the words no one ever wants to hear. "Mr. Ross, you have prostate cancer." Everything went numb. He kept talking...but I really didn’t hear him. My life was flashing before my eyes. I do remember one thing he said:  "Go home and have a good cry. Then let's get you scheduled for a radiation consult.”

I'm a man of faith. I found it ironic that the Bible App's verse that morning was John 16:33: "In this world you will have trouble." To me, that verse always meant: You're not exempt from life’s challenges, but God will walk with you through them. Well…I was in a challenge. As the leader of my household, I wanted to be an example to my wife and our two children on how I approached this challenge. We have a saying in our house: "We're not gonna walk afraid.” Keep moving forward. 

So...let's do this.

We started with a blessing. The oncologist believed we caught it early. I began radiation treatment at Florida Oncology on June 1st, 2026—five days a week for six straight weeks. My final treatment was July 15th, 2026. Cancer taught me many things:

• The Power of Self-Talk

• The Importance of Gratitude

• The Gift of Perspective

But perhaps the greatest lessons weren't about cancer at all. They were about leadership.

No cancer journey is the same. And there is no right or wrong decision regarding navigating treatment and your work life. I chose to continue working while undergoing radiation therapy. However, it was important to me that I honored the work. I wanted my efforts to be 100% professional and focused. To do so, I implemented the following Leadership Lessons.

Leadership Lesson #1: Lean Into Faith

God is your Rock. Your foundation. I realize some of you may not share my faith. That's okay. Maybe you don't know God. That's okay, too. Here's what I believe: God knows you.         

As leaders, we all need a spiritual foundation. When fear shows up—and it will. When life stops making sense—and it will. When you're questioning why something is happening to you—and you will—your foundation is what keeps you standing. 

The Hardest Part

Ironically, the most difficult part of radiation wasn't the treatment itself. It was the morning routine. The prep. Up at 4am, use the bathroom, drink 32 ounces of water, (you must have a full bladder for radiation therapy) hold it, drive to the Oncologist’s office, lay on the table for radiation…now race to the restroom afterwards. Brutal! But each morning, I’d lay on the radiation table, silently repeating Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Those words became my strength. As a leader, you will face circumstances that are difficult and beyond your ability to endure. The good news is, that’s where God shows his greatest work. My challenge to you is simple: Put God at the center of your life. Put Him at the center of your challenges. Put Him at the center of your leadership.

Leadership Lesson #2: Shift Your Mindset

The biggest battle wasn't cancer. The biggest battle was my thoughts about cancer. Your mindset determines how you face adversity. As a leader, you must make a conscious decision to protect your mind. For me, I read scripture. I listened to motivational podcasts and uplifting music. I watched encouraging videos. I read inspiring books. I also turned off the negative news. I stepped away from negative social media. That decision made a tremendous difference. 

Serve While You're Hurting

One leadership lesson surprised me. When you're hurting or going through a challenge, serve someone else. As leaders, it's amazing how quickly our perspective changes when we stop focusing on ourselves, but rather zero-in on helping others.

Every week, I produce a short online video series called "The Leadership Boost." It’s a simple passion project designed to encourage emerging and existing leaders. While I was going through radiation, I briefly considered taking a break from the videos. I'm sure my viewers would understand, right? Then I thought, “Nope.” Leaders still need encouragement. Leaders still need hope. Most importantly, leaders still need to show up. I have an opportunity to be a light in someone else's life. So, I kept recording. Were there difficult moments? Absolutely. There were days I thought about worst-case scenarios. There were moments when fear tried to creep in. I made the mistake of googling “long-term side effects of prostate radiation therapy.” GULP!  

I just opened the “What if” drawer. Pointless and not helpful. The same thing happens for leaders. What if my team is not aligned? What if I don’t hit my numbers? What if my boss doesn’t like my report? What if they replace me? So here was my strategy:

•      Honor the Struggle. You’re human…feel the feelings.

•      Cry if you need to. 

•      Vent or Scream. 

•      Allow yourself to have bad moments. 

But then…RESET. Don’t let a bad moment, become a bad day. Show gratitude. In the midst of the struggle, you have so much to be grateful for. What if all your worries don’t happen? What if you thrive and push through? Your mindset is one of your greatest leadership tools. Protect it.

Leadership Lesson #3: A Sound Body Is Your Leadership Advantage

As I learned, radiation therapy comes with many side effects. The one that affected me the most was fatigue. There were times after a long meeting or webinar, I would have to lay down for 15 minutes. I wasn’t sleepy…my body was just drained. 

“You’re gonna beat this thing!”

Nurse Val

Florida Oncology

I learned to manage the symptoms of fatigue from one of the biggest personalities at Florida Oncology, Nurse Val. She’s been a nurse for 47 years. The first day I met Val she said, “you’re gonna beat this thing!” She taught me that the best way to fight radiation fatigue was exercise. I know. That sounds backwards. When you're exhausted, how do you find the energy to work out? You do it tired. I received radiation treatments five days a week. So, I went to the gym five days a week. Not because I always wanted to. Because I needed to. 

Leadership works the same way. Your job will drain you. Stress will drain you. Family responsibilities will drain you. You'll convince yourself you're too tired to exercise. Maybe you are. Still, do it tired. Your physical health directly impacts your leadership capacity. Exercise. Hydration, Nutrition, and Sleep. These aren't luxuries. They're leadership disciplines.  

Physical fitness improves your cognitive function, mental clarity, emotional resilience, and decision-making ability. Remember the Latin phrase: Mens sana in corpore sano. "A sound mind in a sound body." Healthy leaders communicate better. Healthy leaders connect better. Healthy leaders, lead better.

Leadership Lesson #4: Compartmentalize and Show Up

On one hand, I have a cancer diagnosis. On the other hand... I have a family. Life doesn’t stop because I have cancer. My son was finishing up his freshman year at the University of Florida. We needed to rent a truck, clean out his dorm room, and move him home. I needed to be present. My daughter was finishing her sophomore year of high school. Her biggest priority? Getting her driver's license. She had her learner's permit and needed more practice behind the wheel. I needed to be present.

Professionally, I chose to continue working throughout radiation treatments. I emailed my director and my team so they knew what was happening. But I had one request. "Please don't bring up my health while we're at work. I'm ready to manage the day, I just need to compartmentalize." That wasn't denial. It was discipline.

Leadership often requires us to separate today's personal struggles from today's professional responsibilities. Think about the people around you. Your teammates. Your customers. Your patients. Your vendors. Your contractors. Many of them are carrying burdens you'll never see. Some are battling health issues. Others are facing financial stress, family struggles, anxiety, grief, or uncertainty. Yet they continue showing up. As leaders, we should do the same. Even though you might be facing a hurricane, show up with professionalism. Show up with kindness. Show up with excellence.

Leadership Lesson #5: You're Not Alone

“You’re on our Hall of Fame for most positive patient.”

Hugo & Michelle

Radiology Techs Florida Oncology

Reach Out to Your Support System. Many people—especially men—believe they have to fight life's toughest battles alone. I understand. That's my natural tendency, too. But cancer taught me something different. Leadership is a team sport. When you're struggling, lean into people you trust. For me…it was my oncology team, colleagues, friends and family. And yes, my HR department.

After my diagnosis, I contacted Human Resources just to let them know I would be starting radiation therapy. It was important to understand my options if the side effects became severe enough that I needed a leave of absence.Our HR team was incredible. Let’s be honest, sometimes HR gets a bad rap. They’re known as the department that “hires and fires.” Not accurate. The first thing they said was how sorry they were and that they were pulling for me. True human kindness. That meant more than they probably realized. They also provided helpful resources and leave of absence information if I ever needed it. Thankfully, I never needed a LOA, but I'm extremely grateful that I reached out to our HR department.

My team has also been outstanding. They honored my request not to discuss my health at work, but every now and then I'd receive a simple text checking in on me. My director arranged to keep my calendar clear in the early part of the day. She was just giving me a little bit of extra time to recover from radiation each morning. Those small gestures reminded me I wasn't fighting alone. 

Then there's my family, my friends, and my prayer warriors. The phone calls, text messages, prayers and encouragement have carried me more than they'll ever know.

Leadership Takeaway

Leaders need encouragement too. Never forget that. When adversity comes, you have two choices. You can get bitter. Or get better. Your support system helps you get better. 

Leadership mirrors life. There will be highs and lows. There will be victories and valleys. The goal isn't perfection. The goal is to become 1% better every day. Continue serving your team. Continue serving your customers. Continue leading with excellence. As a leader, when life's greatest challenges arrive on your doorstep—and they will—remember this: Have faith. Protect your mindset. Take care of your body. Show up for the people who need you. Lean on those who love you. You might not realize it, but you're stronger than you think.

As the saying goes,

"You never know how strong you are, until being strong, is your only choice."

Stay Awesome. Stay Encouraged. Stay Blessed.

Certificate of Completion

Florida Radiation Oncology