Several years ago, I interviewed Robert Maynard, co-founder of LifeLock and SurchX, in an interview originally published in Thrive Global. Here is an excerpt from our interview:

Adam: Having experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows, what advice do you have on managing both?

Robert: The lows were physically painful and were very tough to manage. Until recently, I’d just vanish during depressive episodes. I couldn’t get out of bed which made me pretty undependable.  The highs were great – until I ran out of money. I didn’t manage either of them terribly well. But I guess I am resilient, because a constellation of miracles has given me another chance.

I was originally diagnosed with Major Depression, which was why I underwent ECT. It was the side effects of the electroshock treatment – mainly the mania – that led doctors to my Bipolar diagnosis.  I was 40 years old. The most important thing people need to know is that this is a deadly, tragic illness with a mortality higher than many cancers. It is not a personality defect. My advice? Get the best treatment possible, and don’t stop until you are stabilized.

Adam: LifeLock has had its fair share of ups and downs as well. What is your best lesson from your LifeLock experience?

Robert: Do the right thing, no matter how hard it is.

Adam: What are your biggest takeaways from your time in jail?

Robert: That happened during a mania, while I was undergoing ECT (electroshock therapy). One of the primary side effects of ECT is something called retrograde amnesia – basically short-term memory loss of events leading up to and during treatment. I went to Las Vegas and took out a marker from the Mirage and I did not pay it back. Because I was in treatment at the time, I have no memory of this episode.  When I was arrested, I thought my identity had been stolen, which had happened to me before. I am now convinced that I did it. I paid the marker and all charges were dropped.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Robert: Creating and growing more leaders. Hire the right people, enable them to lead, and then get out of the way. You can’t grow a fault-tolerant, resilient company without creating leaders from the people you have hired.

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Robert:

• Study.  Leadership is a skill and it must be learned, practiced, and honed.

• Humble yourself.  It is the humble leader who is effective.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, managing, and leading teams?

Robert: Systems are managed. People are led. This is my core leadership approach, which comes from the Marines and the Army, where I spent time in Special Forces. I work hard to earn my leadership every day because I know that employees who are managed go home at 5:00, but teams that are led break down all barriers.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?

Robert:

1. Don’t ask for anything you’re not willing to give.

2. Commit to rigorous honesty at all times.

3. The more people you lead, the more you serve.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Robert: Do what you should, not what you can.

Adam: How can anyone pay it forward?

Robert: Keep in mind there is a larger purpose for your life than making people money.  Find, pursue, and defend that purpose.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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