On a recent live episode of The Jeff Robertson Show, I had the honor of sitting down with Dr. Matt Kutz an international leadership expert, university professor, award-winning author, and prostate cancer survivor. But this wasn’t just a conversation about leadership. It was a raw, vulnerable dive into what it means to lead yourself when life throws you a crisis you didn’t see coming.

Dr. Kutz shared how his diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer challenged him not just physically but mentally and spiritually. In the middle of radiation and hormone therapy, he created a new leadership framework called EPIC:

  • Excellence
  • Perception
  • Inspiration
  • Compassion

He wrote 40,000 words in 40 days while undergoing treatment, and that became the foundation of his upcoming book: Becoming EPIC – How Excellence, Perception, Inspiration, and Compassion Are a Remedy for Mediocrity. You can subscribe to his newsletter or pre-order the book here on Substack.

What hit me most? He said something I’ll never forget:

“It’s easier for some people to die than to change. But leaders make the hard decision to reinvent themselves—no matter what the odds say.”

That’s leadership on a soul level.

Dr. Matt also created a foundation called Battle for the Bulge, a 5K run/walk and fundraiser for prostate cancer awareness and support. And he’s still coaching, consulting, and speaking across the country, even as he walks out his personal battle.

Here’s what I took away from our time together:

  • Leadership isn’t about your job title. It’s about how you respond when everything around you changes.
  • Grit, mindset, and faith are more than buzzwords. They’re survival tools.
  • You don’t need a clean past or a perfect path to make an impact. You just need to get up and lead yourself forward one step at a time.

Connect with Dr. Matt Kutz:

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