Dr. Thom Mayer

You know, when I was called to the Pentagon on 9-11, I was a command physician at the Pentagon and I got there. First of all, you fly in and you think, my God, these are the gates of hell. I mean, you see the Pentagon of all things burning, you know, couldn't even see that there was any remnants of a plane and the southwest wall was completely on fire.

You know, when I was called to the Pentagon on 9-11, I was a command physician at the Pentagon and I got there. First of all, you fly in and you think, my God, these are the gates of hell. I mean, you see the Pentagon of all things burning, you know, couldn't even see that there was any remnants of a plane and the southwest wall was completely on fire.

But the gates of hell take you to some pretty interesting places. And so what I learned was that, first of all, it was a civilian operation. I was the medical director of the local EMS agency and the chairman of the emergency department. But I had 32 generals standing behind me, facing the Pentagon, willing to help in any way. Good men, good women. who were there to help me any way they could.

But the gates of hell take you to some pretty interesting places. And so what I learned was that, first of all, it was a civilian operation. I was the medical director of the local EMS agency and the chairman of the emergency department. But I had 32 generals standing behind me, facing the Pentagon, willing to help in any way. Good men, good women. who were there to help me any way they could.

But I realized I'm not going to get anywhere by sucking up to these generals. I have to suck down to the people actually doing the work, to the structural engineers, to the Army Corps of Engineers, to the paramedics, to the firefighters, to the suppressant folks, to the FBI evidence recovery team, in order to secure that building so we could safely—they could safely—

But I realized I'm not going to get anywhere by sucking up to these generals. I have to suck down to the people actually doing the work, to the structural engineers, to the Army Corps of Engineers, to the paramedics, to the firefighters, to the suppressant folks, to the FBI evidence recovery team, in order to secure that building so we could safely—they could safely—

get into the building to help rescue those who were in there or recover those who had not made it through the horrific crash. And I think that's true in all of our lives. We kind of suck up guests. I always say the boss is someone who thinks that he's the most important person in the room.

get into the building to help rescue those who were in there or recover those who had not made it through the horrific crash. And I think that's true in all of our lives. We kind of suck up guests. I always say the boss is someone who thinks that he's the most important person in the room.

Whereas the leader knows that her job is to make sure that everyone else feels that they're the most important person in the room. No need to suck up. We need to suck down and discover the answers within us.

Whereas the leader knows that her job is to make sure that everyone else feels that they're the most important person in the room. No need to suck up. We need to suck down and discover the answers within us.

It is hard, right? You step into a leadership role at times if you are the leader and you have people reporting and sometimes they're sucking up to you. But when you reframe and say, it really is about, hey, I'm not here to be the most important person. I'm here to serve the people that pay my salary, really, that actually put me in this position to begin with.

It is hard, right? You step into a leadership role at times if you are the leader and you have people reporting and sometimes they're sucking up to you. But when you reframe and say, it really is about, hey, I'm not here to be the most important person. I'm here to serve the people that pay my salary, really, that actually put me in this position to begin with.

When you got a phone call to go help Ukraine at the start of this war, what went through your mind? Were you concerned? How did you make this decision?

When you got a phone call to go help Ukraine at the start of this war, what went through your mind? Were you concerned? How did you make this decision?

That's a great question. First of all, I didn't get a phone call. I made a phone call. Wow. I picked up the phone. I saw what was happening. I thought, you know, I've been very fortunate, as you know. to have led in some of the most prominent crises of our generation. It's an honor to serve others in the course of that and to have been asked to have done so.

That's a great question. First of all, I didn't get a phone call. I made a phone call. Wow. I picked up the phone. I saw what was happening. I thought, you know, I've been very fortunate, as you know. to have led in some of the most prominent crises of our generation. It's an honor to serve others in the course of that and to have been asked to have done so.

But to me, I thought this is an injustice that can't stand. I'm an emergency physician, so I'm uniquely trained and have a mentality. We have this weird thing of explosions, fire, gunfire. We run into that. not away from it. They're, you know, we're just not normal. And so, I made phone calls connected with Team Rubicon, a group of former Marines.

But to me, I thought this is an injustice that can't stand. I'm an emergency physician, so I'm uniquely trained and have a mentality. We have this weird thing of explosions, fire, gunfire. We run into that. not away from it. They're, you know, we're just not normal. And so, I made phone calls connected with Team Rubicon, a group of former Marines.

And so, literally within three weeks of the invasion, we were there, boots on the ground in Ukraine, in order to take care of patients. So, having been at the tip of that sphere, exposed to air raids literally every day and every night, you know, I saw the results, people blown out of their

And so, literally within three weeks of the invasion, we were there, boots on the ground in Ukraine, in order to take care of patients. So, having been at the tip of that sphere, exposed to air raids literally every day and every night, you know, I saw the results, people blown out of their