One of my sharpest emotional crashes happened in Chinatown. I started out on cloud nine; I just got engaged to the man I loved, and was out celebrating with friends and family. I showed the diamond ring on my finger time and again, until interest in the rock was replaced Read more
“You’ve got to hear this story,” he said excitedly. I was meeting with the owner of a local chain of luxury auto detail and repair shops. “When I started the business,” he said, “I knew some people I had taken good care of — from back when I worked other Read more
My husband had just come home from one of the first national conferences dedicated to organizational health. When I asked about the conference, he answered with a quizzical, almost confused expression on his face. “One of the best parts,” he said, “was an amazingly insightful question by a young woman Read more
This was not my first rodeo. I had led teams before. But this was a brand new industry for me and my first time leading a sales organization. I was also a member of the family that owned and operated the company, so I felt like I had something to Read more
Fatherhood has been the most challenging part of my life, by far. Trying to lead my family as my small children grow up has taught me things about myself that have deeply shamed and scared me to death, as well as given me deep and powerful hope. No matter how Read more
He was middle aged, but slim and smartly dressed, maybe late forties. He was in a grey suit, expensive, with a neutral tie. He had on stylish brown wing-tip shoes and incongruously colorful socks. We were in a suburban bank. It was closed early for the day. There were folding tables Read more
It seems that some people are born to lead, but I felt doomed by my background to not be one of those shining stars. When I read about people like Alexander the Great, Marcus Aurelius, Caesar, Napoleon, Churchill, Washington or Lincoln, something in me used to sigh and say, “these Read more
Trust is every organization’s most valuable asset. It is what great teams are made of. It is what great customer relationships are made of. But what is it and how can we create more of it? Trust, according to Steven Covey, has two major components: competency and character (seen as Read more