Tag: executive development
Post-Election Blues: How to Mourn the Loss
I know a few folks who, the day before the election, assumed Governor Romney would win by a wide margin. Even Karl Rove was convinced his party would win just thirty minutes before CNN called the election in favor of President Obama. I know folks who feel a bit shell-shocked and others that are angry about how things turned out. I understand and empathize with these feelings. I imagine that it’s sort of like waking up on Christmas as a kid and finding out Santa forgot to stop by the house (if you don’t celebrate Christmas you get the metaphor). Emotional Intelligence and Executive Development In times of stress or duress I’ve found solace in clearly naming and expressing my […]
The Only Thing You Have to Know About Leadership
The Vice-Chairman of the Board invited me to dinner. Was the purpose social or business? By the manner in which he asked me, I knew there was something on his mind. I was the CEO of the company and Rick was a long-time friend and mentor (to the extent that I was mentor-able in my thirties). He was a Virginian, respectful and understated. Sometimes so reserved you didn’t know exactly what was on his mind. Over dessert, Rick waded slowly into risky territory. He asked me a few cryptic questions about how I thought things were going at the company. He stepped gently on a few more eggshells and asked how I thought I was communicating to my top team. […]
Executive Life Coaching: Moving From Success to Fulfillment and Back Again
What’s the definition of success? Is this person successful: Self-made multi-million dollar net worth by age thirty, CEO of a company for which you led the IPO by age thirty-five, in good health, solid marriage, active social life, vacation home, expensive European cars in the garage, the time and money to play and vacation in nice settings? Maybe there isn’t one definition for success. Perhaps we all have to determine for ourselves what it is. If so, what’s your definition? I used to be the guy in the first paragraph. I thought I was successful. The problem I ran into was I always wanted more of all of it. A bigger condo in the mountains, more money in the bank, […]