I have a reputation in my immediate family as a “good story teller.” When my husband and younger son describe me that way they really mean that they think I have exaggerated the tale beyond all recognition and am bordering on being an out and out liar!  My older son shares this particular skill with me and, like me, sees it as a means to keep a conversation from lagging.  But, make no mistake;  the stories I tell are absolutely true and reflect the way I look at the world.  And there lies the rub: the way I look at the world is, by definition, unique and my creation.   Mary Catherine Bateson, noted anthropologist and daughter of Margaret Mead and Gregory…

I had a consulting assignment at a small company and, as part of my remit, I was available for one-on-one coaching for the senior executive team.  One day one of those senior executives asked me if I would spend some time with a new staff member.  This young man had been hired for a job for which he had no qualifications, no experience and he was loudly telling everyone what they were doing wrong. “Sure.  I think I can offer some help here.  Tell him to call me and set up an appointment.”  So began my coaching relationship with Mark (names, as always, are changed to protect the innocent).  Mark was young and very, very smart.  It was true that he…

My husband and I look at the world somewhat differently and, because of that, there are many topics that we have almost unconsciously agreed not to talk about.  Yankees vs. Mets to give but one example.  We are both smart enough to know that you don’t change someone’s mind by arguing and we share so many core values that we’ve been happily married for a very long time with just a handful of topics off-limits. When I stumble onto a new, off-limits topic I am always surprised.  Many, many years ago he was in a rare, down mood and asked me, “What is the meaning of life?” I quickly answered without thinking about it, “Life is short and then you die,”…

A while ago I wrote about how grateful I was that a valued employee was brave enough to tell me that he didn’t think I was doing a very good job (The Crone in the Corner Office, July 14, 2016: “Hearing Loss at the Top of the Mountain.”).  Many readers wrote to me privately since that essay appeared, asking for advice on giving their boss feedback.  Oh, the awful boss stories I’ve heard, leading me to write again about how we must take responsibility for ourselves and our own issues (The Crone in the Corner Office, September 8, 2016: “Does Your Boss Need Therapy, Coaching, Miss Manners or Meds? How About You?”). Clearly, I have grossly underestimated the degree of hearing…

If you do an Internet search on leadership and change management the results might surprise you. First of all, you’ll find thousands of citations returned but perhaps that’s to be expected.  I was a bit taken aback by the sheer number of academic programs, institutes and centers that are researching and instructing on leadership and change management.  But what really surprised me was the fact that you could get a PhD in Leadership and Change Management from a number of institutions.  I made a note to go back and see which programs “transfer” real world credit. Change is hard.  But before we even get to the hard part we have to acknowledge that change is necessary.  Sometimes the necessary part smacks…

The day I announced I was leaving my company I was teary and euphoric. If I had any reservations about my decision, the die was cast. I asked my son to have lunch with me and I drank too much. I pouted out loud a bit as one of the regional executives who attended my announcement meeting in case any staff member had questions about the transition just walked out afterwards, not thinking it was important to note that people were actually crying as I said goodbye. The day after my last day – or the first day of the rest of my life – I bought a new iMac, met with my accountant, met with my attorney, filed papers to register…