What do you do when everything goes wrong?
Figuring that out—that’s my specialty. Call me a leadership whisperer, a guru of growth, or simply someone passionate about turning good leaders into exceptional ones. Helping leaders and their teams thrive through both good times and challenging moments is what I live for.
This involves a lot of travel, something I genuinely love—most of the time. But recently, I found myself stranded in Washington, D.C., feeling somewhat like a politician refusing to leave office. My mission had been working with a group of company presidents aiming to become industrial legends.
Think leadership boot camp, but less about push-ups and more about genuine vulnerability and self-discovery. It was transformative, helping these executives realize how their own personality traits sometimes sabotaged their success—and, more importantly, teaching them how to overcome those hurdles. Truly powerful stuff.
The trip home? A decidedly less inspiring adventure. What followed was a cascading series of unfortunate events: delays in Chicago (thank you, weather), missed connections, rerouting through Philadelphia (GO EAGLES!), maintenance hold-ups (better safe than sorry), rush-hour traffic nightmares, a painfully long cab ride, and finally—complete flight cancellation.
Imagine being stranded, alone, far from the airport you need, wishing you’d packed more snacks and just desperately wanting to get home. What would you do?
I did what any resourceful, slightly exhausted leadership adventurer would do: I took a spontaneous mini-vacation. I visited the monuments, spent some reflective moments with Abe at his memorial, discovered a charming café, caught up on writing, and enjoyed breakfast with an old friend and client. It turned out that giving up my grip on control and embracing the situation opened doors to unexpected, positive experiences.
Here’s an essential truth I’ve learned: The most effective executives master the art of balancing control with adaptability. They meet their teams exactly where they are and elevate them from that point forward. They deeply understand that personal growth is the secret ingredient to broader organizational success—just ask my motivated group of growth-focused company presidents.
If you’re aiming to elevate your business, your team, and your own leadership, start by elevating yourself.
How are you actively growing?
What strategies do you employ to find the delicate balance between maintaining control and knowing when to let go?