About 3 years after my wedding – there is no other way to put this --- all hell broke loose.  On the upside, our leadership coaching and training business was booming.  We were growing in staff, clients and revenue every year.  On the down side, I was full-throttle back into over-work mode:  travelling constantly to work with clients, co-authoring a book, and trying to co-lead a firm while realizing that my business partner and I had fundamentally different strategies and approaches.   My work -- once a source of fun and fulfillment -- was a now place of growing conflict and … [Read more...]

Toward the end of 1999, my employer The Coca-Cola Company held layoffs for the first time in the company’s 100+ year history.  At the time, my career was flying high.  I was part of an internal, elite group of executive coaches and consultants doing cutting edge work – using organizational learning to create competitive advantage in the marketplace.  I was increasingly being sent to work with senior executives overseas on the business, and receiving top reviews from my bosses and my customers alike.  And then, suddenly, the gig was up. The CEO at the time was ousted – bad for him … [Read more...]

My story begins much like every other, Type-A personality’s story.  A perennial straight A student and over-achiever, by the time I was 24 I had my master’s from an Ivy League school and launched my career.  Like many of you, I eventually became a corporate HIPO (high-potential leader) targeted for advancement and future leadership roles.  Working inside of global companies like The Coca-Cola Company and Ernst & Young (Big 4 consulting), I spent 12 years climbing the corporate ladder.  I never said “no” to an opportunity – at Coca-Cola alone, I had 3 major promotions in 3 … [Read more...]