When two seemingly unrelated incidents collide in my life, I’ve learned to pay attention.

That’s what happened this past week.

Our youngest son called to tell us he was hired as a server from among the over 600 who applied at a new Toronto-based upscale restaurant. While it’s sure to generate the healthy income he will need to return to school to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher, he was much more excited about the one-on-one volunteer work he is doing with a little boy who is autistic.

The mother and father of the little boy, wanting… More Posted on 03-31-08

Men and Women Really Do Communicate Differently

I like to think I’m a good communicator but after last week I might just need to rethink that a bit.

However, the fact that I’m shouldering the responsibility for any tension is probably a typical female reaction. Chances are though that it has less to do with me and is more about the fact that men and women simply communicate differently. They also use differing processes for decision making and leadership. 

Until recently, the team I’ve been working with has been predominantly female, albeit quite diverse in terms of personalities and skills. Their passion for the work we’re… More Posted on 03-23-08

The Importance of Integrity

Billionaire Warren Buffet says he looks for three things in hiring people. The first is personal integrity, the second is intelligence, and the third is a high energy level. “But”, he went on to say, “if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.

Eliot Spitzer, governor of New York, proved him right last week when he was forced to resign as the result of his involvement in a sex ring.

By all accounts, Spitzer had a lot going for him in terms of intelligence and energy. Ultimately though, it was his lack of personal integrity… More Posted on 03-16-08

A Good Enough Vision

It wasn’t a perfect vision but apparently, it was a good-enough vision.

I recently had a rather lengthy conversation with our youngest son trying to provide more explanation for why I had moved across the country. He was genuinely perplexed and likely feeling somewhat abandoned, even though he’s been living on his own for several years. After all, as he reminded me, hadn’t I always said, “Family first”?

I struggled to find the words but started by assuring him that my family is, and always will be, my most important value.

I then went on to explain that… More Posted on 03-09-08

Building Teams that Trust

I would have suggested there were woodchips in the windmills of your mind if you had told me I would enjoy a week that included three solid days of meetings that were all about planning. And yet, that’s exactly what happened this past week. I enjoyed it. I spent three days with an incredible team that is working to build stronger, healthier and more creative communities.

The meetings were anything but boring. We covered a lot of ground, made significant decisions and delegated responsibilities.

Along the way we clearly refined the map that would move us closer to… More Posted on 03-02-08