A recent week-long set of meetings placed me among old haunts where I once served various clients. I drove past so many places I once grabbed coffee refills and morning carbs in the form of donuts or bagels. During this return trip, I lodged in the town where I served one of those clients for three years. I met so many people in cafes during that time. I wonder how many gallons of coffee got consumed!
The joys and sorrows of that season tie to the variability of client success. If they were willing to do what they said they needed to do, hurrah! We went through a disappointing slog, however, if they were unwilling to do what they readily identified as needed. Driving past the sites where so much took place, memories of these events were as present as when they happened.
And yet, I am not the same person was then. I am more of who I was becoming and less of what I should not be.
For instance? Here is one. I learned this year that I have Celiac Disease, so the routine of smelling and biting into a freshly tested bagel or a warm, yeasted donut is unrecoverable. That is less of what I should not be. I am no longer a merely functional, rushed, and unconscious eater. On the flip side of this, I've become more conscious of, deliberate about, and grateful for the food thoughtfully prepared and placed in front of me.
Another example? That season of life I'm writing about was when my children were in high school, my first wife has slowly dying, and I was CEO of a growing startup. Now, I am a grandfather, grateful to be married anew, and Founder of two growing organizations I no longer lead.
My gratitude runs deep. The life lesson "keep growing" has given much to me. I held a growth outlook through all those changes:
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giving up donuts,
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living through the process of an emptied nest,
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becoming a widower, and
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successfully managing the fragility of succession.
The reason for returning to this area was a combination of happy circumstances connecting me to current and former clients. New and competent leaders have emerged in these organizations and they are thriving. Happy financial events for these clients are powering new vision and the possibility of substantial charitable giving. Other successful successions are moving forward.
It is good to take the long view when looking ahead and planning for future value. It is also good to take the long view when looking back to see the value we built.
Key resources for from Maestro-level leaders:
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Maestro-level letter (reserved for cohort members)
I walk alongside leaders, listening to understand their challenges, and helping them lead healthy organizations that flourish.
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