Crucible Moment

“Tell me of the time you experienced a crisis and how did you handle it?” Phil, the interviewer, asked me. “Do I tell you of the worst personal crisis I ever faced or do I just mention one of many I have handled well at work?” I thought. “The worst crisis I ever faced was not at work, Phil. Would you like […]

50 Rejection Letters (My First Winter In Australia)

Brrrr. I looked outside the ground floor window of my bedroom. It is c o l d. Bitingly c o l d. I have three layers on! And I am inside the house. In winter, there is no snow in this part of the country. The snow is on the mountains, just beyond where my eyes […]

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I Am Thankful For Closed Doors

My first taste of rejection happened shortly before I graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering. As is the usual practice, the ‘big name’ companies came to the campus to interview candidates for their new graduate programs. I rushed to the Dean’s office to check my name against a scheduled list of students to be […]

How Do You Choose? How Do you Decide?

Knowing who I am and what I value help me make better decisions. One evening this past week, I was invited to speak at a senior school careers night. I shared with students, parents and friends what I learned in nearly 30 years of my career – from a Chemical Engineering graduate to a business […]

Learning from Bad Leaders

We delight in great leaders. But it is in the crucible of extreme challenge under bad leaders that we can learn the once-in-a-lifetime lessons. Learning is usually more effective under great leaders. I don’t need a bad one to learn. Especially if I have already learned a particular lesson in the past. But in work, as in life, adversity […]