Do you know WHY you lead? What if your airplane pilot said, “Welcome aboard. You should know that I have not prepared for today’s trip. I did not bring a map, I did not go to flight training, and frankly, I do not believe that I can get you to the destination safely.” You would not want to be on this flight! The same is true of leadership. If you do not know WHY you lead, you will not be an effective leader ...

Recently, I had the opportunity of attending at the Atlanta Renaissance Dinner at the High Museum featuring wine, music, art, terrific speakers, and over 100 works of art by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. The purpose of the dinner was to “advance diverse leaders in top leadership across all sectors of America” through a series of “Ted Talks” given by presenters from AT&T, Accenture, Coca-Cola, and more. ...

In this last blog post discussing the themes of Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership: Practicing the Wisdom of Leading by Serving by James W. Sipe and Don M. Frick, we are talking about Moral Authority. This topic begs a definition if we are to have a meaningful conversation. My personal favorite is this definition of moral authority: … the alignment between a person’s convictions and his behavior that makes ...

"My philosophy of leadership is to surround myself with good people who have ability, judgment and knowledge, but above all, a passion for service.” -  Sonny Perdue While touring restaurants in Chicago a few years ago, I met a restaurant manager who was doing a great job and doing it with great joy.  It was obvious in everything she did that she was in this job for a reason. I asked her what she enjoyed mos ...

In April, my husband and I visited Napa Valley, California for the first time and as you would expect, we toured the vineyards and wineries of this region. The first thing you notice in Napa Valley is the beauty of the area – rolling hills covered with grape trellises – classic farm homes – two lane country roads. It is stunning, simple natural agricultural land at its best. As we learned about winemaking, ...