A New Book

I have come to think of this phase I am stepping into not as a new chapter, but as a new book. Some days it is hard to wrap my head around how much has changed over the last few months, let alone the last several years. Just over two months ago, I said goodbye to Granite and decided it was time to have an adventure. A month ago, chasing that adventure, I moved to Austin. Each day, it seems more like home. 

It feels like I have been in the in-between since learning about the coming changes at Granite. Saying goodbye to the role I held for so long and the place I called home for even longer has required self-care and focused energy. I have been holding my feelings tenderly and processing, but I am now sensing that it is time to put the past away, up on my bookshelf, in a beloved place that is easy to revisit, while I consider what comes next. 

What I know to be true is that the important people in my life remain. The experiences I have had in my work and through the industry inform who I am and what I believe is possible, for myself and for others. I now know there is a different way to approach leadership, one that feels good to the leader and creates an environment where everyone around them can thrive. That is the work calling me. Supporting leaders. Supporting individuals and teams. Supporting companies that care deeply about their employees and are also focused on being highly successful. 

These days, much of my time is focused on dissertation work as I complete the requirements for a PhD in Leadership and Change. I am so excited to share more about that soon. We live in a complex world and lead in the midst of a challenging environment, a truth that applies across industries. My research explores new approaches to stress management, resilience, and wellbeing for leaders. I believe that when leaders thrive, positive ripple effects spread across their teams and organizations. 

Part of my “what comes next” will include being more active here, sharing my leadership experience, writing about current research, envisioning what leadership can be, and sprinkling in a little about other things on my mind for good measure. I have spent enough time in the in-between. Thank you for being part of my story as I turn the first page of the next book — it is going to be an adventure.