After returning from seeing clients in NY last week, I came home to find my dog not at her best. An older German Shepherd that I adopted after my one feeble attempt at fostering, she has defied expectation. But I was concerned that her body was truly beginning to fail.
Were we reaching a tipping point? And was I blind to it?
I did what I knew I needed to. For both of us. I called her vet and got the first available appointment the next morning. I wanted his outside perspective, one that is full of best interest for her and compassionate truth for me.
He said I made the right decision, bringing her in, that when we’re in a situation every day, it can be hard to see. Taking his time, and paying keen attention, he moved his eyes and hands over her, tuning in to what he’d come to know in the nineteen months she’d been in his care. All the while, he asked me questions, some about the basics and others more nuanced. He searched for cause and correlation and for anything we could mitigate, and he shared his own experience of adopting a senior dog. After taking it all in and listening deeply, he verified what my gut and powers of observation told me. It was not yet time. With a tweak to her medication, he sent us on our way.
Do you have a trusted outside perspective with whom you can share your greatest challenges as a leader, someone who has taken the time to know you, who asks questions and listens deeply, and provides aerial insight and perspective?
And is it someone on whom you can rely to compassionately tell you the truth when it matters the most?
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Executive Development Opportunities:
I work with senior leaders at Fortune 1000 companies to accelerate growth and innovation and improve engagement. For leaders who want to go from good to magnificent: sarah@sarah-levitt.com
For senior leadership teams interested in turning ideas into action, getting out of the weeds, and building cohesion, I facilitate retreats and senior leadership meetings on site or off.
To learn more: sarah@sarah-levitt.com
NEW!
The Making Magnificence Project™ keynote and workshop weaves story and narrative to highlight key factors for success that have emerged from my interviews, with business and personal application.
Ideal for national conferences, corporate events, and leadership summits.
To inquire about booking for 2016: sarah@sarah-levitt.com
The Making Magnificence Project™ Executive Retreat is coming this fall. Join me and a group of select colleagues for intimate group learning in a live 2 day, private workshop at a luxury resort in North Carolina. For leaders and those in the c-suite who are serious about going from good to magnificent.
Limited number of participants. To learn more, contact me directly: sarah@sarah-levitt.com
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