Unflattering Reflection

When the Reflection Isn't Flattering

Perhaps you remember the Fun House mirrors at the local carnival.  

Some mirrors made you appear taller, others shorter or wider.  

Distorting your face or legs in weirdly odd ways.  

Perspective is hard to grasp when the reflections cannot be trusted.  

Time away also provides needed perspective.  

Earlier this year, I was reflecting upon my peak and valley times over my career.  

Times where I felt in flow and other times when every day was an endless grind.  

Sometimes, those peaks and valleys can be experienced in the exact same circumstance.  

Such was my time as founder of a technology organization 20 years ago.  

15 years into my tenure, the culture and our team was in chaos.  

And fortunately, my successor recognized the problem and went about changing the priorities and the culture of the organization. 

I’m not proud of how I showed up in the last year of my tenure, yet I’m immensely proud of the job J.R. Howard has done with our original vision since he took over the helm.

And the perspective I’ve gained looking back over that time, has made this mission of building teams you love with a people-first culture -- personal.  

It’s my way of reaching back to founders like I was back then.