How did an ex-CFO and corporate guy like you become a consultant?

When I was in my corporate career, I began to notice a dysfunctional behavior pattern in both myself and many other leaders around me — a single-minded drive for success. That had the side effect of running roughshod over others and over time compromised the very success we were after. So, after a lot of soul searching I decided to help myself and others by taking the leap into consulting in 1989.

What’s unique about your approach to working with clients?

We peel back the onion on both domains of great leadership — results and relationships — while other programs tend to concentrate on one or the other. Additionally, we have participants work on real problems and opportunities they are facing. People learn best by doing.

Do you enjoy what you do?

I not only enjoy it, I love it. Here’s why — when I see leaders and teams achieve what even they thought impossible, and do it with less anxiety and stress, it makes my heart sing.

Do you have others on your team?

Yes, I have an experienced network of the best and brightest consultants who can be called upon when needed to enrich our clients’ learning and doing.

What contributions to your profession have you made — books, articles, speeches, etc.?

As a professional speaker, I speak on leadership and high performance teams with businesses, associations and universities, having delivered over 500 speeches, workshops and seminars.

I have written two books and several articles on leadership. Both books are best-sellers and have been life-changing for business people and those in other domains of life. My first book, Life is a Paradox, sub-title Counter-Intuitive Secrets to Personal and Professional Effectiveness, relates stories and lessons from my consulting experiences as well as my background in sports and other domains. The second book, The 100/0 Principle, sub-title The Secret of Great Relationships, is an even bigger best seller. It speaks to the idea that you take full responsibility for the important relationships in your life, expecting nothing in return.

What is your educational background, degrees, etc?

I have an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth, and a BA in Economics from The University of Connecticut.

What do you do for fun?

I do two or three triathlons every year, so training for them is my primary way of staying in shape. I played basketball and baseball in college, and follow those sports, and football and hockey too, quite avidly. I’m an avid reader, especially of the latest research on leadership and team performance.