This year has been challenging for many of us in ways we never expected. It can be difficult to experience life with a grateful heart. A new book coming out this month, offers enlightening perspectives…….

I stumbled across a salient list of the ‘Top 10 things to give up in order to move forward’. I believe they will hit home – as we have all had these thoughts at one point or another. What do you think?

One aspect of my work at Alignment, Inc. consists of working with individual leaders and their teams when they face uber challenges and obstacles. For the most part, my clients show a tremendous level of resiliency and tenacity when navigating rough waters. We may be learning from these hard times, yet that does not make them any easier to endure. So, today, a little over one week after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, I wanted to highlight a few heroic stories of everyday people from which we may muster new hope and inspiration. Many unsung heroes inspire me – especially when we are all facing tough economic challenges.

One year ago on 11/1/11, my first book, “Is This Seat Taken?”, was published and released. This past year has been full of tremendous learning experiences. Take it from any author – writing, publishing, and then marketing their work is not for the faint of heart. So, what are a few of the most important lessons I have learned?

Most everyone in business knows the importance of having a vision. I have never led a strategic planning session that did not include creating a common Vision for the company, organization, or team. So, why is it that we often ‘lose the plot’ after we begin the journey? What can we do to insure we stay focused in our direction and where we ultimately want to go?

Confidence can be attractive – even magnetic. I am not referring to false bravado or pious smugness. I mean real confidence – centered and fully aligned self-assurance. We have all met and worked with those individuals who exude power. While we are growing and coming into our own as professionals and leaders, how can we look and sound powerful while we are getting there?

Over the past several years, this idea of reinventing ourselves has become a very popular concept. I have watched C-level executives move from corporate arenas to entrepreneurship, from a hardware/software orientation to a cloud/full service focus, and from senior level directors to full time consultant. Many struggle with how to make themselves matter or relevant in their new arena. It is not for the fainthearted, this I know for sure. So – how does one truly reinvent themselves? Is it really possible?

Recently I was reading one of my favorite weekly columns, The Corner Office, where Adam Bryant interviews CEOs from virtually every industry to cite leadership principles learned from their experience. In this week’s interview, I was intrigued with one CEO’s perspective on beauty in the workplace.

Recently I was having dinner with two very dear and special friends at my favorite Dallas neighborhood bistro, Parigi. As always, we launched into an open, authentic and passionate conversation. We were bantering about how strong personal and business relationships thrive and survive, in an increasingly turbulent, competitive and stressful world. We were wondering…is there 1 quality that makes the difference?

This past weekend my dear friend and I went to our first Dallas Symphony Orchestra performance of the season. The most amazing experience was due to the featured concert pianist Joaquin Achucarro’s performance of Schumann’s Concerto in A Minor. This gifted musician stunned and thrilled the audience, like many have not experienced for many years – if ever. There are 4 salient takeaways I observed that evening which can be applied to any leader or individual wanting to achieve and contribute at their highest level.