You seem different…

"You seem different somehow," a client told me recently.

I am. A few months ago, I lost my father unexpectedly. And this past weekend, we held his memorial service.

In theory, grief follows predictable patterns: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.

But in reality, grief defies these neat categories.

I've observed this same disconnect in executive leadership. We intellectually understand concepts but struggle to integrate them into our lived experience.

A month ago, I could articulate the psychology of grief with scholarly precision.

This mirrors what executives face daily:

"Maintain vision. Uphold morale. Make decisions. Process emotions. Be vulnerable appropriately."

These contain wisdom, certainly.

But without acknowledging how personal disruptions reshape our professional selves, we risk fragmentation rather than growth.

I recognize that leadership development cannot be separated from personal growth. Unexpected losses and transitions aren't distractions from your leadership journey—they're central to it.

There is no artificial separation between personal and professional growth, no compartmentalizing grief or significant life transitions, and no formulas that ignore your unique experience.

My father's death has fundamentally changed how I understand resilience, priorities, and presence.

When life interrupts your plans, the question isn't how quickly you can return to "normal" but how this experience might deepen your capacity for meaningful leadership.

Transformation often begins in our most vulnerable moments. Let's navigate yours together.

Dad and I in 1972