Signature Leaders Blog
Reminders to Inspire

I recently returned from a week in Nicaragua, my first of many this year. I go to see my daughter and son-in-law twice a year, spaced between their two visits to the US. Visiting the small city of Chinandega, Nicaragua is difficult both logistically and emotionally. The bumpy, 2.5-hour drive from the airport is certainly uncomfortable, and the amount of poverty I’m exposed to is not something I will ever get used to.

 “Stop right there,” she said. “I’m in.”

I was dumbfounded that Ronee Hagen, CEO of PGI, Inc. (a Blackstone Company), had just agreed to join us as our CEO guest at a Signature Program. It was 2013. I had been introduced to her only a few weeks before by a mutual contact who thought we might hit it off with a joint passion for developing more women leaders. But I was just a new entrepreneur starting to gather some momentum and Ronee was the CEO of a company with over $7B in revenue.

But her response wasn’t luck.

The foundation for this successful conversation had started years before that call.

Have you ever had to work with someone you just don’t like? We’ve all been there, and whether it is based on a competitive history or you don’t like their communication style, we’ve all had that feeling of tension that rises when this person walks in the room.

Are you courageous? Or not? I had always seen myself in the “not courageous” camp. Fortunately, I learned that courage is actually a muscle that you build over time. You have to push the muscle beyond its comfort zone, then you rest and recover, and try again. Like any muscle building activity, consistency and intentionality are key to build on your progress from week to week.