One of the things I’ve always loved about science is that at its heart, it is about the search for truth. But lately, it has felt like science has become corrupted. From the politicization of global warming to researchers faking data to support their conclusions or theories, I was beginning to wonder if science had become just like so many other fields where success and celebrity were more important than the truth.
This morning, my daughter was telling me about a homework assignment that she recently completed. Her teacher had asked each student to create her own Code of Ethics that reflected the student’s values and beliefs. What a great assignment! The more I thought about it, the more I realized it is an outstanding sef-awareness exercise, and I plan to encourage my coaching clients to try it. Let me know what you think. Post your Code of Ethics here. I’ll start working on mine and post it here soon.
It is one thing to do what we know is right, but doing so when those in authority are telling us not to (or ordering us not to) can be extraordinarily challenging. Add the element of repeatedly putting his life on the line, and it is easy to understand why Sgt. Dakota Meyer received the Medal of Honor last week. He is truly an exceptional human being, and his action on September 8, 2009 and his behavior since then have proven he is also an impressive leader.
Yesterday, our priest, Father Michael Renninger, spoke about his struggle to forgive those responsible for 9/11. He spoke about how he felt he was failing as a Christian because of this inability. He gave voice to what many of us feel about this senseless act and the countless acts of hatred that we witness in the news.
Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? Not always. I came to this realization in October of 2008. That was when I started a new chapter in my career. On October 2, 2008, I left the safety and security of the corporate world for the uncertainty and anxiety of entrepreneurship. For nearly 25 years, I had been a part of an organization, a member of a team. Now I was the organization. I was the team. That was my plan. I had saved for years, and that had given me the flexibility to make this bold move. Unfortunately, my plan was developed in the fall of 2007, and it did not contemplate the economic crisis that hit rock bottom right as I was walking out the door. I had planned for some degree of economic uncertainty, but I never contemplated a crisis of that magnitude. My savings, my safety net, seemed to have developed holes overnight. My plan was on schedule and falling apart at the same time.

