Dear Madeleine, I read Feeling Trapped with interest and it scared me. I have had several jobs in retail and have been promoted to manager in each one, only to become disillusioned with the owners. I also just ended my marriage and moved to a new city for a fresh start. My dream is to…
Dear Madeleine, My daughter told me I have “imposter syndrome.” I’ve done some research and I don’t think I have that at all. I think it’s something else. But I am definitely struggling with something. I have an unusually high IQ, graduated high school two years early, and attended a top university on a full…
Dear Madeleine, My boss is the Chief Revenue Officer for a billion-dollar, publicly traded company, and I am watching her melt down in real time. She has been in the job for two years and has made one spectacularly bad decision after another. Sales have tanked to an all-time low. I know for a fact…
Dear Madeleine, I always get a little overwhelmed during the holiday season, but this year I am at the brink. I have a big team at work and I usually try to create some kind of fun event for us—but this year it just isn’t happening. There is a massive problem with our technology and…
In times of turmoil, we may forget that we are surrounded by blessings. Even adversity can bring a gift when we look through the lens of gratitude. An avid “yachtee,” my 90-year-old dad recently cut himself while on his boat, which resulted in a four-day stay in the hospital. Now I’m on deck as his…
In coaching there is a concept we refer to as being fully present. It means a number of things such as paying full and conscious attention to the person you are coaching. It also means quieting internal mental chatter—in other words, getting out of your own head. It can be one of the hardest skills…
Last Sunday, my family gathered to celebrate my Dad’s 89th birthday. Some of the standout moments of the day were my four-year-old nephew greeting everyone with “Thank you for coming—do you want to play with me?” and my two-year-old niece gleefully offering to share her somewhat soggy graham crackers with anyone within a two-foot vicinity.…
Dear Madeleine, I am a creative director at an advertising agency, and I have been managing teams of people forever. I was the darling of the advertising world when I started, and developed a reputation for hatching brilliant ideas—in fact, you would recognize some of my work. It is a fast paced business with crazy…
A young woman of my acquaintance (let’s call her Jillian) recently reminded me of an important life lesson. Jillian is quite simply an amazing human being and, at 17, has entered the workforce as a retail worker at the mall. The job has given her a chance to experience many different aspects of human behavior—both…