Archive for September, 2009
The Value of Time- 1st of 2
Saturday, September 19th, 2009First in Series
During the past year I was granted a tremendous gift by my employer —TIME. I had asked for and received a one-year leave of absence from the Darden School at the University of Virginia (UVA) to spend a year at the Harvard Business School. As a result of this temporary change, my typical teaching commitment was reduced by 75 percent, administrative responsibilities were eliminated altogether, and volunteer and community service work was put on hold. I even intentionally cut back on consulting and speaking engagements. The sum of these changes added hours to my day, days to my weeks, and weeks to my months over the course of the year.
So what did I do with all of this time? I reconnected. I reconnected with the ideas and questions that have sparked my curiosity and drove me initially into a career in academia. I reconnected with faculty colleagues across the globe, staff members, students, and corporate executives. Doing so ultimately served to reinforce why I do what I do—disseminate knowledge through teaching, research, and consulting, and develop leadership skills in people who are currently, or who will be, leading our great institutions in the public and private sectors.
I also wrote a book, Leading Under Pressure: From Surviving to Thriving Before, During, and After a Crisis (more…)