Monica - Don't know how I missed you in responding to today's comments. I think your point about people being afraid to share themselves with others is an interesting one. Seems like the courage to share oneself with others may be a prerequisite to making a difference as a leader. What do you think?

Sonia - Thank you for sharing your story, as well. Your mentor did give you an amazing gift, helping to launch you into your career. Anne - The SVP you describe seems to epitomize this concept. I wonder what else we could learn from him. (Sounds like a blog post.) Are there any other qualities that set the SVP apart? Is he able to inspire leaders at other levels in his organization to value their employees also? Shabeer - thanks for stopping by. It is never too late to find a good mentor. Even if you can't find one in real life, you may be able to find someone online who would be willing to give you encouragement and direction. Tanmay - I agree. Human beings vs. human resources = good distinction. Tanveer - Glad you enjoyed the post. I look forward to reading your post on the topic.

Thanks so much for all the thoughtful comments today. Dean - great distinction you make about knowing people on a deep vs. superficial level. I think people really sense when we are only superficially interested in them. J. Michael - You ask a terrific question. What do we do when we work for a company that is only interested in people as commodities or people who agree with the boss? I don't think there is a quick answer to that question but it certainly something I would like to consider further. One thing we can do: we can lead from where we are, beginning to model care and concern for others, EVEN IF NOONE ELSE IS. Nancy - I agree with you wholeheartedly that we need to be intentional about developing relationships. Social media can be a distraction,AND it can open up new ways to engage with others. Paul - that is a great story. Thanks for sharing it here. Everyone should have a teacher like that!

Thank you, Sonia. I hope to be including more helpful ideas throughout the month as we encourage one another to value and engage others. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here.

Oh, so sweet, Jamie! Brings back memories of my girls when they were around one. So happy that your sweet girl is enjoying her dolls. Wish you could bring her up to Chicago for a playdate.

I am glad to see you back, Steve. This post is spot on. The idea of "laser-like clarity" makes perfect sense to me.

Thanks for checking in, Steve. I will definitely keep you and your family in my prayers. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Since this is my first holiday season with All Things Workplace, I thought this might be just a normal holiday break for you. Otherwise, I would have been bombarding you with emails. :)

Thanks, Dan. I appreciate all you do to encourage leaders (including me). You have made an important difference in this blog's development. Looking forward to more collaboration with you. Monica, I appreciate you being a part of the community here, and on Twitter. I am always encouraged by your commitment to esteeming others.

Thanks for the good wishes, Miki. I have enjoyed getting to know you, also, and I'm glad you enjoy my posts. We are enjoying a quiet Christmas in Chicago and looking forward to being in our new home next year. I wish you all the best in 2010, Miki. I'll update the blogroll to include your other blog when Leadership Turn ends this week.

Hi Steve, I have a friend who is absolutely excellent in showing empathy and asking helpful questions. I think she has even asked me some of these verbatim at times. It seems to me that asking these type of helpful questions may be separate from showing empathy, though, because while I feel that I am an empathetic person, your helpful questions do not easily come to my mind. I think I'll have to write them on an index card and put them in my pocket. They're the kind of questions I want to ask others, and great ones to ask myself as well. Thanks!

Wow – Thanks so much. What an honor! I am glad you’re back and doing well… Best, Becky

I was wondering where you were! I am glad you have been enjoying a wonderful vacation and such good time to reflect about your priorities. I have missed your warmth and encouragement on Twitter but admire your steadfastness and resolve to find the time in life for what is truly important.

Steve, You make an important point about building a top-notch online identity. In developing LeaderTalk, one thing I am finding is that people are connecting to me as an individual first. It seems that in order to have an effective online presence, organizations need a person to represent them. Building relationships (which you seem to excel at!)is by far the best way to get good work done. Becky

Steve, Thanks for sharing your million dollar suggestions for free. It is a great suggestion, and one I can't wait to have the opportunity to try out. I imagine that talking with people ahead of time really helps to build the connection you talked about in your last post. It not only helps the speaker, but also builds the anticipation/enthusiasm of those attending the meeting as well.

Steve, I think you're spot on with your idea that speakers need to be themselves. The best speakers I have heard are the ones whose sincere enthusiasm for their topics has been unmistakeable. You started your piece by saying that your tips apply to groups of 6 to 6000, but do you think it's possible that authenticity is more important with a smaller group? Or maybe it is more challenging for some speakers to connect with a larger audience?

I shared this on Facebook and tweeted some thanks with a link to your blog. Have a great day, Steve.

Thanks, Steve!

Thanks for the links, Steve, I will check them out. I am also blogging about remembering today: come by and take a look: http://mountainstate.typepad.com/leadership/

Good reminder, Jamie, I have plenty of days like that. I'll be thinking of heaven a lot!

Hi Steve, Great points. Here is another idea: Be aware and sensitive to different cultural values and how they may affect your listeners. An example: time orientation. Many other cultures are much less monochronic than we are in the US. Instead of getting frustrated about your audience's seeming indifference to schedules, remember that your listeners may have other values, like relationship building, that take precedence over sticking to a strict time schedule.

Steve, I am new to your blog so I never saw the first post. Thank you for returning to this topic. The idea that we fear success because it shows that we have the power to change resonates deeply with me. I also agree that we fear the unknowns of the future; we fear that success will bring other changes to our lives, not all pleasant.