Success = Paula LeDuc 

The August 13 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle featured a culinary gold mine of Bay Area's visionary chefs. Among such world class innovators as Alice Waters and Thomas Keller  was Paula LeDuc. With 28 years of success in fine catering, Paula continues to shine as an savvy business woman and astute leader. Like several famous Silicon Valley legends, she started her business out of her home. With entrepreneurial verve she grew her business - moving it 3 times into larger facilities. Now Paula LeDuc Fine Catering employs 60 full-time workers and hundreds of part-time support staff. Whether the event is a picnic for 3,000 at LucasArts, a lunch for British royals at the Ferry Building, or an elegant cocktail party at Tiffany, the food and its presentation is always an unforgettably delectable experience.

Thank You, Paula!

Paula LeDue gifted me the title Consciousness Coach.

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Alicia Keys Knows

Sometimes a song says it best. So pause the busyness of your work and life. Enjoy several musical moments - just appreciating who you are. You are incredible!

Is Your Attitude Asset-based? 

Have you noticed that women in business are prone to use more self-defeating language than men? That's because when it comes to their abilities, women tend to err on the side of modesty rather than express themselves with an asset-based attitude.

Years of coaching female executives and entrepreneurs have taught me that often successful women do not appreciate how good they are at what they do. Instead, they undervalue their accomplishments and discount the value of their leadership.

Elevating your attitude to asset-based infuses you with energy and confidence. You learn to leverage what works well for you and savor the satisfaction you get from your remarkable achievements.

Which attitude describes your professional and personal attitudes about yourself and your leadership?

1. You're good at what you do, and you know it.
2. You're good at what you do, but you don't know it - or don't believe it.
3. You're not very good at what you do, and you know it.
4. You're not very good at what you do, but you think you are - or at least present yourself as though you are.

If your answer is # 2, you probably are a super achiever striving endlessly for Perfection. I invite you to shift to an   asset-based attitude. It gives you a more satisfying sense of your reality. Let 7 audacious leader strategies take you there. 

7 Audacious Leader Strategies

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Prepare for an Emergency Landing

4 bells - a signal that I had to go immediately to the airplane cockpit. I entered and saw the flight engineer's face. He looked like he'd just seen his life flash before him. As I sat in the jumpseat behind the Captain, he told me there was a "problem with the flaps." Since I was #1 Flight Attendant, my role was to tell the cabin crew and then lead them in by-the-book procedures. I made all of the prerequisite announcements to the passengers so the flight attendants could prepare them and the aircraft cabin for an emergency landing at JFK. 

Leadership Attitude 

I'm what you would call a natural leader. It's in my DNA. I even went to college on a 4-year leadership scholarship. Why do I tell you this? So you'll understand that being a leader in this airplane emergency was the best role for me. My leadership reflexes and instincts directed passengers to remain calm. When a flight attendant working her first trip expressed fear, I reminded her that she had just passed rigorous emergency training and FAA certification. She would just put into practice what she had learned. It never occurred to me to think negatively about the situation. Instead, I was fully present - focused on making sure everything was ready for the safest possible evacuation of passengers and cabin crew.

Attitude is a Choice

What worked for me in that emergency at altitude can be practiced wherever you are. 

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Importance of Imagination

J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Porter book series, leveraged her leadership when she presented the commencement address to Harvard graduates on June 8, 2008. She talked about her failure as a young adult and how it taught her to achieve inwardly in order to manifest outwardly. She shared how imagination leads to living courageously when its definition includes the...

• "human capacity to envision that which is not"
• "power to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared."

Her message is a sterling invitation for us to be leaders of our individual and collective human destinies. See for yourself. Watch the live video recording at Harvard Magazine. Let me know what you think. Post your comment below.