The Key to Collaboration: Strengths in Numbers

Despite many terrific opportunities in my life, I somehow found myself feeling like I was sprinting nowhere – all the while burning the candle at both ends.

I strove hard to build a rewarding career, nurture my family and friendships and create a fun and fulfilling life. I was doing the “right” things – earning degrees from Columbia and Yale, working at innovative places like social software companies, the company behind the FORTUNE 100 Best Places to Work?, Oracle and the Marcus Buckingham Company.

I was still not able to do many of the basic things that matter to me like spending enough quality time with people I care about, staying healthy and fit and building my dream business.

For many years I truly believed the problem was that there just isn't enough time in the day. Something had to change.

In my day job, I became expert at marketing and developing collaboration software services. In my personal life, I become expert in a mindfulness framework called the enneagram.

One day I met my mentor, Elizabeth Wagele, the author of The Enneagram Made Easy and we teamed up to identify the nine innate career strengths of all people. Next, we co-authored The Career Within You (HarperOne 2010).

A few years later, I encountered a crisis of overwhelm from years of trying to keep “working harder”. To make matters worse, my mentor, Elizabeth, died suddenly. Out of my grief I grew to change my beliefs, learning we all can “work smarter” to complement each other’s strengths. After struggle, time and reflection, I finally grasped better how collaboration is the key to fulfillment.

Today I am writing another book to share this message about collaboration as an essential “glue” of life—and the enneagram as a key to unlocking the “how.” I am starting to build a movement around #StrengthsinNumbers. So check back throughout this year for updates!