Sewitch Etcetera Corporation

I’ve worked for leaders who inspired just this kind of commitment, engagement and motivation. I would attempt Herculean achievements for them. It was a pleasure to be in their company. They made me feel respected, foremost. They demonstrated by their behavior and their words that I was needed and important to the success of the organization. And I respected them for what they knew, their skills and their own demonstration of commitment. I noticed that they worked just as hard as everyone else did, including doing the mundane tasks that we all had to do. They filled the stapler and the printer ink when they ran out. They worked on the weekend when everyone else was asked to. They were aware of my breaking point and found ways to reduce pressure when it was important for my health. They fundamentally cared about me as a human being.

Most of my life has been a pursuit of peace. Even though I’ve had to literally fight to achieve it at times.

A colleague and I were discussing martial arts, after I presented a workshop for his leadership team on constructive conflict resolution using the principles of yin and yang. He looked at me thoughtfully and asked, “You’re a pacifist, aren’t you Stan?” I said, “Yes. But unfortunately, not everyone else is.”