Wow! The little girl’s eyes widened as they sat down to dinner at the fancy restaurant. “Look mom, they’re giving everyone a dish of ice cream BEFORE we eat. Can we do that home too?”

Her parents smiled and tried in vain to explain that this “ice cream” was really sorbet served to adults meant to “clean your mouth” so that you can better taste the food that will be served.

What if there was a sorbet that leaders could savor between meetings to rid yourself of the after-taste of that bitter encounter you just had with a disgruntled employee, an angry customer, a non-performing vendor or a disappointed major stock holder?

Then you could more clearly and cleanly taste the new idea a valued colleague is sharing with you.

Oh what wishful thinking — or is that wistful thinking?

You have to cleanse your proverbial palate yourself.

And even that act of neutralizing the taste you just savored is problematic.

After all we tend to experience the world around us in only what we can see or feel (or taste?) at any one time.

Worse yet, we tend to let that exclusive (read narrow) view linger internally- much like an after-taste- Continue reading “Leadership Mints Series Sampler: Cleansing the Palate” →