We vote, pay taxes, obey laws and serve as jurors. But what other obligation, what other common experience, binds us as a nation? Read More
Maureen in America Magazine: Could a year of national service heal our divide?
Facing Career Transition, and Coming Out Ahead
Is it time for a change? A few years ago the trajectory of my career collided with several key events in my life: the upcoming birth of my first grandchild, the sale of the business I was actively engaged in, and the death of a close friend after a long illness. Suddenly, the importance of… Read More
Reflections on Mother’s Day
My younger daughter, Megan, recently sent me a text which said “thanks for being my Mom.” I quickly and instinctively texted back, “It’s the greatest privilege of my life.” A privilege, but not an easy one. Being a mother is the hardest thing I’ve ever done; there’s a lifetime constancy required of it that I… Read More
Bear Stearns and the Great Recession: What a Difference a Decade Makes
A decade ago this week, Bear Stearns failed, a harbinger of what came to be known as the Great Recession — the worst global economic calamity to hit since the Great Depression of the 1930s. As we know now, the crisis was a long time in the making, and there were plenty of factors fueling… Read More
On Making Mistakes
I often reflect on making mistakes, mine in particular. I’m a chewer, I gnaw on things, turn them over in my head, again and again. Grind away to the point that I need a mouth guard! That’s probably because I tend towards the perfectionistic which of course is a mistake in and of itself. I’m… Read More
Hold On to Who You Are
I have been described in many ways throughout my career: cold, remote, too direct, difficult, demanding of those I manage (is that a bad thing?). I was even admonished once in a written annual review “that I only wanted to work with smart people”. And, of course, there have been many positive accolades as well.… Read More