Almost exactly five years ago I learned a leadership lesson I never wanted to learn. But as I look back on this anniversary and one that makes Valentine’s Day bittersweet, I appreciate that I grew personally and professionally in a way I might never have otherwise.
My husband died in January 2013. Steve had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer only eight months before. The news came as a shock to me, my then 24-year-old daughter, my stepchildren and our larger community of family and friends.