My wife, Michelle, and I are preparing to move on to the next chapter in our lives, focused on retirement and embracing our future together.  The transition day is December 31, 2024.  For the past 47 years, we experienced good times and bad, navigating and supporting one another through 31 years in the US Army and more recently with business opportunities in the steel industry and leadership consulting.  Together, we raised five children, although the credit goes to Michelle based on my extended absences on deployments to Eastern Europe, Bosnia, Kosovo, and on multiple occasions, Kuwait and Iraq.  We are grateful for the opportunity to be part of high performing teams with their resilient families.  

Reflecting on lessons learned, I offer the following.  One, values matter and serve as the foundation of building strong and enduring relationships.  This is true with families as well as organizational cultures.  Two, the best teams establish trust in order to embrace empowerment.  This trust is established with transparent communication, owning our mistakes and keeping our promises.  In short, living with integrity.  Three, the best teams focus on growing a learning culture with individuals and team members focused on continuous improvement and being comfortable with both giving and receiving feedback.  It all boils down to psychological safety where people are comfortable with expressing their ideas, challenges, and concerns.  

I have particularly enjoyed the partnership with my daughter, Jeanette, as we grew Batiste Leadership over the past eight years to assist organizations to transform cultures and execute strategies.  This work has been incredibly rewarding and the opportunity to work with Jeanette has been a wonderful experience.  Jeanette is extremely skilled and capable and will continue to assist organizations to inspire teams, create cultures of empowerment, and identify opportunities for improvement to achieve extraordinary results. 

Michelle and I cherish the memories and relationships developed over the past 47 years and are very excited about our next adventures.  You will find us together with our extended family, enjoying camping and hiking in the Adirondacks, traveling to explore new destinations, walking our dogs, and staying healthy with mindfulness and early morning yoga.  Life is so good, and we intend to make the most of the many years ahead.

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