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After more than a decade as an attending physician in an Emergency Department and another as a care/relational health director in a large non-profit, Scott is an executive coach, speaker, and author. Today Scott helps leaders and their teams gain clarity, unity and focus so their organizations can thrive.
He brings a lifetime of experience to topics of emotional, relational, and organizational health. Scott and his wife, September, have been married for 35+ years and live in Southern California, near their four grown kids and three grandkids.
I’ve always loved rocks. I collected rocks as a kid and brought that rock-loving interest into adulthood, where I’ve collected rocks from every state or country I visit.
And then two things happened: 1) we moved about an hour from Lake Michigan, which happens to hold the most diverse variety of rocks in the world, thanks to a glacier’s migration many thousands of years ago; and 2) my wife bought me a used rock tumbler.
It’s official. I’ve become a rock nerd.
Searching for cool rocks on the shores of Lake Michigan became a relaxing, mindfulness exercise. Once I gather a nice batch of rocks, I place them in the rock tumbler along with a little water and some silicon-carbide grit. Each rock goes through five stages of processing, and each stage includes seven to ten days of tumbling, 24/7; rinsing away of residue between stages; and then more tumbling, with increasingly fine grit. In the final stage, the rocks are tumbled with polish, and the results are often quite remarkable, as you can see.
From those polished rocks, I then create displays, art, or in the case of this photo, rock magnets to give away to my friends.
So what does my rock hobby have to do with my passion for coaching people and developing teams?
At first glance on the beach, these rocks seem a little unremarkable. But with a little time, care, and grit, every rock shows its unique, inner beauty–a beauty that was there, hidden inside, all along.
This is true of you and me, as well. Every time I hold a polished rock in my hand, I think of what this rock looked like just a few short weeks ago. I’m reminded that what I see when I look in the mirror or across a conference room table isn’t the end of the story.
With intentionality, time, and the refining work of grit, your beauty and mine is exposed. It’s what makes me so passionate about helping leaders and teams grow. You, your team, and your organization possess a unique beauty that can take the world’s breath away. And it would be a privilege to offer you intentionality, time, and a little grit in your own process as a leader, a human, and a friend.
Best,
