In just a few short weeks, since putting the challenge to my team to begin taking over their divisions more aggressively, I am seeing dramatic changes among our group. The joy is more intense.  The growth is more expedient.  The results are more frequent.  And all that came from me trusting them more and managing them less.  We still brainstorm together and I still push them in certain areas, but they are enjoying being free to build their own teams around our clients and their brands and the power of that is intense.  They are creating more, bringing more fresh ideas to the table and ultimately, finding their true place within this company we are growing.  Turns out that the best thing I have done in a long time is to actually do less.

So, I’m doing the obligatory morning drive today, taking my son to school and whatnot. Naturally, I have the iPod going. On comes a song that I haven’t intentionally listened to in years. It’s from a Carly Simon best-of collection. It’s a fun, funky, silly song, as some of hers were. Now, this might seem like a strange beginning to a post about work and leadership, but bear with me… Anyway, some of you may know this song. Some may have danced to it in some club while wearing bell-bottoms. The song is called “Attitude Dancing,” and today it took on a whole new meaning for me, much different than the one it held thirty five years ago when my sister and I were dancing to it on the high-low pile, multi-earth tone shag carpeting in the living room. Hey, I was a child of the 70’s!

I’ll share bits of the lyrics with you….

“…cop a different pose, from the pose your in…shine a different attitude from underneath your skin…” Carly goes into the chorus repeating over and over again, “Attitude dancin…” while the background singers say, “…don’t be afraid to change your attitude…don’t be afraid of a new attitude…free up your spirit with a new attitude…” It picks up again with “It don’t really matter what steps you choose to do. There’s only one thing matters, and that’s your attitude, your attitude, your attitude…attitude dancin’…” The last verse says, “If you’re at a loss, just observe some natural dude…and turn into a mirror of his attitude…”

A song about dancing, you say. Au contraire! There’s a message here about authenticity. About taking responsibility for what you project. About realizing that who and what you are on the inside dictates the “steps you choose to do.” It’s not the steps themselves that you need to think about. It’s being intentional about your “attitude,” about the things that matter to you that you need to consider. Those things determine the steps you take and the moves you make from the inside out. And if you’re “at a loss,” find something or someone you admire to emulate until the steps become second nature to you…until they take on your own signature style. That’s when your work doesn’t feel like work. It’s simply part of your life, part of the mission you are on, another segment of the bigger picture of you as a whole and what you can bring to the world. Dance like that and you’ll never dance alone…

After the Barrio book launch, my wife and I bought our first home and so moving was rather consuming.  Thanks to my team, so much is still happening as we prepare for the launches of Edge and China Girl.  Sophie Mokhtari has been put in touch with RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) about serving their message and she has also received a powerful endorsement from Hollace Davids, Senior VP Universal Pictures Group.

We are in the process of designing the cover artwork and internal design for China Girl. Beautiful. Simultaneously, Sophie has been accumulating endorsements such as:

Sophie Mokhtari writes of situations not uncommon to so many. She creates mirrors from which to see and in this looking creates greater understanding of the human condition. A very engaging read.

— Didi Belardo, MFT, Psychotherapist

Sophie Mokhtari’s first novel is beautifully written. She takes us on the journey from childhood to teenage years and finally to adulthood; achieving success along the way. This first novel sure leads the way and makes me impatient to discover the rest of the series.

—Valerie Mansouri
Mother of a Miracle Child

Women have been programmed to maintain a family and women hide secrets, but in China Girl we finally understand that we need to overcome our fears to help our families to move forward.

—Dr. Maribel M. Rivera

Unit Director, John F. Kennedy Community Center

Bravo Sophie, for the inspiration you give your readers. Written in a wonderfully authentic, intimate and honest way, China Girl transforms hurt and pain into health and healing. Readers learn that they are not alone in their circumstances and from dark, secretive and scary places, their stories, their lives, their endings are theirs to create. Ah, hope and inspiration ….darkness to light….pain to joy….why, lemons to lemonade! I am truly inspired.

—Kameron Seagren

Dramatic and inspiring. Cathartic, healing. Graceful. A story that captures the heart and compassion of the reader through an emotional pull. It delves beautifully into complex layers of human pain, perseverance, spirit, and ultimately, triumph. China Girl transcends race, and culture through the universality of emotion and binding experience. A soulful, soul baring, read.

—Tonja Mahallati
Inner-City Elementary School Teacher
PhD Candidate in Education at Pepperdine University

Sophie Mokhtari is one of those rare talents who can pull off such powerful content with the utmost sensitivity and maturity. There are parts of this book that had my eyes filled with tears, and by the time I got to the middle, I could not put it down. Sophie’s simple but richly descriptive prose makes for an engrossing read, and in my opinion, China Girl is among one of the best books I have ever read. This is definitely not one to be missed, in fact, I have already read it several times.

—Rajni Joshi
Manager- Professional Recruiting
Citibank Residential Lending

Wow…a definite page turner. The story is engaging and real. The characters are so greatly developed that you feel you know them personally. A great book to demonstrate the power of making a sweet situation out of sour circumstances.

—Dr. Nazly Khorsandi

Great novel!! What a beautiful, heartfelt and honest message. Anna and Lily move through the tunnel of their lives in a journey filled with love and hate, hope and despair, darkness and light. I cannot wait to read the entire Lemonade Series, and to recommend it to all, for it is only in the exposing of our deepest shames and guilt that we can begin to heal and love.

—Lin Chayes
Life Coach

By writing about subjects considered to be taboo, Sophie Mokhtari will help women around the world know they are not alone. China Girl’s raw, honest story will help girls and women know that even when the worst things happen, life can get better. This book is tough but it includes a big, warm hug for those who need it the most, for anyone who wants to help make the world a better place, and for anyone who admires the real heroes and heroines, who are simply survivors.

— Katherine Culliton
Civil Rights Attorney

China Girl is a compelling novel that readers of all ages and cultures can embrace – a great choice for book clubs.

—Bette Harris

What a magical night! Mariachis, dancers, artists, so many children, Congressman Bill Foster, Mayor Thomas Weisner, State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia, half a dozen aldermen, and the children - so many wonderful bright faces.  When it came time for the presentation, they all sat classroom style in front of the stage.  the Mayor spoke, Ryan Dowd of Hesed House spoke, Clayton Muhammad stormed the stage and brought up his amazing young men and women one at a time and talked about their journeys and the power of the book.  One of his young men even told the story of his father, who upon finding out that his boy had read the book encouraged him to make Robert a mentor and to learn from him all that he could.  So powerful.  Then Robert spoke.  and he brought the house to their feet when he raised up that barrio boy with the help of everyone in attendance.  It was a magical night.  Pictures and video to follow!