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The recent passing of our 13-year-old black lab, Esther, has stirred up more reflection in me than I expected.
As I’ve processed the loss, I’ve had to face a hard truth: Esther respected me, responded to me, and loved me. But our relationship was not as affectionate or as emotionally close as it could have been. And the painful part is recognizing that the same pattern has shown up at times in my relationship with my children, love and respect were there, but not always the depth of connection I now wish had been there.
For much of my life, I was more focused on obedience, compliance, proper behavior, and execution than I was on emotional connection. That mindset can produce order, but it can also quietly starve intimacy. You can build respect without building closeness. And when loss comes, that bill arrives with interest.
I believe this is true not only in parenting but in leadership. Too many leaders are excellent at driving results while remaining emotionally distant from their teams, their spouses, their children, and even themselves. Traditional leadership development often sharpens skills while neglecting the emotional and spiritual health that makes real connection possible.
That is one reason Live & Lead by Design, our leadership development and coaching program, exists.
It is designed to help leaders move from performance to presence, from control to connection, and from self-reliance to grounded leadership that builds trust, intimacy, and health at work and at home.
Esther’s life gave us joy. Her passing gave me perspective.
And some lessons arrive with muddy paws and excellent timing.
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In 2015, I hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim in a single day. About 26 miles, starting at 3 a.m. in the dark, down the North Rim, across the bottom, and up the South Rim. It's like hiking a reverse mountain. You start by going down, and the hardest part is at the end, climbing nearly seven miles of switchbacks straight up a rock face in the sun.
The real work is learning to actually notice what’s driving you. When you take the time to strengthen the inner system that carries everything else, you can stay steady, clear-headed, and connected to your people even when the stakes are incredibly high. That is the real foundation.
Curtis Rippee joins the Decision Points podcast to discuss the Entrepreneurial Operating System, the value of understanding natural talents and unique abilities, and how EOS can help businesses address people-centered challenges and improve long-term value.
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Curtis Rippee joins The Driven Crowd Podcast to discuss his path from accounting and entrepreneurship to becoming an EOS Implementer. In the conversation, Curtis shares practical insight on business growth, leadership team alignment, solving issues, and why outside perspective can help entrepreneurs get more of what they want from their business.
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