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When Debbie got back to her office, she was immediately reminded of why she needed a mentor. She felt like a firefighter, running from one burning house to another. She knew she should probably be the fire chief, calling out orders for her staff to execute, but she realized that time and time again, she was the one fighting the fires. Often, her staff would simply bring her the burning issue and step back and let her take care of it. This was the reason why she
had less time to play tennis. She did her staff's work during the day, and she did her own work on nights and weekends. It was clearly not a sustainable lifestyle.

The next two weeks passed in a blur as Debbie waited for word about the mentoring program. The actual situations changed, but it seemed her role never varied. The work—or the way she was going about it—was killing her. When she got home one night, exhausted and frustrated, John said, "Something's wrong. What is it?"

Debbie sighed. "I'm just beginning to wonder if I've pursued the wrong dream. Maybe leadership isn't for me."

"You're getting that mentor pretty soon, right?" Her husband put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I hope so," Debbie replied. Deep inside, she knew that her future would depend on it.

* * *

On the morning she expected word about the mentoring program, Debbie checked her email. No message. She braced for a long, anxious day waiting for the message. But soon she was so involved in solving other people's problems that she had no time to worry about the much-anticipated response.

At lunchtime, Brenda, one of her team members, approached Debbie in the coffee room. "Can I talk to you about a personal issue?" Brenda asked.

Debbie had noticed that Brenda's performance had slipped somewhat in recent weeks, but she had not taken the time to find out why. She certainly didn't have time now to talk about personal matters. "I'm sorry, Brenda, maybe later. I'm busy right now." It never crossed Debbie's mind that Brenda's performance and her personal problem could be related. Debbie went into her office and closed the door. As she scanned her new messages, she spotted an email from Melissa.

As she scanned her new messages, she spotted an email from Melissa. She opened it and read:

Sent to: Debbie Brewster
From: Melissa Arnold
Subject: Mentoring Program
Date: June 14

I am please to inform you that you have been selected to participate in our new Mentoring Program. Your mentor will be Jeff Brown. Someone from Jeff's office will contact you to schedule your first meeting. If you have questions, please let me know.

Debbie's jaw dropped open. 'Surely there must be a mistake. Jeff Brown is the president of the company! There is no way he could be my mentor.

She picked up the phone a placed a call to Mellissa Arnold's office. Melissa's assistant answered the phone.

"This is Todd. How may I serve you?"

"I'm calling for Melissa Arnold. Is she in?"

"No, I'm sorry, she's at lunch right now. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing really," Debbie answered. "I've just been accepted in the new mentoring program, and there's been a mistake regarding my mentor."

"Let me check that for you. What is your name?"

"Debbie Brewster."

"Yes, Debbie. I see your name. And your mentor is—" It felt like a week before Todd finished the sentence. "Jeff Brown."

"That can't be!" Debbie replied in disbelief.

"Why not?"

"He's the president of the company!"

"That's true." Todd replied.

"Why would Jeff Brown take time to mentor me, or anybody else?" Debbie asked.

"When you have your first meeting, why don't you ask him yourself?" Todd suggested.

"I think I will. Thank you for your help."

"My pleasure."

* * *

This excerpt ends on page 15 of the hardcover edition.

Monday, August 3rd, we begin the book Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life by Guy Winch.

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