Last month, my publisher released my first book. This work was the culmination of research, editing, responding to my copy editor’s feedback, learning in process, and starting over multiple times.

A clip from the movie The Legend of the Boy and the Eagle describes the writing process. It’s the story of a child who leaves his village to live with the eagles, and upon returning, is chased to the edge of a cliff. When he leaps, he is magically transformed into the majestic bird itself. Similarly Nepo, in The Book of Awakening, explains that we need to be “fully here,” “. . . the way a stem of clover grows into the one patch of light left in the forest.” To him, still born aspirations are like “bullet” roses, ones that die clamped shut-never opening to reveal their fragrance or their inner beauty. Life experiences can result in something unexpected. The written word is a vehicle to make sense of it all, to transcribe the incomprehensible into a cohesive, qualitative quilt.

When people shed their protective shells their companies benefit. Bringing diverse employees through the door is a first step. Making them feel valued, appreciated, welcomed, respected, and included encourages them to speak up, to express their perspectives, volunteer for committees, and to spearhead innovation. How to Transform Workplace Bullies into Allies pinpoints dysfunctional patterns to shift corporate norms. The result is a kinder, gentler firm-one in where people are recognized as the primary assets.