THE VIOLET VIEW

APRIL 2025 | ISSUE NO. 10

Here's your latest Violet View—bringing you actionable leadership insights that cut through the noise.

Hi there, it's Stefanie here (President of TVG).

So much of life isn’t about what happens to us—it’s about how we choose to respond.

Picture this: I had just wrapped a 15-hour international work trip. I landed in Chicago, jet-lagged and ready to be home. But when I got to baggage claim… no bag. The one I reluctantly checked—with gear for a 10-day, three-country work trip—was still sitting in London.

Tired and mildly frustrated, I headed to the baggage services counter. There was a line of other people in the same boat. Some had delayed or canceled flights, and their bags were lost in the shuffle too.

When it was my turn, the employee kindly told me it might take up to four days to arrive since I lived beyond a 40-mile radius of the airport. Not ideal. My head immediately went to: What do I need to replace this weekend?—especially since I had packed most of my go-to work clothes, makeup, and curling iron.

At that moment, I had a choice.

I could have gotten frustrated. I could have vented my annoyance.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I paused to get some perspective—and intentionally chose my next move. Not guided by my “under pressure” behaviors, but guided by clear choices.

(Yes, all of this ran through my head in about a 30-second span.)

My move? I submitted the claim, thanked the staff for their help, and headed to the parking garage to go home—to my partner, Sam, and our two puggles and cat.

I’m not sharing this story to pat myself on the back. I’m sharing it because these micro, everyday moments test us.

How we respond when things don’t go as planned.

How we treat people who aren’t at fault but are trying to help.

How we show up in the small, very unglamorous moments.

Those choices matter. They reflect our values. They ripple out to others.

And unlike so many things in life—we actually can control them.

In this case, the baggage counter employees weren’t at fault. They were doing their jobs. My job, in that moment, was to respond with integrity—and not let a logistical headache cost me my peace or create issues for others.

So let me ask you:

• When’s the last time you faced a frustrating or disappointing moment?

• How did you respond?

• What did it teach you about yourself—or about how you want to lead?

Hit reply—I’d love to hear.

Wishing you a smooth week,

Stefanie

What We’re Teaching: Schedule a “CEO” Day 🗣️

When’s the last time you set aside a dedicated chunk of time for real strategic thinking?

Leading a business, function, or team means the urgent always calls for your attention. Real growth and impact happen when you carve out time for strategic reflection—not just executing tasks and catching up on work.

One strategy we suggest is called a “CEO Day”—it’s your chance to step out of the weeds and reconnect with the bigger picture: planning for future needs, checking in on your team’s growth, nurturing relationships, and resetting priorities.

The urgent will always be there.

The important work is waiting for you to make time for it.

Curious what this looks like in practice?

What We’re Reading 📖

Helping a Player-Coach Through Leadership Crossroads

Building Leadership Capability: Behind the Scenes at TVG

In the first quarter of 2025, our team launched four new cohorts in our leadership development programs practice—bringing together over 50 leaders across industries, businesses, and client organizations.

Designing and delivering leadership development isn’t just what we do—it’s how we drive real, lasting value for our clients. Our programs blend leadership assessment, 1:1 and group coaching, and custom skill-building curriculum into a cohesive experience that builds stronger leaders and stronger organizations.

If you’ll allow us a moment to brag:

What sets us apart is the depth and rigor we bring to making these programs not just good, but exceptional.

We don’t just deliver coaching and workshops—we help our clients build the internal engines that make leadership development sustainable and scalable, including:

• Communication plans to ensure clarity and expectations

• Sponsor and manager engagement strategies to drive broader impact

• Orientation sessions and resources to equip program sponsors from day one

• Evaluation tools to measure real outcomes—not just activity

At TVG, we know what it takes to successfully run complex leadership programs—and we make sure our clients know it too.

If you’re curious about what makes a leadership program thrive, check out our blog post here.

Ready to design a program for your organization? Let's connect.

Until then...happy listening, learning, and leading, TVG community!

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