What’s Authenticity? A Glitterbomb of Leadership

Stuart, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -- Thanks to Dr. Claire Muselman, we're in the middle of what has been, hands down, my favorite series that we've run on WorkersCompensation.com. Thanks to Dr. Claire Muselman, we have a month of profiles on women in the workers' compensation space, and thanks to this series, I've learned so much about so many people.

The profiles have provided leadership lessons on how to be a productive disruptor, how to lead with your heart, how to balance work and life, and how to focus on the human element that's at the foundation of all things workers' compensation and, in smart organizations, all things business.

You know who else lives out those leadership lessons every day? Dr. Claire Muselman.

You might remember that it was Claire who introduced me to the story of Chuck Feeney, a selfless billionaire who gave till it hurt and then kept giving until it didn't. Like Feeney, Claire's is a giver's heart; she wants to help others, and she focuses on people first.

And true to form, that story she shared with me pushed me to do something I had never done in my years in publishing; I wrote an op-ed, something I have never felt comfortable with. But one of the things I've learned from Claire is that if something's uncomfortable, there's probably growth to be had. If you make yourself vulnerable, you can get past all that holds you back and take a step toward that better version of you that you know is waiting to show off.

I have been tremendously lucky in this role. I get to work with great people, great writers, and great topics. I had no idea the treat I was in for when, upon taking on the position, the first "Expert's View" column for me to edit hit my inbox. It came from Dr. Claire Muselman.

The content was different from what I was used to from WorkersCompensation.com. It wasn't wonk stuff, but it was thoroughly human, positive, and motivating. In the pieces that followed, I noticed how intently Claire focused on whole-person recovery, authentic leadership, and -- much to my delight -- glitter and sparkles.

Claire's writing gave our site a breath of fresh air and a shot of energy. Plus, her resume gave us a boost in credentials: Dr. Muselman is a professor with a career's worth of experience in the industry. On top of that, she has a presence on LinkedIn like none other and is visible on the conference circuit. Claire's the real deal, and I can only guess at how many thousands and thousands of people have learned from her knowledge and grown from her leadership. So, when she became our Chief Operating Officer last year, I thanked my lucky stars because in her we gained someone who knew workers' compensation inside and out, led for the team's betterment, and wrote like a pro. How did I get so lucky?

Another lesson I've learned from Claire goes beyond work and business and the professional life. That's because she's taught me that since you don't have that much time, in all of life, you might as well spend what you do have on what you care about. It's a one and done sort of deal for us on Earth, and the way of a True Glitterbomb is to follow your heart, chase your passions, and bring your peeps along for the ride.

Going right along with that, Claire's taught me that the time and energy you give to your passions is never wasted and spending that energy requires zero apologies. Why wouldn't you give what you've got to living the life you were meant to?

So, I think we can all be thankful that there's always a chance to let glitter and sparkles interrupt the ordinary in business, workers' compensation, education, and life. Dr. Muselman is a great leader, and what great leaders do is bring us to create better versions of ourselves, day after day. That's how innovation happens; that's how things change for the better.

And just like Claire, we can be that change if we step into it. You can be like Claire: Follow your heart because you, your work, and our world will be better -- and shine a little brighter -- for it.

Thank you, Dr. Muselman, and keep making Glitterbomb happen.

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