Like so many of you, I was saddened this week to hear about the passing of Dolly Parton. We knew the songs, the rhinestones, the big hair and that unmistakable laugh. But behind all of that was a woman who built an extraordinary career and an incredible business—while somehow never losing sight of who she was or where she came from.
There’s a leadership lesson in that. Dolly showed us that you can be ambitious and kind. Successful and generous. Confident without taking yourself too seriously. And perhaps most importantly, you don’t have to become someone else to become successful. In a world that often encourages us to fit in, prove ourselves or change who we are to get ahead, Dolly spent a lifetime doing just the opposite. She owned who she was—and then used her success to make life a little better for others.
So, as we start this week, maybe there’s one simple question worth carrying with us: What would Dolly do? I think she’d work hard. She’d laugh often. She’d help somebody along the way. And she’d remind us that at the end of our careers, our greatest legacy won’t be the titles we held or the things we accomplished. It will be how people felt because we were here.
Have a great week—and as always, I hope today’s Monday Morning Coffee gives you a little advantage.