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After taking over as CEO in 2005, Mark Hurd revived HP, turning around its performance, making strategic acquisitions and trimming the workforce. When other technology companies and the stock market faltered in recent years, HP’s performance kept rocketing upward.

Late Friday, we read the shocking news announcing Hurd’s immediate resignation from HP as the result of a sexual harassment investigation.

While Jodie Fisher, a former HP contract worker, has charged Hurd with harassment, reports seemed to indicate that Hurd did not have an affair or sexual relationship with her. Instead, HP reported that he covered up his activities with the claimant by filing inaccurate expense reports, and may have authorized payment to her for business services she did not perform.

For Mr. Hurd, with a solid business reputation as a buttoned-up, cost-conscious and results-focused leader, this is a tragic plunge in professional fortunes and an irrevocable blot on his career. His name is now linked with the scandalous circumstances that caused him to leave HP. He will be the ridiculed on late-night television, and more facts may surface in the mainstream and tabloid media. In ways we can’t yet anticipate, it will also affect HP’s direction as it unexpectedly begins searching for a new CEO.

Stephen M. Paskoff, president and CEO of Atlanta-based ELI^®, Inc., recently spoke at a Diversity Speaker Series for employees of The Coca-Cola Company, an ELI client.

In his presentation, "Building a Civil Workplace: But What Exactly Do I Do?" Mr. Paskoff led an interactive discussion among Coca-Cola employees about the behaviors and other skills that need to be practiced daily to build and reinforce a diverse, inclusive, collaborative and Civil Treatment^® workplace.

A week ago, I listened to the best guitar music on Earth with my good friend and colleague, Ray Amelio, and 80,000 other fans at Eric Clapton’s “Crossroads Guitar Festival” in Chicago.

For 12 hours, the hot Chicago sun blistered us, despite lots of suntan lotion, as we listened to performances by ZZ Top, Robert Randolph, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, BB  King, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi and Jonny Lang, to name just a few of my favorites.

I just read and watched William Shakespeare’s history play, Henry V. The story tells how Henry V led his Army through France in 1415, defeating a much larger force at Agincourt.

David Letterman is lucky. Some may question how that can be when his private affairs, literally, are now so public. And some may say, if he can do it and keep his job, so can I.

I recently facilitated a session for senior leaders of a public utility. In all ways, they were confident that they successfully lived by their values, with one exception: accountability.

Steve discusses the top HR challenge(s) organizations are facing.

I was a discouraged defense trial attorney. During case after case, I was brought in to resolve a situation at a point where the facts had been established for as much as three years or more.

In late October, I had the privilege of speaking to 300 leaders employed by the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) in Nova Scotia.

I vividly recall a conversation I had in 2002 about a training company called ELI.

The 2008 SHRM conference held in the windy city of Chicago was a glowing success.

Recognizing that unprofessional, disruptive workplace behavior can adversely affect patient care and safety, JCAHO (the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) announced new accreditation standards this month for healthcare organizations and their leadership.

Last Friday I dead-lifted 260 pounds. In other words, I picked up a 45-pound bar with 107.5 pounds attached to each end and stood it straight up. It was heavy. It was also one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done in my life.

I’ve thought a lot about leadership over the past few years – it’s what every firm says it needs to build better, more efficient, inclusive ethical and lawful workplaces. Go to any bookstore and the shelves will be lined with first-person or biographical accounts of epic leaders –Washington, Lincoln, King, Patton, Schwarzkopf, Welch, Jobs, Gates. Those leaders are few and far between, and most of us read about them hoping to find nuggets of wisdom we can apply.

Our training sessions with Memphis, our German Shepherd pup, have continued.

Memphis Rae, our newest family member, is an 8-month-old German Shepherd puppy who we found through the Georgia Shepherd Rescue. She’s a great looking dog, very bright and mostly friendly, and gets along with our whole family, including Monroe, a gentle, regal Shepherd also from Georgia Rescue, who is about 2 1/2.

The Falcons are 3-11 having just lost to Tampa Bay. They may well lose the rest of their games -- an awful season. But the wins and losses are not what will be remembered.

With millions watching a game that will make football history, the Super Bowl is a high-stakes event – the very definition of stress, tension, and intensity.