Bad things happen, and we’re all mortal. Sometimes we forget that at work, and the death or illness of a colleague can be a great shock.  

Nothing ever goes exactly as we had planned, and we constantly have to adapt and adjust to the events around us. Bouncing back from a major setback such as the death of a team member requires sensitivity and resilience on the part of team members and team leaders in equal measure. It’s never an easy process, but there are steps you can take to ensure those around you are getting the support they need during such a difficult time.

Unlike most politicians, former U.S. Senator and Democratic candidate for President, Bill Bradley does not particularly like being recognized. In fact, when he was a teenager and gaining notoriety around St. Louis for his skills on the basketball court, it made him a bit uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he got so good and so well known that he was offered scholarships to seventy-five colleges. He chose Princeton, where in 1964 he was named NCAA player of the year and earned a gold medal as a member of the U.S. Olympic team. Later, Bradley led the New York Knicks for ten years, winning the championship twice, and graced the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.

I asked Bradley about all the attention that he has received, starting at such a young age, he called it "well-known-ness" and acknowledged that it was indeed something that he had grappled with. It was one reason, he said, that he dropped out of sight after Princeton by moving to the United Kingdom on a Rhodes scholarship, and why, for a short while, he even stopped playing the game he loved.