Directors of early childhood programs are an amazing lot! There's so much dedication, such hard work and creative problem solving. But then that inevitable undertow of deadlines, crises, and illness begins to suck directors down. With crisis management becoming a way of life, they don't even recognize their vital signs slipping away. The author encounters different symptoms of this condition when she walks into a center. Sometimes the director is so overwhelmed that the overall culture of the program is one of stress and irritability. Other directors handle the strain by emotionally, if not physically, withdrawing from the culture of demoralization. Either way, the undercurrents of negativity and resignation don't speak of a healthy organization. The director still appears dedicated, but has lost his or her way, barely managing and certainly not leading. Reflecting on David Whyte's own experience of losing himself in his work, Whyte offers poetry, psychology, and creative arts to corporate executives. He believes managers need to be engaged in courageous conversations and clarity about the larger world that is shaping their identity. They must be sure they are who they want to be, doing what they truly believe in.