Michael, of Canadian Headhunter comments on the Chopra/Wharton post of a few days ago:

What happens to religious or spiritual groups after the leader is gone[?] The members fight with each other. But the religions are still pretty "successful" in that they continue to capture a good share of the market.

I'd say, "You bet!" But, what's the Market Appeal?

In Michael's example, the leaders were just enablers to a deeper personal identification for people. Like any truly great product, a leader is not the end but the means to something else. Just as money is a marker for something else, or fame is, or whatever. View things this way and Lynda's job becomes an adventure and failures become lessons, not reason's to doubt how you've chosen to navigate your particular journey.

Do you like movies? Rent Sullivan's Travels or Groundhog Day. To quote Lawrence Kasdan, "...all life's great lessons are found in the movies." Want a purely business-oriented example of the viability of this approach? Read Ricardo Semler's Maverick!. Or, track the trajectory of Yum! Brands' (KFC, Pepsi, Taco Bell) Chair/CEO David Novak and the profound influence he had on his tough-as-nails mentor and predecessor, Tricon Global Restaurants' founding-Chairman, Andy Pearson. here or here. Pearson resisted the up and coming Novak and now admits to a changed and more powerful view of business because of the younger man's influence. This, from an old fart whose pride was his rep as "one of the country's toughest bosses" and whose management technique was to bark: "So What!?" at his EVPs and Division Presidents. (Click the links if your response is "Yeah, yeah, where's the money?")