As CEO of J9 Leading Solutions, a leadership development consulting firm, Janine McClintock has worked with thousands of leaders to accelerate their leadership readiness and stay relevant. She trains and coaches individual managers and executives on leadership issues in the workplace, including situations like those in this book. McClintock created Step Up and Lead: A Leader's Guide to Building Effective Relationships and Employee Engagement, a video-based program to fill a glaring gap for employees who wanted to develop skills and stay relevant but did not have access to formal training or coaching. Through the delivery of this program, demand for self-directed learning became instantly evident, especially because so few company programs are offered. STIR IT UP! Stay Relevant: A Self-Coaching Parable also fills a gap for working professionals who want to take control of their own career path by being their own coach. McClintock travels and speaks internationally and does virtual workshops and training on leadership topics including change management, employee engagement, emotional intelligence, team effectiveness and communication to large audiences and small groups. Her academic credentials include a BA in Economics and a BA in Communication from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an MA in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University. McClintock lives in Newport Beach, California with her husband Jon. She is the proud mom of Connor, and stepmom to Jack and Finn.