CHAPTER 6

Lead on the Edge of Change

A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be.

— ROSLYN CARTER

IN 1991, Steve Nygren and his wife Marie were living in Atlanta with their three young daughters. Steve's company, Peasant Restaurants Inc., had grown to 34 restaurants in eight states. He also served on several boards of directors. Looking back, he says they were living on the “treadmill of life.” Then one weekend, during a family visit to the countryside just outside Atlanta, the Nygrens surprised themselves by buying a 60-acre farm. It would, they thought, make an ideal weekend retreat. Three years later, Steve sold the restaurant business, resigned from all ...

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