A few years back, an NTT/Verio team member asked how I would measure and judge our team's success. Earlier in my career I would have pointed to typical business metrics and ROI. But by this time I had already learned that a team's success is best measured, first and foremost, by their job satisfaction and professional growth. And I have also learned that my personal reward is greatest when I have contributed to their personal and professional growth, which ultimately leads to career advancements for everyone. Most team members can point to increased competencies and vastly improved portfolios. And several made the leap into the major leagues. Following is a snapshot of some team members who took the challenge and made the big leap. There are more of them - and you'll see their snapshots in the months ahead.

Bruce Anderson. Bruce was a Manager in our Public Relations group at NEC in Chicago. And he was one of several who simply did his job to perfection without any grand-standing.

I had to nudge him into accepting a leadership role, but he proved his abilities all the way to Michael Dell's office! He's been at Dell for years and has played a key role in their PR efforts. It doesn't get any better than that - for him and for me.

John Carles. We worked together at EarthWeb and he was impressive as he managed the redevelopment of one of the most complex web properties around at the time.

Everything could have gone wrong, but nothing did because John was prepared and diligent about his work. He went on to American Express until I pounded on his doorsteps to join me NTT/Verio. He recently joined BlueFly where you can see the impact he's already made by visiting www.bluefly.com.

Jane Chadesh. Jane, a Northwest MBA grad, had been with NTT/Verio on a contract basis when I stepped into my role at NTT/Verio.

I couldn't convince her to move to Denver, but I did succeed in bringing her on staff as Manager of our Strategic Marketing team. She proved to be an invaluable asset - partly because she had those Northwest MBA "smarts," but mostly because she challenged status quo. After I left NTT/Verio, she earned a VP of Marketing role at a new subsidiary of HermanMiller.

Elena Gerber. Elena worked in the Agent/Partner sales group at NTT/Verio and our groups paths crossed frequently. She quietly pursued a role with our team and rapidly proved herself very

competent at marketing communications. Elena's natural ability to listen made mentoring a real reward for myself as she landed at Northwestern University Grad School and now 3M.

Sharon Napier. We met at an election campaign meeting for Monroe County District Attorney Howard Relin. At the time, Sharon was persuading the Criminal Justice System of Monroe County

that an alternative sentencing program should be created. Her natural gift for persuasion got my attention. She relentlessly pursued an account manager role at The Idea Factory. She earned that and then some. Today, others are relentlessly pursuing her.

Tim Sullivan. He led Team Web at NTT/Verio when I joined. First meetings with the team are usually awkward sizing-up events. Tim made it a little less awkward but unusual by making it clear he'd

assess my skills before committing to stay. I thought that was either a real brazen attitude of someone who was really good - or pure stupidity. Well, I earned his confidence and he certainly proved his capabilities. He took on a broader leadership role very quickly, and has since formed Godengo along with a few other team members.