On February 27th, Residents and guests of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Inner Harbor, Baltimore enjoyed an exciting evening with Jo Malone London. Guests had the opportunity to learn the unique Art of Fragrance combining and were the first to sample Jo Malone's newest collections. This exclusive Master Class was hosted by the Jo Malone regional trainer Jamie Tyree and held in one of the newest designer Models at The Ritz-Carlton Residences.

From the very first product created years ago, Jo Malone London has taken the Art of Fragrance combining to a new level. Jo Malone London offers over 20 exquisitely crafted colognes, many of which are unisex, and an impressive array of elegant gifts for any occasion- all expertly wrapped in the Jo Malone London black & cream signature packaging.

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Love was in the Air on February 13th as Residents enjoyed a Valentine’s Eve happy hour & Chocolate Tasting in the newest Models at The Ritz-Carlton Residences. Residents dined on the delectable cuisine of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and sampled various chocolates courtesy of A.Kirchmayr Chocolatiers while enjoying the newest designs by Cashmere Interior and artwork by local artist, Allison Menke. As if the cuisine, design and stunning vistas of the newest models weren’t savory enough, the highlight for all was the surprise visit from Ravens Superbowl Champions Justin Tucker & Lardarius Webb. Residents & guests delighted in the opportunity to relive the excitement of the Superbowl and hear stories first hand from our Hometown Heroes.

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John Harbaugh and brother-in-law, Dan Crouse and family

Having moved to Baltimore about a year ago, I couldn’t help but enjoy watching last Sunday’s AFC Championship game. While the Chicago Bears will always be my number one football team, I have enjoyed following the Baltimore Ravens through their relatively short NFL history because like the Bears, the Ravens have a “blue collar” work ethic--built on strong, physical defenses led by all-pro middle line-backers. Plus my wife’s family is from Baltimore so our Sundays have always had some element of purple to them--even while living in Chicago.

What really struck me though was the trophy presentation and interviews in the Baltimore locker room after the game. Winning teams always talk about the “great chemistry” the team shares--players and coaches expressing admiration for each other--but this locker room was different. It felt different from the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears, different from last year’s New York Giants' press coverage. I could feel something more powerful coming through the Ravens players' interviews. From the owner, to the coaches and down through the players, they all talked about the love and respect they had for each other, and how they always had one another’s back--in good times and bad. It was different…

Having had the opportunity to meet and talk with John Harbaugh, the Ravens coach, at a fundraiser right after moving to Baltimore, it was clear he is the “real deal”. Coming from a family of great football coaches (John will face brother Jim and his 49er's en route to a Superbowl championship in what sports pundits are calling the Harbowl or Superbaugh), one could easily tell that being an NFL coach was his true “calling” in life, and what he loved doing most. But it was more than just coaching--it was clear his passion was leading from the heart and serving as a role-model and mentor to the young men on his team. He was humble, caring, and passionate about football--and by the smile on his face when he told stories about his players, you could tell he really loved them. He had no ego, a wonderful sense of humor, and repeatedly poked fun at himself and his own weaknesses. By the end of that evening, I could see why the Ravens players also loved and respected him, and took to his leadership style. It was clear he could be a great leader at any Fortune 500 company.

The Ravens post-game locker room celebration this weekend reminded me of my encounter with John Harbaugh, and about my recent discussions on 21st century healthcare leadership. As in football, it starts with higher ground leadership qualities, and the increasing call for leadership from the heart that inspires others to greatness, and in so doing, brings joy and meaning back into the patient care environment. Those of us that have attended any of the annual Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) meetings over the last 10-12 years understand the power of these John Harbaugh-like qualities each time Don Berwick takes the stage for a keynote talk. Be it his Escape Fire story, or the year he shared his wife’s personal health experience, he was and remains, a consummate storyteller who leads from the heart, knows his calling and inspires all of us to reach a higher level in patient care (see Leadership and Love). His talks elevate others, making everyone in the audience feel as though their work has more meaning after listening to him speak. He is truly one of the multipliers that Darrell Kirch referred to in his keynote at last year’s AAMC meeting, and as discussed in our recent post, #AAMC12 Calls for New Vision of Leadership. Many safety experts believe high quality, low risk patient care cannot be accomplished unless more leaders possessing these qualities join the healthcare improvement journey.

We have been discussing Lance Secretan, an executive leadership coach who believes it is the following eleven concepts that people are now searching for in those that lead organizations. His philosophy is based on leading from the heart, and his "Higher Ground Leadership" program is based on these concepts. More of his work can be found at: www.secretan.com, and I agree that it is these principles, and the examples set by the John Harbaughs, the Don Berwicks and the Lucian Leapes of the world, that we should strive to emulate when we are given the gift of leading others.

• Leadership. Many of us are yearning for an alternative to business-as-war and leaders-as-warriors. We yearn for spirit in the workplace and for servant-leaders—people who lead with their hearts as well as their heads and wills.
   
• Values. Business has more opportunity to influence the future than any other institution in the world. New Story Leaders choose to make business an instrument for positive change.
   
• The End of Competition. The root meaning of ‘compete’ is to strive together—exactly the opposite of its usual meaning. The New Story Leader respects our interdependence—our oneness—and sees how it opens opportunities for growth, both within the organization and out in the marketplace.
   
• The Cause. People want to work for a Cause that inspires the soul. A Cause acts as a magnet for passion. It articulates the higher purpose of an organization, it describes how we serve.
   
• The New Customer. The New Story Leader devotes even greater attention to meeting the needs of employees as they do for customers. This goes beyond the usual incentive and reward systems —to practices that awaken passion and satisfy the soul. The result is a dramatic improvement in profitability.
   
• Integration. The New Story Leader creates an environment in which “work” and “life” are not just “balanced,” but blended into an integrated, seamless whole.
   
• The Calling. People are looking for more than a paycheck. They seek joy, meaning and fulfillment from their work. A Calling results in work that engages, nourishes and expresses our souls. The leader’s mission is to enable each follower to find, grow and excel in her or his Calling.
   
• Soulspace. We ask people to contribute to the highest standards of which they are capable while putting them in the dreariest, most uncreative environments in their lives. Imagine the extraordinary work that could flow from sacred workspaces designed to inspire the soul.
   
• Technology. The Internet, as an example—can be a medium for the web of human consciousness, described by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin as the noosphere. New Story Leaders will reinvent their organizations within this context.
   
• Learning. The most important ‘fringe benefit’ is no longer healthcare or a pension; it is the right to learn. Learning inoculates against irrelevance and positively feeds the soul.
   
• Inspiration. The role of the New Story Leader is to inspire others. This ability grows organically from one’s own inspiration.

Together with Quarry Wine & Spirits, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Inner Harbor, Baltimore hosted a Scotch Tasting Class on the evenings of February 6th & 7th. Over 80 guests sampled 10 different types of Scotch and enjoyed the highly informative & entertaining presentation from Brad Jarvis, Certified Master of Scotch for the New England area. Also known as “The Whisky Professor”, Jarvis covered the history, production process, wood/barrel management and maturation for every Scotch served along with a brief introduction to the art of blending.

The Scotches presented included Douglas Glen Grant (25 yr), Old Malt Cask Speyside Distillery (20 yr), Douglas Caol Ila (14 yr), Douglas Macallan (21 yr), Douglas Benrinnes (12 yr), Old Malt Cask Royal Lachnager (14 yr), Douglas Clynlish (15 yr), Douglas Laphroaig (15 yr), and Douglas XO. Brad Jarvis also surprised the group with a tasting of The Clan Denny. This Douglas Laing Scotch has been aged for 30 years, with only 2 bottles remaining in the United States.

Sláinte!

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Alison Leigh Menke is a rising Maryland artist. Since graduating with Bachelor’s Degrees in Fine Art and Art History from the University of Maryland in 2010, Alison has traveled the world building a collection of over two hundred and fifty landscape oil paintings. 

From horseback riding through the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park, to hiking the hillsides of Ireland, Alison always travels with her paints.

She has exhibited her work at the Sedona Arts Center, and the Pleiades Gallery in New York City, as well as participating in several art shows around the country. Currently Alison’s paintings are on display, for sale, in Suite 132 of the Ritz Carlton Residence in Baltimore. 

Come check it out! Also, visit her website.

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For the second year in a row, Joseph Graziose, Senior Executive of RXR Realty the Developer for The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, helped ensure that the tradition of the New Year’s Eve Fireworks Extravaganza lived on at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. 

On November 8th 2012, Jennifer Grove of Sky Blue Events hosted the 2nd annual Tartans & Tidings, a festive holiday shopping event benefiting the One Love Foundation. Surrounded by the beautiful Harbor vistas and holiday décor in the newest Penthouse model at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, guests showed their support for the One Love Foundation with their shopping bags.

J.McLaughlin and PRITTE donated 15% of the day's sales to the organization. PRITTE also contributed 20% from the sales of their Organic LOVE Candle. Inspired by the One Love Foundation's mission, the 100% organic domestic beeswax candle was designed to purify the air and contribute to a healthy, happy, and inspired living space.

Festive spirits reigned, buoyed by guests' common goal to raise funds for the foundation established in 2010 by Sharon and Lexie Love to honor the memory of Yeardley Reynolds Love.

To learn more about the One Love Foundation, click here.

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On Saturday, October 27th, representatives of RXR Realty and The Ritz-Carlton Residences attended “An Evening of Celebrity Fashion & Fun” at The Center Club. This biennial event benefiting Pathfinders for Autism is not your typical fashion show, but rather, a lively party featuring a silent and live auction, delicious food, inspiring fashions, and dancing. Models include local and national celebrities in some of the hottest fashions of the season.

Pathfinders for Autism, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was founded in February 2000 by parents of children with autism, including Orioles Hall of Famer B.J. Surhoff and his wife Polly Winde Surhoff. After 18 months of development, Pathfinders for Autism launched the Pathfinders for Autism Resource Center – offering knowledgeable staff and a searchable online database to help families in Maryland find critical service providers quickly and efficiently.

Since then, Pathfinders for Autism has grown into the State's largest autism organization dedicated to helping individuals, parents and professionals find resources, supports and training while working to increase the awareness of autism spectrum disorders and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

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On October 25th, STYLE Magazine and Putting on the Ritz Catering presented Urban Chic 's 4th Annual Fashion Show Fundraiser, benefitting the American Visionary Art Museum. This year’s show themed “Once Upon a Runway” in support of AVAM’s fall exhibit—The Art of Storytelling: Tall Tales, Whoppers and Truths,  featured the season’s hottest designer fashion trends and surprise celebrity appearances. As a neighbor to AVAM, The Ritz-Carlton Residences sponsored the event and VIP Lounge which entertained more than 350 of Baltimore's elite with red carpets, photo booth fun, fabulous food and drinks, eye-catching décor and live musical performances.

Over the past two years, Urban Chic’s fall fashion show fundraiser has raised more than $35,000 for AVAM.  Since its opening in 1995, AVAM has supported self-taught artists and provided a venue where their inspiring works can be celebrated and explored.  The goal of this event is to extend the longevity of this much‐loved institution’s mission, and all proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction benefit the non‐profit museum.

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"On Monday, October 22nd at Bulle Rock Golf Course, 470 golf balls were dropped from a Helicopter as part of The 5th Annual Ben Carson Celebrity Golf Tournament. As an official sponsor for this year's Tournament, RXR Realty & The Ritz-Carlton Residences helped raise over $150,000.00 for the Carson Scholars Fund. Alarmed by education studies in The United States, world-renowned Johns Hopkins Pediatric Neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson and his wife Candy, created The Ben Carson Scholarship Program to award students who have embraced high levels of academic excellence and community service with $1,000 college scholarships. The winner of this year's Helicopter Drop, who's golf ball landed closest to the hole, earned their school a guaranteed scholarship for the student who best exemplifies academic excellence and humanitarian qualities. To learn more about the incredible initiatives the Carson Scholars Fund is undertaking, visit their website.

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