An early mentor insisted I read classic business books. During monthly lunches he would give me a reading assignment and patiently demand that I review, analyze, and critique the book he gave me last month. Over the years since, I have come to appreciate his advice and push. Foundations last a lifetime. Good fundamentals always stand the test of time. At the core, successful principles and practices endure. While the names and descriptions for each morph and evolve, at the core everything is a new familiar or familiar new.
One of his mandates was to listen and listen more. It took me a long time to get it. After one interview with a stunningly beautiful colleague, I asked him what he thought of her professional appearance. He looked at me with a puzzled expression. It took me a while to understand that he was so focused on her story that he had ignored anything beyond the superficial observation that she was professional in her entrance and manners. His words still linger; listen, listen, and then listen some more.
Another lesson he kept me coming back to was to recognize that you will not always come out on top. Everything had to align in order to score a win – your aspirations and definition of winning, efforts, customer reaction, organizational aspirations, and priorities of each and all. Failure was when one element did not fit. Failure was likely out of one’s control. Get over it! Move on. Reflect, learn, and pursue your passions.
As I think of his lessons today, I hear his voice echoing in the meetings and conversations. Yes, the words and accents are different. Modern phrases, evolving models, and new trends suggest that everything is new. It is and it is not. In so many ways, it is a familiar tune that reminds me of the psalm; “Sing to God a brand-new song. He’s made a world of wonders! He rolled up his sleeves, he set things right.” (Psalm 98.1)
We have a new song that takes me back to San Francisco, years ago.
