The Power of Investing in Another's Life

I have a question for you: Have you ever had the privilege of experiencing someone who has invested in your life – specifically, for the purposes of this blog, your business life?  Sadly, I have found the vast majority of people in business today I have spoken with have never enjoyed that wonderful and challenging experience.  It has become routine for me to ask that question as I speak with business and government leadership teams daily in my role as a Leadership and Management Consultant. Those who have benefited from the experience of having someone invest in their lives, either as a formal Mentor or informally as a “Coach”, speak of it with great fondness and appreciation.  Not surprisingly, those who have benefited from this experience are also the people who most eagerly pass it along to those coming up behind them.

In my career I have been richly blessed to have had the privilege of standing on the shoulders of a couple of business giants. One of these men was my boss and knew I was standing on his shoulders, the other learned later that I had been watching from afar – both experiences were career altering. They had completely different leadership styles and management backgrounds, but both had risen to the pinnacle of success managing multi-billion-dollar organizations.

The first man, let’s call him Ron Floto for the sake of this blog, took a chance on me and brought me into the organization at a time in my life where anybody taking a chance on me was a surprise. I had been fired a month before from what I thought was my dream job. The Board brought in a new President and with him came his own team.  My firing was unexpected, not handled well and painful – as any who have been fired can attest to. To be frank, in the weeks that followed, my confidence was so low I had to look up to see the roadway curb.

For some background: I had a young family to provide for, thought I had the world by the tail (think corporate jets, country club memberships, etc.), was full of pride and, unknowingly, had a lot to learn about both life and business.  My firing humbled me greatly and ultimately caused such a paradigm shift that it altered forever how I have looked at life, people and business since.  That event also was the impetus that caused me to challenge my spiritual beliefs and grow into a deeper and much more personal relationship with God.  I have found in life that when everything has been stripped away and there is no other place to turn – all you can do is look up.  My firing was one of the best, most painful, most challenging things that has ever happened to me. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Back to Floto: During the interview process Ron saw something in me that caused him to reach out and take a chance. It was something I didn’t see in myself.  Over the next 7 years, Ron extended himself to me both personally and professionally to ensure I was becoming the most successful person I could be. He modeled daily what being a leader looked like – when things were going well and, especially, when they were not.  Ron was outgoing but with an underlying military bearing that comes from being a West Point Grad and leading men while serving his country. He was wicked smart, but purposefully never let you know he was the brightest guy in the room.  He was manic about his attention to detail and yet was able to “brainstorm” and “blue-sky” with the best of them. Ron had the ability to see around corners and identify industry trends, and prepare for them, before they were noticed by others.  When he hired you, he gifted to you the responsibility, the authority and the resources to get the job done.  Ron made the hard decisions when they needed to be made – all in the best interest of the people and the organization he led, even when it cost him a great deal personally.  He engaged his employees, at all levels, at all times.  In and around our corporate offices Ron knew the names of “his” team: what their interests were, what sports their kids played, and what major events were going on in their lives. I’m not speaking of a few employees at our corporate office – I am talking hundreds! He genuinely cared and because of that, people would follow Ron off a cliff – I was one of those folks.  Our team was tight, we were accomplishing great things in our industry, and we were significantly moving the needle against our competition. Life was good and the word “Camelot” has come to mind a number of times since when I think of my time at this organization. It was a beautiful nexus of passion, talent, caring, knowledge and timing.

Ron consistently exhibited the character and business traits I have chosen to cultivate and emulate in my career of 35-years: critical thinking skills, honesty, integrity, gathering the right information and making the difficult decisions, treating people with dignity, respect and fairness, doing the right thing – and then doing the next right thing, being passionate and committed.  Above all, genuinely caring about people.  While I haven’t always gotten it right, Ron’s voice is still in my head urging me to move forward and become the best version of myself that I can be. 

While I have had some wonderful bosses in my career – Ron Floto was the best boss I have ever had. Ron would be embarrassed to read this tribute to his leadership and person – I am going to send it to him anyway.  He needs to be told and understand, once again, the impact he has made on the lives of those around him – especially mine.

Do you have someone of strong character, good instincts and passion that you could mentor or coach in the business world?  If so, why haven’t you?  If that person doesn’t immediately come to mind, what has kept you from cultivating a relationship that allows for that to happen? Sure, it is time consuming, messy, sometimes frustrating, and requires committed resources.  But it is one of the most unselfish things you can do. I have been honored to pass Ron’s torch along to a few others that I have taken under my wing and coached/mentored over the years - it is an investment that pays untold dividends. It is not hyperbole to say that your impact in a person’s life can alter it forever – and, potentially, all the generations that follow that person.  You get the reward and satisfaction of watching the changes in that person’s professional life unfold before you. Sounds like a “win-win” to me.  Reach out and invest – you won’t regret it.