Remembered

By Rick Van Arnam

Northfield, Vermont.  

July 4^th nears.  And near Independence Hall in Philadelphia resides a bell with a large crack that has become an American symbol of freedom.  The Liberty Bell, renamed by early 19^th century abolitionists, rings as an object lesson in character and reputation in a modern world that enjoys labeling people with as few words as possible.  Whether the label matches a person’s true character is the stuff that really matters when we pause to remember people of great influence or personal importance. 

The Liberty Bell Principle, inspired by this American icon, states that what you stand for is also by that which you will be remembered, and is the last of my eleven principles offering a personal strategy for character development.  Accompanying the principle is a question on which to think, What words will ring your name?  Whether we like it or not, our rememberance will likely be wrapped in a short ribbon of five words or less.  It is not just because we live in an era where attention spans are as short as a “Headlines News,” report, although that has something to do with it. But it also has something to do with the historic nature of obits and their bold typeface begging for readers’ attention, limited in length and by the width of its column.

There are a couple of encouraging points on which a person draws in comparing character with the Liberty Bell.  The first is this: despite the large crack and the likely nicks, dents and dimples that make the Liberty Bell unique, the bell remains known for that which it stands – not its imperfections.  This is true with people, too, and should be substantial especially when shortcomings, mistakes or errors may weigh heavy.

Additionally, I like that there is no gap between the Liberty Bell’s reputation and that for which it stands. The Liberty Bell was cast with the scripture verse from Leviticus 25:10 that says, "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”  True alignment is not easy, though.  John Wooden once said, “Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”  Breaking this down, this challenge can become a stretch because while we have complete ownership for the person we are becoming, others have the final say on our reputation.

In the April 30^th issue of Time there is a compilation of articles that briefly describe “The 100 Most Influential People in the World.”  Reviewing this list provides numerous examples of how public reputations are formed in the media with a few words.  Imagine the fun it would be to actually spend time with those on the Most Influential People list to gain insight into both reputation and character! 

Newly minted billionaire and FaceBook CFO Sheryl Sandberg, for instance, is described by Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent with, “Her energy, her passion and relentless optimism are infectoous, inspiring all of us who’ve had the chance to work with her.”  Then there is Al-Jen Poo, with a title of Labor Organizer, whose goal, writes Gloria Steinem, is “peace and justice in the home.” Her success as a “gifted organizer” seems to verify that her goal is in alignment for that which she stands….and may ultimately be remembered.  Jeremy Lin, of the NBA’s New York Knicks, appears as one of the featured influencers and writes about another featured influencer, Tim Tebow’s who is now with the NFL’s New York Jets.  Lin is described as someone who “worked hard and stayed humble” by U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, while Lin describes Tebow as someone who “consistently reflects his values day in and day out.” 

Not to overlook the dark side of effective influence, Time places people like Kim Jon Un (North Korea), Mullah Mohammed Omar (Afghanistan | Taliban), Sheik Moktar Ali Zubey (Somalia) and Bashar Assad (Syria) in its Rogues’ Gallery.  Much less space is dedicated to these leaders, but strong words and phrases provide supporting evidence. For example, “gulags,” “famine,” “global terrorist list,” “nightmarish visions,” “cracking down,” and “if only because he can kill most efficiently” describe these rogues appearing in their own gallery.

Time’s compilation is both fun to read and informational, but I also ran across another example of concise characterization in a recent New York Times interview.  Chris Barbin is Appirio’s Chief Executive Officer.  The company, which boasts a tag line of ‘Cloud Powered Business,’  hires people looking for three values: trust, professionalism and gray matter.  Barbin runs his company against another set of values: customers, team and fun.  (Blogger’s Note: I like the differentiation in values pointing out that this technique is similar to Patrick Lencioni’s differentiation between Permission-to-Play Values, or those baseline, must-possess qualities to be considered for hire, and Core Values, those that differentiate companies and against which decisions should be made.)  Barbin goes on to say that one of his favorite interview questions is to ask a candidate what he calls a “best-friends” question.  If he asked a candidate’s three best friends for one word that would describe the candidate, and neither could use the same word, what three words would make up the response? 

Hmm. If your best three friends were posed the same question, how would they respond?  Would there be a gap between how they describe you and how you describe yourself?  Or, more pointed, is there a gap between their response and the person you would like to be and be known as?  After all, who wouldn’t want to be included in a list of influential people especially if our friends describes us exactly as we thought of ourselves, too?  That would be worth remembering.

RVA

References

http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell

“The 100 Most Influential People in the World,” Time Magazine, April 30, 2012

“In One Adjective, Please Tell Me Who You Are,” by Adam Bryant, The New York Times, May 19, 2012.

All The Difference

By Rick Van Arnam

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

The Road Not Taken | By Robert Frost

I love this poem. I love the concept of taking a path that most don’t. There is something intuitive in recognizing that a road less traveled by may be richer in some way. Perhaps it is a view - or perspective gained – that would not otherwise be revealed if we simply followed the mainstream in thought or action. More likely the road less traveled becomes an experience that shapes a person in some way. As Robert Frost implies, the experience makes “all the difference” and I think he meant that in a positive way. What is not as intuitive is actually deciding to take the uncommon path – it may appear risky, full of uncertainty or require more work.

A lot of decisions that positively shape character in people require challenging choices. I don’t mean necessarily that the decision is challenging to make, but all that follows after the right decision has been made is challenging. Back in the fall of 1928, John Wooden enrolled at Purdue University where he, “hoped to be good enough to play basketball and smart enough to get my degree.” Athletic scholarships did not exist as they do today, but he was promised a job by the legendary coach ‘Piggie’ Lambert as a means to pay his way through school, a principle in which Coach Lambert believed. During Wooden’s sophomore year a local doctor offered to pay all of John’s college fees. As Wooden tells the story in his book, They Call Me Coach, Coach Lambert extended the offer to Wooden on behalf of the doctor and reminded him of his principle that working oneself through college would make one better appreciate the value of the education. The decision was Wooden’s alone and he declined the offer with full support of his coach. His choice surely made Wooden’s student-athlete-employee role more challenging and explains the lowest-left block in John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. His famous pyramid is a visual strategy for success that he designed during the mid-to-late 1930’s and shared generously over the remaining sixty-plus years of his life. He defines this block, labeled INDUSTRIOUSNESS, by writing, “There is no substitute for hard work. Worthwhile things come from hard work and careful planning.” There is a reason it is the lower left block of the pyramid; it is the cornerstone. Wooden, like Frost in his musing, recognized that hard work and careful planning, like taking the path less traveled by, make all the difference.

Are there any cautions that come with the road less traveled? Maybe. I think it is wise to be aware of its side trails that are traveled even less. The farther you veer off course, even an uncommon course, the more alone you may find yourself. Without teammates of support that go by the names of Encouragement, Wisdom and Camaraderie, the going may shift from challenging to futile. Even less traveled paths could be dead ends with haunting names like Stubbornness Trail, Unforgiving Road or Prideful Street.

RVA

The Call Me Coach, By John Wooden with Jack Tobin, McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., Copyright 2004