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Written by admin on 24th June, 2008 .....  Print This Post

I don’t normally get off topic, that is non-business postings, however columnist Peggy Noonan made some comments on the recent death of Tim Russert that were so powerful and relevent that they need to be shared. Tim Russert was a great man, but not only because of his accomplishments but because of his example and his life, his character. Ms. Noonan said

In a way, the world is a great liar. It shows you it worships and admires money, but at the end of the day it doesn’t. It says it adores fame and celebrity, but it doesn’t, not really. The world admires, and wants to hold on to, and not lose, goodness. It admires virtue. At the end it gives its greatest tributes to generosity, honesty, courage, mercy, talents well used, talents that, brought into the world, make it better. That’s what it really admires. That’s what we talk about in eulogies, because that’s what’s important. We don’t say, “The thing about Joe was he was rich.” We say, if we can, “The thing about Joe was he took care of people.”

After Tim’s death, the entire television media for four days told you the keys to a life well lived, the things you actually need to live life well, and without which it won’t be good. Among them: taking care of those you love and letting them know they’re loved, which involves self-sacrifice; holding firm to God, to your religious faith, no matter how high you rise or low you fall. This involves guts, and self-discipline, and active attention to developing and refining a conscience to whose promptings you can respond. Honoring your calling or profession by trying to do within it honorable work, which takes hard effort, and a willingness to master the ethics of your field. And enjoying life. This can be hard in America, where sometimes people are rather grim in their determination to get and to have. “Enjoy life, it’s ungrateful not to,” said Ronald Reagan

Ms Noonan points out that Tim’s associates and friends all felt great loss and asks some important questions that we can all apply to our lives, especially our business life. “When you die, are people in your profession going to feel like this?” “What can you do better?” When you leave, are your customers—the people who come into the shop, or into your office, those that you call on—going to react like this? Why not?

Want to sell more? Want to improve your business? Perhaps it starts with values, with character. Perhaps starting there will enable the relationships we all know lead, not to one sale or one deal, but to a life-long customer. Tim pointed the way. Perhaps that was his parting gift to us all, especially Business People.