Author Archives: Rusty Rueff

About Rusty Rueff

Rusty Rueff, author of purposed worKING. Rusty Rueff is the former Chairman Emeritus of The GRAMMY Foundation in Los Angeles. He most recently completed the successful 16 month leadership role as Coordinating National Co-Chair for Technology for Obama (T4O) for the reelection of President Obama and ten-years of Board service and President of the Board of Trustees of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Corporately, most recently Rueff was the Chief Executive Officer at SNOCAP, Inc. until the acquisition of the company by imeem, Inc. in April 2008. Before joining SNOCAP in 2005, he was Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Electronic Arts (EA) from 1998 until 2005. He was also with the PepsiCo companies for more than ten years, with the Pratt & Whitney division of United Technologies for two years, and in commercial radio as an on-air personality for six years. Rusty holds an M.S. in counseling and a B.A. in radio and television from Purdue University. In 2003 he was named a distinguished Purdue alumnus, and he and his wife, Patti, are the named benefactors of Purdue’s Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts. He is a corporate director of Glassdoor.com and runcoach. He is the co-founder and Executive Committee Member of T4A.org, serves on the Founding Circle of The Centrist Project and a founding Board Member of The GRAMMY Music Education Coalition. He is also the co-author of the book Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business. Rusty and his wife, Patti, reside in Hillsborough, CA and Charlestown, R.I.

day 3K271: Leaving A Mark

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“…but He never left them without evidence of Himself and His goodness.”

“Kilroy was here.”  That was a popular graffiti back in the day.  Apparently Kilroy started in World War II and lasted for decades.  Now, we leave our marks everyday.  It happens when we “check in” on Facebook or Instagram and then we post or tweet a picture to prove we were someplace. In our own little way we are putting our “mark” on a place or an event. Business is one of the few places in life that we mostly just “pass through”, without much emotional or historical connection.  I remember watching a consultant pull out of the audience someone who was high ranking in his organization.  He was the Chief Accounting Officer of a very large and prestigious company.  He brought him on the stage and interviewed him about his job, his impact, and the legacy he was trying to build within the organization.  The Officer felt pretty good about the what he was doing and that his legacy would stand in the company.  The consultant humored him and then asked, “What was the name of the person who had your job before you?”.  The executive answered quickly.  The consultant then asked who was in the job before him? The executive stood their baffled as he had no clue.  The consultant made his point about legacy building within companies. If you work in a big company, ask the same about your own job.  Do you know two to three generations before you who was in the job and what they accomplished and left behind?  If we run businesses, this is the time to stop and think about what “mark” that is indelible that someone can feel they will have always left behind.  Figure this out and you will have unlocked something special and certainly long lasting.

God put us on the earth to bring glory to Him in all that we do, to love Him with all our heart and to love others above ourselves.  When we do this, this is our “mark”.  And what better mark is there? Very shortly, our careers will be over.  We won’t be called upon to lead or contribute.  When that happens, our lives will change, but our mark will still be able to be made in the places that matter the most, the lives of others. Today, as we finish this week and for some go into a three-day weekend, start today with what it is that you can “mark” and leave an impact on others where they will see that God’s love is at work through you.  This might well be the thing that is remembered, changes a life, and leaves a mark for generations to come.

Reference: Acts 14:17 (New Living Translation)