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 2125: Crowning Achievements

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”

This past weekend has to be one of the most scheduled across the country for IronMan Triathlons, Ultra-Marathons, Marathons and Half-Marathons. My Facebook Newsfeed was filled with so many friends who were competing and rightfully proud of their results and achievements. We also have now entered into the last month of most companies’ third financial quarter.  It will be a sprint from here to the end of the quarter and then to the end of the year.  At the end of both, there will be many celebrations and recognition for those who have achieved above and beyond the call.  And yes, these challenges, incentives and rewards are all great motivators for performance and alignment.  Setting a deadline and/or finish line can be just what a lot of people need for them to give all they have!

Paul, the athletic-minded Apostle, knew what it felt like to achieve after competing.  But, he also knew enough to warn us that while these crowning achievements feel great today, they don’t last and it is only the crown we receive from our eternal training that matters.  So, today, let’s give it our all for both today and for what awaits us in eternity.

Reference:  1 Corinthians 9:24-25