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 1513: No Thanks?

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“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I’m convinced that “Thank You” might be the two most powerful words I can speak most often.  I got a note in the mail from someone who told me that I was the only person she had encountered in a program that she runs (where I recently participated) who consistently said thank you to her and her colleagues. I was floored because to me, thank you are the easiest two words to say.  But apparently, we all don’t do this.  So, I have been watching and listening to others and sure enough when the moment is open to say it, most just sit there and don’t say anything.  Maybe it is a power thing.  I don’t know, but I do wonder why this opportunity is allowed to pass so often.  Maybe we should teach “Thank You” in the our orientation programs! Think about your business or organization where “Thank You” became the norm.

I know.  It’s hard to give thanks in times of trouble and challenge.  But, we as believers are to do that as well.  As we finish this last week before the Thanksgiving holiday week, let’s consider that when we are able to give thanks even in the middle of the toughest times and most difficult of issues that we are setting an even stronger example for others of what it means to live by faith.  When observed as being thankful for everything, then we are truly living in a different way than others.

Reference:  Ephesians 5:20 (New Living Translation)