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 3K158: Headwinds

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“The winds were against us” 

While not obvious, there are winds in business.  Sometimes they are brutal headwinds. Sometimes the winds can be at our backs.  But, without doubt, there are winds to be dealt with and managed.  These winds come in the forms of competition, or product quality problems, or supply chain issues (yes, we know about these) from a vendor.  People also cause wind shifts.  One day the team is aligned and sailing right along, the next day there is a morale problem caused by one person that shifts the teams’ productivity considerably.  These shifts of the wind are to be carefully watched and like the deft and skilled sailor, guide the boat back on course.  We would be be well served to have someone, if not many people, who are always watching and monitoring the winds of change; having the courage and credibility to be able and correct the course when needed, before the winds take control.

There are many examples and accounts in the Bible of times when the wind made a difference.  Paul, who spent a considerable time sailing (even surviving shipwrecks) probably knew the power of the wind as well as anyone.  The winds of our lives will always be with us and with God’s grace and wisdom we can navigate today and every day.  But, like any sailor will tell us, we must be vigilant and never take the wind for granted. Being active with God today in prayer and being with Him in His Word, will be just the life sailing and navigation lessons that we need.

Reference:  Acts 27:4 (New Living Translation)