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 650: Open Eyes

purposed worKING No Comments

“Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you.”

It’s not new to hear, “keep your eyes open on this one”, or “go into this with your eyes wide open”. These are common business phrases that are telling us to stay sharp, stay alert and to stay vigilant in our efforts. They also are telling us to stay cognizant of the things going on around us and to be sure that we are aware. Those who are most successful in business seem to have that extra sense of what can make a market or how consumers will react when presented with a product or service. I am amazed by those people who have these things instinctively. The rest of us have to work at it with data, facts, logic and the help of others. We might be able to become as good as the others but it will never come as naturally. Still, we can keep our “eyes open” and learn and get better. But, open eyes also means not allowing ourselves to falter, or fall asleep at the switch. We must remain alert and pushing forward to be able to grow, develop and get better. We can’t afford to allow ourselves to nod off in the business climate we are in today.

In no other place was it more important that others keep their eyes open than when Jesus asked his three most-trusted disciples to stand with him in the final hours while he prayed in the garden. However, as we know, they drifted and they couldn’t keep their eyes open, even for one hour for Him. This is the issue for all of us. When God also asks us to keep ourselves alert and awake for Him throughout our lives, we will do so for a time and then we find ourselves drifting off again, proverbially falling asleep. Is God calling you to wake up for Him? Is he asking you to have open eyes for the time and the challenges that He is providing for you? Is the difference between failure and success in His eyes, not what you are achieving, but in how you are going about it? Today, ask yourselves these questions and see if you are wide awake for Him?

Reference: Matthew 26:41 (New Living Testament)