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 3K132: Embarrassment Of Riches

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“So don’t be impressed with those who get rich and pile up fame and fortune.”

It is nothing new that the rich and powerful do what they can to amass more power and greater wealth.  When they do, it still grabs the headlines.  Elon Musk’s buyout of Twitter (if it goes through and I still believe it to be an if) is the latest example of this happening.  And, we get all up in arms about this when it is no different than centuries ago when a few at the top owned all the newspapers, transportation systems and oil supply and production.  History repeats itself, only interrupted and paused by death until the next cast of characters step in and take over.  I don’t know how Twitter will resolve itself and I’m not sure what the impact of Elon will have as the larger players of influence are still being led in ways which one person has total control over the company and what they decide to do has a much larger influence.  Our system of capitalism is one where this can happen legally and is celebrated.  We never know how it will go but if not careful there is an embarrassment that can go with the riches.

We are not to fall for or be impressed with those who are rich and amass fame and fortune.  It is clear in the Psalms that we have to guard ourselves from that happening.  It is in our human nature to not only want this fortune and fame, but to lift up those who have it so we feel like we are living vicariously through them, whether we know that is what we are doing or not. It is dangerous territory and if we don’t check our hearts and minds constantly, we can fall for things that we later regret.  So today, let’s run a heart check to assure that we aren’t looking to the wrong places for our direction and influence.

Reference:  Psalm 49:16 (The Message)