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 2956: Fame Has Fleeted?

“…but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals.”

Maybe we don’t know for sure who said, “Fame is fleeting” or if it was ever really said instead of “Glory is fleeting” and then got spun from glory to fame.  But the message of the sentence holds true.  What is famous today will not be tomorrow and fame goes away fast.  We watched the Oscars on Sunday.  There were less than 10 million of in the US who did.  Could it be that in the time of having to expend every ounce of energy and emotional fortitude to get through this past year that those who “represent” fame and celebrity just aren’t that important to us right now, and maybe ever again?  It has a bearing on our businesses too.  Celebrity CEOs; once what everyone thought they needed, are also not the ones who are winning the hearts and minds of employees and shareholders.  I believe we are seeing, and are going to see more of, the reemergence of the authentic, humble and understated CEO getting the top seats.  There are many ways of excelling, but trying to get there on fame and celebrity might be looking like the way we are reacting and caring about the awarding of today’s celebrities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeking notoriety or fame should never be the goal.   It might be an outcome of our efforts and our character, but if it is the goal, we will fall flat as we pursue something that can be taken from us in the blink of an eye.  Instead, let’s focus on the work we have at hand, the way we go about that work, and what we hear God calling us to do and then let the rest flow from there.

Reference: Psalm 49:12 (New Living Translation)