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 2410: Wise Advice

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“To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice…”

This past weekend, the Ford Motor Company announced that they will no longer manufacture passenger cars but instead focus (a word that they will have a hard time using in the future since the Ford Focus has been of one of their best-selling cars of all time) on SUVs, Trucks and Crossover vehicles.  This announcement drew out all of the pundits.  Some called it the end of Ford.  Others called it “brilliant” and them seeing further into the future than other car manufacturers. Regardless, we can rest assured that this decision didn’t come lightly.  A group of people had to have completed a strategic analysis and a strategic plan for the future and determined that this was the best course forward.  There are never any guarantees that we will be right in our moves towards the future, but if we surround ourselves with smart people, disciplined evaluation process and thinking, and as much wisdom from those who have seen the past but are still current, then we are doing all that we can do.

Paul was talking to the church of Corinth when he described the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to people. We don’t get to choose and we don’t all get one, or at least that is the way I read the scriptures (remember, I never claim to be Bible scholar), but I recognize that Paul wouldn’t have described these gifts if they weren’t available for those who are seeking the Holy Spirit to lead their lives.  What this means for us is that among us, there is someone who is gifted to give wise advice, which last I looked we all need lots of that. So, let’s not think we have to go it alone.  When we are in search of direction and decision,  let’s be sure we seek out those who can give Godly wise advice.  They have a gift they’ve been given to share.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 12:28 (New Living Translation)