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 2346: The Business: Part 2 – Separation Of Duties

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“We Apostles should spend our time preaching and teaching the word of God, not administering and food program, they said. Now look around among yourselves, brothers, and select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this business. Then we can spend our time in prayer and preaching and teaching the word.”

Here is a little five-part series I’ve titled, “The Business” to dive down into a few areas of business leadership that we sometimes overlook.

We tend to want to focus and provide accolades to those who are on the front line of revenue and profit generation.  Rightfully so that they receive the abundance of resources and attention, but behind their front line are multitudes of people who make the organization work through administration and support services. Without them, the front line doesn’t get what they need to go into the battles they are charged to win. Why is is that we often overlook those behind the scenes?  Possibly it is because these are the people who don’t seek out the spotlight or the recognition and are satisfied with quietly ensuring that the business runs itself properly, efficiently and productively. This is a good thing because we all can’t be in Sales, Marketing or Operations.  We need Finance, Administration, Legal, HR, etc. If you are in one of these functions, know today that you are valuable, even though you don’t hear it often enough.  And if you are in one of the other other functions that receive all the attention, consider what it might be like to try and do what you do without a great supporting cast.  It could be a good idea to carve a few minutes out today to go hand out a few kudos and thank yous.

In the church we tend to focus on those who are called and serve in the ministry.  Second behind them are those who give up the marketplace to serve in non-profit or charity/mission organizations.  These are the ones that when the pulpit is shared who usually speak and are highlighted.  A few months ago I was talking to other Believers who are called and led to work in the marketplace and the question was posed; Why don’t we in our churches recognize and pray for those who are on the front line of our business lives who can (if desiring and committed) make a huge impact and difference in the lives of others who work with them daily?  Imagine sitting in a Sunday morning service and having the Pastor ask for all the people in the congregation who are there, who are in the business of handling, managing, investing, or administering finances and money to stand up.  After they are standing, the Pastor asks everyone to pray with him/her over these people to guide and guard them as they go about their work and to give them wisdom and conviction to do the right things and to not be tempted with their power or position to cut a corner or misuse what they are entrusted to manage and protect.  And, to let them be a beacon of honesty and integrity that others will recognize and admire. Imagine we were to do that?  It would be a powerful message…and maybe next month it would be the lawyers, and then the marketers, then the Human Resource people, then all Managers and leaders of people, and on and on.  Why do I write so passionately about this today?  I do this because I know from many of you, that you wonder if you can be what God wants you to be in your everyday roles and jobs and is your pursuit of bringing glory to God in the workplace fulfilling to Him?  Look no further than than the verse above that I chose today to know that God appreciates and values those who’s calling and talents are leveraged into the marketplace.  For Him, the separation of duties is holy.

Reference: Acts 6: 2-4 (New Living Translation)