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 2323: Staying Private

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“For God watches how people live; He sees everything they do. No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes.”

Yesterday, I wrote of how we must be transparent and consistent in our communication in both public and private. Today, let’s consider the ramifications of the actions of executives and employees when they think no one else is listening. Consider that many times when we read of, or hear of, “investigations” into what someone has said or written in private, it is because someone has “leaked” a conversation or statement. Many times, what is said in private is only said because the person making the statement wouldn’t say (or write) what they are saying or writing in public, to the face of another person. We could call this gossip, but it typically is much worse than that. So, regardless of what we think will stay private, the odds are it won’t. One safeguard is to remember that everything that is private wants to become public just like the plant in the dark room where there is one ray of sunlight coming through the crack of the window will always lean towards the light.

It’s made very clear to us in the book of Job on what God is doing when we aren’t paying attention.  He is watching (and listening) and there is nothing He can’t see (or hear).  He convicts us at all times and reveals Himself to us through our conscience.  If we remember today that He is watching and listening, then for nothing else, let’s not act in private like we are alone.  The flip-side is a blessing and promise that we can also hang onto when we are feeling forced to be in private and thus alone. He is also there with us then!

Reference: Job 34:21-22 (New Living Translation)