--Ralph Waldo Emerson
If, as someone has written, "gratitude" is a state of being grateful while "thanksgiving" is an expression of that gratitude, then as we begin the holiday season, I want to acknowledge the following:
Our teachers and professors
Those individuals invested extra time in me and nurtured our intellectual development, curiosity, and creativity. One stands out: Marian Bolhouse, my 1st-grade teacher in Benton Harbor, Michigan, inspires much of our learning to this day. It was the first and last time I got all A's, or back then, +'s. Too bad I didn't have a Miss Bolhouse every year.
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| Calvin Britain School, Benton Harbor, Michigan (1954-1960) |
College professors Gunnell Jordan, Joseph Nielson, Linford Marquart, and Robert Starcher at Olivet Nazarene College combined character, academic achievement, and critical thinking in the liberal arts tradition.
Dr. Edgar H. Schein, Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus, MIT, for being a trusted shadow advisor.
Professors Gautam Kaul (finance), Scott DeRue, and Maxim Sytch (leadership) from the University of Michigan are taking us to new levels of learning--online.
Our references
Our first real job in the business was at General Motors. But, of course, that would not have been possible without a neighbor and friend of the family, Howard Johnson. No, not that Howard Johnson. This Howard was a general foreman at what is now known as Flint Metal on Bristol Road in the city of the same name.
Most summer clerks who worked in plant offices were General Motors Institute students (Kettering University). Or family members of management. Neither applied to me. But I could type. Howard told my father he would do his best to get me an interview, and I was on my own from there. He did follow up, and I got a job. That's a lesson in the value of long-standing relationships and the strength of third-party referrals.
Others would come along like Wendell and Jean Frerichs, Kankakee, Illinois, who also opened doors of opportunity.
All have motivated us to do the same whenever possible.
Our clients
Where would we be without our clients for the past 37 years? It's hard to state what it means to be allowed inside a business or nonprofit to work in some capacity. They trust you with their thoughts, ideas, and plans for the future.
It's a chance to contribute with the hope they get something from your advice that equals what you receive from their experiences. Asking the right questions, exploring possibilities, and sharing what's learned from a wider community are a few ways an outsider can assist.
A consultant sometimes proposes, but a client disposes.
I am grateful for engagements that have come our way and those that went in a different direction. There's a reason for what you have and don't have. Understanding that truth comes only in retrospect.
Our readers
This is the 78th post since Strategist Post was launched in 2009. Thank you for making time to read and provide feedback.
Our family
Nothing like having quality parents to set an example for your life. My father, Russell Sr., was a pastor and theologian. And our mother, Lydia, worked diligently inside and outside the home. Both lived by faith--with compassionate hearts.
Then there is the love and encouragement of my wife, Chris. And a wonderful family.
Our support
From friends and neighbors. Doctors and lawyers. Mentors and mechanics. Even the kindness of strangers. All make life and work possible.
Who has been helpful to you? Do they know?
While not always easy to do, life's circumstances have taught us "to give thanks continuously," as a season without end.
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