Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!
Virtually everyone has had memorable interactions with someone that stuck with them and perhaps carried with it a lesson, never to be forgotten.
I’d like to highlight three today:
•I was invited to a reveal of the Fargo Sanford hospital conceptual design taking place in Sioux Falls. I ran into T Denny Sanford while looking over the design model. Not knowing him previously, I introduced myself and thanked him for the impact and economic prosperity he brought to so many communities. He was a very practical and humble man. He smiled at me and said, “Imagine how it makes me feel!”
Denny Sanford was extremely humble, non pretentious and a pleasure to speak with.
•I spent a good portion of time working with an industry advocacy group and visited Capitol Hill each spring for many years. Our contingent lined up visits to many members of congress. During one trip to see Senator Hoeven, he gave us a few minutes to listen to our pitch after his chief of staff did a nice job of keeping us company before John arrived. He was kind, professional, had a good sense of humor and apologized that his chief of staff knew nothing about engineering.
John Hoeven took the time to listen and genuinely interact when he could have shook hands, smiled and moved on to his next meeting…or ignored us due to his busy calendar.
•I was fortunate to attend a conference in New York for a number of years where I heard other CEOs talk about their journey, their successes and their failures. One gentlemen in particular stood out for me. Tony Franceschini, then CEO of Stantec, a prominent professional services firm, spoke about love and passion. While many speakers stuck to the nuts and bolts of running a business, Tony talked about people, the relationships and the importance of treating others with respect and understanding.
Tony Franceschini modeled the way in how to lead people while running a successful business.
What does a billionaire who gave away much more than he kept, a distinguished Businessman/Public Servant/honorable leader, and an industry titan have in common?
They cared deeply about how they impacted the world they grew up in. Regardless of role or reputation, we can all take a similar path.
Have a blessed weekend!
Eric
