The Great One & The Lucky One (page 4)
As he entered the building, he didn’t see me behind him. He was talking with the doorman as if they were old friends. “Rocky,” he said, “How’s your family?” The doorman answered and beamed with pride. I smiled, remembering the confident smile Richard brought to work every day. He celebrated people; all people; and he never put himself above another person, regardless of their role in life. He would walk through our production facility every day, greeting and thanking people. He didn’t do this for effect, but rather, as a part of his character.
He noticed me and with a grin said, “There’s Mikey – What are you thinking? You’re too young to retire and we still need all the help we can get.” I half-smiled and replied, “It’s just my time.” We exchanged pleasantries and caught up on issues of health, family, economics, and weather. Those are apparently the things retired people talk about.
We sat in the lobby for an hour or so before having lunch and he was very candid as he walked me through his journey at Lifetouch, the little school picture company that grew 20% per year for twenty years and became the nation’s largest employee-owned ESOP. His eyes sparkled as he remembered the early days, people gone by, and challenges conquered.
When I told him I wanted to write about his leadership, he asked, “Why do you want to do that?” I told him I was studying leadership and considered him to be world-class. He was visibly uncomfortable. He said, “You’re retired now. Wouldn’t you rather go fishing?” I told him I had interviewed people who worked with him, and wanted to share a summary of what they had to say. He agreed to humor me. When I finished he seemed grateful for the kind words, and still a bit uncomfortable. He had managed to provide leadership for decades without putting the spotlight on himself, and he preferred it that way.