Honoring a Full Life

I wanted to take the time to honor a man and family that has changed our industry and provided leadership to many of us.

I had the pleasure of working for the Graebel companies and the Graebel family for nearly a decade. Walking into the executive kitchen in the corporate headquarters during that time created risk and extreme reward. You never knew when you were going to run into David and have your entire schedule changed because he wanted a "brief chat." The inconvenience of that encounter on your schedule was immediately replaced by the reality that you just received a doctorate in leadership and an encounter with a living, breathing example of a life of vision and courage.

David’s imprint on many of us can be summarized in phrases he used that simply sunk into our soul. ?These life lessons will always be true:

Always be worthy of trust. The guy in the mirror knows the truth. Integrity and doing what is right comes ahead of making money or anything else. Walk in a manner worthy of your calling.

?It's not the size of the dog in the fight. . . it’s the size of the fight in the dog that matters. David started a business with one man and a truck in the middle of Nowhere, Wisconsin (cheeseheads please don’t be offended, I’m one of you). ?73 years later the company still defies gravity by successfully competing on a global stage with much bigger dogs. ?Much of this has been done purely through the determination that they would build something great. Good is the enemy of great.

Love what you do. I once got on the elevator with David and two new employees. The conversation went something like this:

David - "What are you thankful for?"

Young lady - "I love that it’s Friday."

David – With a sparkle in his eye and a full body gesture to make a point - "Isn't it great! Monday is only a couple of days away and we get to do this all over again!”

By making a difference in everything you do, you feel blessed rather than worn out by the work. As David would say, “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

You gotta let go of the rung below to reach the one above. Albert Einstein said that “the measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” David didn’t have? a lot of formal education but if “smart” is measured by the ability to adapt, he was certainly a genius. ?In an industry that fights to hold on to the past David was a game changer more than anyone in our industry ever has.? He was continually willing to risk the past for the hope and faith in the future. He refused to settle and had the courage to move on to what was next.

We mourn his passing and miss his presence. David, however, has simply moved on to the next rung on the ladder. He would encourage us all to continue doing the same.

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