Live Your Life With a Bit More Color

Early Reflections: Wednesday, September 25th

Good morning...

Or instead of a music lyric, I could go with "Sleepless in Orlando"? No? Ok...

Yesterday was a tough day, a challenging day. Walking head first into a couple of situations that I expected, being thrown a couple of curves that I didn't. Encountering a couple of situations that made me feel helpless, a feeling that I struggle with. Then, getting the message that someone close to me had passed away. What little wind was in my sails became a whisper.

I met Leslie when we first moved to Dallas, and she worked for me when I was first promoted to a VP level position. She'd been with the company for many years, held many positions, described within leadership circles as a "steady eddie", someone who always contributed but never stood out. I heard that term used yesterday in a different setting, and I didn't like it.

My role at the time was to drive private brands, my goal was to drive innovative thinking not just within my department but across the organization. I would walk in Monday morning and find a folder of news clippings, unsolicited, from Leslie, on various topics that centered around innovation, culture and design. During a rare one on one, where I expected to challenge her, she challenged me. If I wanted us to think differently, I needed to think differently and not just go to the regular cast of characters when it came to assigning key projects. She was right, I assigned her to the next one, and she excelled.

Our relationship became closer, kind of a co-mentoring one where we learned equally from each other. I had my product directors developing seasonal strategies and she, like many, got stuck on the forms, the process, the presentation deck. Only she came in and expressed her challenges before the project was due. All of the information contained in the template was needed, but she (and many others) were missing the point of the strategy - the story, the plot. I challenged her to write the story first and the rest would make more sense. That Monday, she came in with a beautiful written one page paper on Men's socks and furnishings. She argued that we were living in a black and white (and grey and navy) department when the world was filled with color. It was perfect. She built her strategy and drove results far beyond that of a "steady eddie."

I left JC Penney and she retired. However we kept in touch, the occasional phone call, coffee, or lunch. One day, I told her about my need for a new executive assistant, someone who understood me (which is pretty challenging, ask my wife). Did she know anyone? Her answer was unexpected..."why not me?" I hadn't thought of her because she would make a third of what she had, but she reminded me that she was retired, and she wouldn't be doing it for the money. So, while I assume my first role as a head of marketing, she assumed the role of making sure I wouldn't screw it up, that I would listen to my team, and be inclusive.

Eventually I moved on, she went back to making jewelry part time and traveling. We kept in touch the old fashioned way...through emails. She was in Virginia Beach a couple of years ago and it was with pride that I introduced her to my current team and current mission. Our emails became less frequent, my last one a few months ago going unanswered and my now finding out why. She led a very full life, and left me feeling a bit empty at the moment, but much richer from having known her, and her willingness to invest in me.

She taught me that I need to challenge myself to live life with a bit more color, to look beyond the expected, to see people not for what they have done, but what they may be capable of if you give them a chance. As much as yesterday many not have been my favorite day, and I will be operating on less that three hours of sleep, somewhere Leslie is out there saying "Suck it up and get moving, your day wasn't that bad! Stop whining!" As much as yesterday many not have been my favorite day, and I will be operating on less that three hours of sleep, somewhere Leslie is out there saying "Suck it up and get moving, your day wasn't that bad! Stop whining!"

She is right. And I have just the socks for the day ahead...

(follow me @rhoniball or connect with me at www.honiball.me)