Want to Make it to the Top? Take a Lesson from Rand

A couple of years ago, Mark van Sumeren commented: "Between you and Rand Ballard, Fred, I think you know everyone in the business. He knows 95% and you know 5." Not accounting for overlap, I believe Mark may have been right, but his percentages were wrong. Rand knows 99%, I know 1%. It's like one of the Philadelphia Warriors players said to his wife on March 3, 1962: "Last night, Wilt Chamberlain and I scored 102 points between us. He got 100 and I got 2."

I've known Rand Ballard for thirty years. He's a very important and very accomplished dude. His Vizient bio reads:

Rand Ballard leads the member value and performance team for Vizient?.

This team champions member engagement activities across four geographic zones as well as onboarding and implementation services.

Previously, Ballard served as MedAssets senior executive vice president and in the office of the chief executive since 2008 and as chief customer officer since 2006. He also served in the roles of chief operating officer, president of MedAssets supply chain systems and leader of the company's sales team.

Prior to joining MedAssets, Ballard was vice president, health systems supplier economics and distribution for Cardinal Health.

He earned a master's degree from Pacific Lutheran University with a triple major in finance, operations and marketing. He was a deans' list undergraduate at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and earned a bachelor's degree with concentration in nuclear physics, nuclear engineering and business law.

An avid community partner, Ballard has served as chairman of the board of the Meals on Wheels Association of America Foundation, vice president of Hire Heroes USA and vice president of The Health Careers Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships and low-interest loans to non-traditional students pursuing a degree in the health care field.

It is unlikely that you will ever meet a person more accomplished, more committed, or busier than Rand. If you were to call him or send him an email, you would not be surprised if he were too busy to get back to you.

But I would be surprised. Ask anyone who has ever met the man. They probably won't know about all of his academic and community accomplishments, but they will tell you that he's the nicest guy they ever met, he always knows their name and if they call and ask for a favor or advice, he usually responds within fifteen minutes.

A while ago, I was trying to connect with a key person at Vizient. I was talking to someone I knew there and asked what my approach should be. The person I was talkitheyng to asked me if I knew anyone in senior leadership at the company. I said, "Yeah, I've known Rand Ballard for thirty years", to which the person resonded, "If you know Rand, he's the guy. If he likes and respects you, you will get your meeting." I sent Rand an email and gave him a call. He called me back and we chatted. The next day the person I wanted to connect with sent me an email requesting a meeting with my company.

No job title fits anyone better than Chief Customer Officer fits Rand Ballard. He is for real. The most important person in the world to him is the one he is talking to at the moment. If he makes a commitment to you, he follows through- every time.

This would seem to be an obvious way to behave, but Rand's level of personal professionalism is fast-becoming a thing of the past. Today's members of the Ain't I Great Society are often too busy to give you the time of day or call you back, even if you are a Hall of Famer. HOF simply means you're old, passe, beyond your usefulness to them, that is, unless they need something.

If you ever get the chance to meet Rand Ballard, jump at it. Learn from the absolute best how to treat people. It's a lesson that will last a career.

Thanks Rand- GO ARMY!