What Really Matters

In a New York Times interview, Walt Bettinger, the CEO of Charles Schwab talked about a lesson he learned in college that has stood out to him throughout his career.

He mentioned that he had a business strategy course during his senior year.?Going into the final exam, his goal was to maintain his perfect 4.0 grade point average.?He had spent hours studying and memorizing information.

When the teacher handed out the final exam, it was on just one piece of paper.?Both sides were blank, which confused Bettinger and his classmates.?

The professor told the class that he had taught them all he knew but that one important question remained. He then asked the class to write down the name of the lady that cleaned that very building.

Not knowing that Dottie cleaned the business building led Walt Bettinger, CEO of Charles Schwab, to receive his only failing college test score.?

Bettinger said that the test was a great reminder of what really matters in life and that you should never lose sight of people who do the real work.

Bettinger has tried to get to know every Dottie that he has worked with ever since.

Who are the Dottie’s in your life?

Secretaries.?Custodians.?Uber Drivers.?Cafeteria workers.?Civil servants.?Community volunteers.

Do you put people first??Do you take care of those who take care of you?

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Every man that I meet is in some way my superior and in that way, I learn from him.”

The great baseball player Jackie Robinson said that "A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives."

Do you value the people around you??You can be the reason that somebody believes in the good of mankind today.

You can be the reason that someone smiles today.