Running your railroad…

I was chatting with my dear friend Steve recently.  Initially a colleague; then client; today a friend and mentor.  I always enjoy his teachings on business and life.  We share many things in common; our “blue collar” views on work; our Christian faith; our career stops at ADP.  We were in dissimilar positions at ADP – he on the “operations side”’ me on the “sales side”.  

Steve is so mild-mannered; he chuckled when I told him I was surprised at his operations success; rising to Vice President and General Manager at ADP.  He shared with me why he succeeded.  Steve always helps me understand the “why”. 

He said one of his underlying beliefs was to treat every worker with dignity and respect.  He honored the value every job each person performed no matter how menial the tasks seemed to be.  Perhaps Steve was influenced by ADP’s legendary President & CEO, Josh Weston, who spoke of what matters in business: 

Every client matters.  Every employee matters.  And every employee interaction with every client matters. 

Steve believed each employee wanted to do a good job; was able to do a good job; and would do a good job if given the opportunity.  Could that have been Nashua Cavalier’s influence? 

Man's biggest mistake is to believe that he's working for someone else.   

Steve suggested I visit Cincinnati’s Union Terminal (link).  He told me the art deco in the terminal definitely had a great influence on him growing up.  Especially the way it depicts the history of America’s working people. 

There’s that tribute to working people again.  I like the connection to America’s railroads, too.  I have always loved trains.  It amazes me how our country has allowed our railroad system to stagnate as compared to Europe and Asia.  Railroads played such a key role in our country’s history – (here’s one example History.com). 

I also love the connection between the common worker and the success of a railroad (or the success of any business).  Who do you think plays the key role in train travel; the engineer; the conductor?  Here’s a point of view from a key worker, “behind the scenes”: 

You might know where you are and what you’re doing; and God knows where you are and what you’re doing; But if the Dispatcher doesn’t know where you are and what you’re doing, then you best be on good terms with God. 

                   Unknown Sage       

Totally applicable to any line of business today, true?  I write often about the importance of leadership communications.  I suspect a key to Steve’s leadership success lies in the hearts and minds of his followers as Napoleon Hill offered: 

I will induce others to serve me, because of my willingness to serve others. I will cause others to believe in me, because I will believe in them and in myself.       

There’s that word “believe”.  In my career, when I was working for someone who didn’t believe in me (or me in them), the thought of trains returned: 

This is a helluva way to run a railroad! 

                   Leonor F. Loree        

Leonor’s sentiments and the things we have all experienced recently might bring us back to that Unknown Sage: 

Due to recent cutbacks the light at the end of the tunnel will be turned off until further notice.

And all those train references and reminders brings me back to Steve.  I think he would coach us to work hard; treat others with respect; and believe! 

                                                            GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.