Sunday, April 25, 2010
Iron Sharpens Iron
My first supervisor was AG. I worked for him for six months until he resigned to work for another company. He was really nice, very approachable and always ready to teach. My lasting memory of him was when we just had a very tough week to deliver our project.
He dropped by the apartment saying, “Hey guys, it’s been a tough week and you have been eating junk for dinner. If you can provide me with potatoes, carrots and some meat, I’ll cook up a casserole.” That was music to hungry men’s ears. The guy can really cook! (Lesson 1: Leader’s serve.)
My second supervisor was JD. He was a silent guy, a bit of a perfectionist and never took no for an answer. I learned to look at details and how to set up stretch goals. I had to go through documents at least three times to make sure that everything was right. And guess what, he can still catch a mistake! (Lesson 2: Be diligent in the small stuff, it will pay off later.)
My third supervisor was AY. He was this type of person who will defend you in front of his boss and then he will correct you in private. (Lesson 3: Never let another leader correct those you lead, it’s your responsibility!)
My fourth supervisor was again JD(who later became a manager). At this time, I was already a senior engineer and was entrusted to lead a small project group. At this stage, I started seeing the value of standing firm amidst changes. (Lesson 4: Manage change, not the other way around!)
To these men, mighty leaders, thank you!
Forgotten
Note: Right after I posted my last entry, I was invited to go to Scotland on a three-week business trip. The idea for this entry came when I visited the Howff, a very old cemetery(centuries-old) in Dundee, Scotland.
Sitting on a parkbench almost half a world away from home, I began pondering on the meaning of life and what it means to leave a legacy.
Looking at tombstones dated back to the 1500s, I couldn’t help but ask myself why these remain standing. Because of their state of disrepair, I began to assume that the relatives of those buried here have either moved on, or worse, didn’t have any descendants. Looking back at it now, my best guess would be that local historians prefer to have the Howff remain the way it is to show Dundee’s rich historical past.
How long are people remembered? I mean really remembered? Maybe a generation or two?
Material wealth may be passed from generation to generation, but again one fool in the lineage could easily obliterate millions.
What mark can I leave on earth that can live on through generations, if not forever? This brought me to an early childhood memory of a coffee mug: Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.
Which got me thinking... perhaps I got it right when I wrote my obituary.
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