"In a way, the world is a great liar. It shows you it worships and admires money, but at the end of the day it doesn't. It says it adores fame and celebrity, but it doesn't, not really.The world admires, and wants to hold on to, and not lose, goodness. It admires virtue. At the end it gives its greatest tributes to generosity, honesty, courage, mercy, talents well used, talents that, brought into the world, make it better.
That's what it really admires. That's what we talk about in eulogies, because that's what's important.
We don't say, 'The thing about Joe was he was rich.' We say, if we can, 'The thing about Joe was he took good care of people.'"—Peggy Noonan, "A Life's Lesson," wrote this at the passing of one of her journalist colleagues, Tim Russert.
I credit Peggy Noonan for Ronald Reagan's success as she wrote many of his speeches, bringing back that combination of big vision but pulling it back down - like a kite string - to how the big idea applies to each of us.
Are you using your talents to build up the people in your team, to create a great place to work and in your own way, making the world a better place? If so, hats off to you. Keep going.
The private equity money will recognize your tenacity to keep adapting to how to apply your talents to make the world a better place. This spirit is the essence of good management and good teams get the best finance partners.
