However, this blog is not so much about advocating for the President (or his party) as it is about encouraging everyone to vote and sharing a framework I use in making candidate selections. In recent elections, I have used an adaptation of McKenzie’s “Seven S” framework and offer it up to you for consideration. That is, select candidates that are (1) sober; (2) sensible; and (3) sane and avoid candidates that are scary (fear mongers), satirical; simple; or status qua oriented.

Let me explain. I prefer candidates that are: (1) Sober minded. Such candidates have a clear sense of the issues that are most important to us and have a mindset to address them; (2) Sensible: they offer creative yet workable solutions versus empty rhetoric or, in some cases, no solutions at all; (3) Sane: the candidate running for office believes that government plays a vital role and that government has the ability to impact our lives in a positive way. It seems to me that candidates running for office, but have an inherent loathing for government, or that believe government is essentially powerless to impact something as important as the economy, exercise a sort political insanity. Such people say things like “government can’t create jobs, only the private sector can create jobs”. If that’s the case, why run for office. Start a business and get off the government payroll.

Conversely, I try to avoid candidates that: (4) use scare tactics and fear to create an emotional charge (particularly on matters of race, class, or gender) and have no substantial platform otherwise. It’s like the guy who yells “fire” in a crowded theater, but can’t point you to the exit door. Anyone can cause a panic, but a true leader is one who can effectively respond; (5) Satirical in nature. Some candidates are great at criticizing others, yet have no plan themselves. They sometimes use Christianity as a ploy. But if my memory serves me correctly that certain savior, while pointing out the faults of the people, also performed countless miracles along the way; (6) Simple minded. Some candidates take a hammer to every problem. Having been involved in corporate turnarounds, I can tell you that righting a ship is not easy. Sometimes it takes awhile even once you understand the problem to develop executable solutions. I am always a bit leery of candidates that have a simple one size fits all strategy like “lower taxes” as the answer to every problem. Complex problems frequently require multi-tiered solutions (structural changes) in order to effectively address the problem. Our economy is complex, which by definition, requires hard choices and sustained effort to address. As such, we need people with significant mental bandwidth to help us sort through the complexity and make the hard choices necessary; and (7) Status qua oriented. Candidates who are yesterday oriented versus future oriented are to be avoided. The world is a different place today than it was even 10 years ago and is constantly changing. Given the interdependency of global economies, we need politicians, like market makers, who are future oriented and help us “skate to where the puck is going, not to where it’s been”.

Regardless of your position I think it is vitally important for you to get out to vote. It’s not just a right; it’s a way of living.

But first the story: In 1998, I had just completed an assignment with CompuServe, having helped turn the company around before it was sold to AOL.  I had a number of interviews lined up with hi tech companies and a final interview with Paramount Pictures.  I had already interviewed with the head of Planning and CFO, who are both exceptionally talented execs, and had flown in from Columbus, Ohio to meet with the Chairman.  The interview was supposed to begin @ 11:00 am.  At 11:00, I was told that he was running about an hour behind, go have some lunch and will start at 1:00 (ugh the math didn’t work), but OK.  When I returned at 1:00, I was told that a special meeting had been called and the Chairman was pulled away.  Nevertheless, I needed to stick around because he would be ready any minute and definitely wanted to see me.

Any minute turned into five (yes 5) hours.  At six o’clock, I was finally called upstairs to meet the Chairman and ushered into this corporately elegant office.  It had all the usual, wonderfully expensive art, pictures of the latest celebrities, plush carpet and the like.  Before he even sat down, the grilling began, incessantly for about 20 minutes (in between phone calls of course).  Where are you from? What have you done? Where did you go to school? Why should we hire you?  The man obviously knew nothing about me or my background.  Finally, after the onslaught, he hurriedly gave me time (about 20 seconds) for one question.  Having answered all of his questions succinctly and successfully (I thought), I confidently asked “What do you expect of me”?

His response was rather casual, but without hesitation or concern for how I might react.  He said “I want you to bring “everything you know, about everything, to everything you do, everyday”. After that, he shook my hand and quickly dismissed me.  Seven hours I waited and for what.  I spent  twenty minutes with a guy who could hardly care less whether I lived or got run over by one of those runaway studio golf carts.

As I later came to find out during my almost 7 years at Paramount, the man was a genius who would sometimes bless us mortals with a few pearls of wisdom, this was one of those times.  Even though I didn’t comprehend the full depth of his words at the time, I knew they represented something special so I wrote them down before I returned to my rental car.

I have kept those words with me every day since, but not until I started Gallery Road, did I begin to appreciate the full extent of his advice.  Let me attempt to summarize what I think he meant: First: “everything you know, about everything”.  I think he meant that you should not compartmentalize your knowledge.  Life does not give us experiences for a singular purpose or a specific application only.  Sometimes what you learn in church can be used at work, or what you discover in Miami can apply in Maine.  Creativity springs from passion and is amorphous.  It should not be arbitrarily bounded, even amongst financial people.

Secondly:  “to everything you do”.  I think he meant that one should not let their passion for excellence be manipulated or become circumstantial.  You should not give more or less effort based upon temporal conditions; whether you like or dislike your boss, your horoscope, the weather, the size of your office, or any other ephemeral factor.  You must give 100% to the thing you’re doing because you’ve found something you enjoy and its excellence alone sustains you. Thirdly:  He ended by saying these things should be done “Everyday”. I think he meant that excellence is not a destination; it’s a process, one  that is achieved over time, but begins and grows or dies every day.  Everyday must be the right time to push, to prepare, to persevere, and to proceed.  Every day brings its own sense of urgency for the MJ’s, Tiger’s, and  Kobe’s of the world and those who would be like them.

As I said, while I wrote these words down some time ago, it was this year, the year of Gallery’s  birth, that I have gained a deeper understanding of his advice. My commitment to you is to try meet this standard each and every day.  Over the last year, it has certainly helped that i have received great support from my team and  family.

Thanks so much to all of you who have supported us and inspired us.   We hope these words help to inspire you in pursuit of your dreams.