10 Truths About Leadership. Peter A. Luongo

      

      10 Truths About Leadership Copyright © 2007 by Pete Luongo. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any fashion, print, facsimile, or electronic, or by any method yet to be developed, without express permission of the copyright holder.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Luongo, Pete 1934–

      10 truths about leadership: it’s not just about winning / by Pete Luongo.

      p. cm.

      ISBN-13: 978-1-57860-302-2 (alk. paper)

      ISBN-10: 1-57860-302-1 (alk. paper)

      1. Leadership. 2. Respect for persons 3. Integrity.

      4. Performance standards. 5. Employee empowerment.

      I. Title. II. Title: Ten truths about leadership.

      HD57.7L865 2007

      658.4’092—dc22

      2007013384

      For further information, contact the publisher:

CLERISY PRESSP. O. BOX 8874CINCINNATI, OHIO 45208–0874

      Edited by Richard Hunt

      Cover and interior designed by Angela Wilcox

      Distributed by Publishers Group West

      First edition, fourth printing 2010

      PRINTED in China

      Dedication

      To the University of Dayton: its scholars, professors, administration, and especially the priests and brothers of the Society of Mary. It was during those formative years as a student that I learned we are ultimately judged by our willingness to make a difference in other peoples’ lives. Upon retirement I’ve returned to this wonderful university, working with numerous groups and boards. It is my hope that I can extend to others the same chance to succeed. It’s a very special time in my life and I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back to such an extraordinary place, and help perpetuate our university’s mission of learn, lead, and serve.

      Acknowledgments

      I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to the following people for their encouragement and support as I was writing this book, as well as their positive influence in all phases of my life. Remarkably, through the artistic talents of Richard Launius, the likenesses of a few of these special people grace the pages of this book.

      Dan Graham (appearing), eighth president of The Berry Company. His character, commitment, and competitiveness made him special.

      Kathy-Geiger Schwab (appearing), executive vice president of The Berry Company. Her counsel and insights were invaluable.

      Debbie Luongo (appearing), my wife of 38 years. Her love, support, and encouragement have allowed me to pursue my dreams.

      Jerry Cheadle (appearing), group president, AT&T Yellow Pages. A caring leader whose capacity to grow a business enriched me.

      Richard Launius (appearing), vice president, systems, AT&T. A great caricaturist who unselfishly gave of his time to provide the illustrations for this book.

      Peter and Matt Luongo (appearing). Our sons have given us an enormous sense of pride as Debbie and I have watched them grow into outstanding young men.

      Elmer Smith (appearing), retired president of The Berry Company. If not for his friendship and support for more than 33 years, I would not have written this book.

      To John Snyder, Mark Lane, Anita Moore, Bill Ferguson, Randolph Melichar, Greg Meineke and so many others who allowed me to be part of their lives; they’ve become an enormous source of pride as I’ve watched them grow personally and professionally.

      To Ray Eshelman, Tom Murphy, Paul Resinger, Larry Taylor, Bill Tripp and Don Perozzi who provided wonderful role models as bosses as my career progressed.

      To the Berrys—L.M., John Sr., and John Jr.—for creating a company that helped so many of us live out our dreams.

      To the Carroll High School athletes, including Pat Sullivan, Lou Renzi, and Mike Hennessy, and the rest of our team who made a commitment to a sport in which they had never before competed, yet in just three years became accomplished wrestlers. This team helped me recognize the magic of leadership in terms of influencing others’ lives.

      To Doug Myers, Jerry DiPippo and many other business partners who taught me that loyalty and respect for one’s relationships always takes precedent over self-interest.

      To Dan Curran, Clay Mathile, Marc Levy, JP Nausef, Doug Franklin, John Nowak, Dennis Rediker and a host of others for their unselfishness as they have devoted themselves to making our region a better place to live.

      To Jack Schrader, Don Zimmer, Gary McCans and Charley Mazza whose life-time friendships have always been a source of encouragement and inspiration.

      Special thanks to Marty Grunder who convinced me to write this book when others failed.

      To Richard Launius, for his unselfishness and creativity in providing the art for this book.

      Finally, thanks to my publisher Richard Hunt. He helped me realize my dream of telling this story.

      Foreword

      by Curt W. Coffman, Co-Author of the New York Times bestselling First, Break all the Rules

      Let me be frank (and I don’t mean Sinatra), I am nothing short of being bored and exhausted with the thousands of leadership books that have come to swim in the pools of bookstores everywhere. Leadership is one of those topics that people love to hear themselves talk about but very few choose to listen to. We all have a theory that has largely been formed from our own justification of why we did or continue to do certain things. Books, articles and papers from academics to alleged renaissance leaders have produced pontifications about how to be a great leader.

      I am amazed at the tremendous amount of creativity put into the discovery of a new model or a new set of metaphors while the actual meat of the book takes a back seat. Many of these books have become reference guides for me to find both pithy and slightly off-center ways of saying the same thing. Try it—it works!

      While my cynicism is obvious, I find it refreshing when a text comes along that brings back those moments of a-ha’s and genuine intellectual and emotional engagement. I really live for those words that come off the page, strumming a chord of curiosity and providing a moment of new understanding. So has the book I’m proud to introduce to you.

      Pete Luongo didn’t decide to sit down and write a book on leadership; he was called to do so. See, there are those times in one’s life where the ability to “not” do something is no longer an alternative. Pete and his witty, charismatic and “loving” personality are mere byproducts of a set of experiences he has noted, been moved by, and found enormous success with. There is no doubt in my mind that this book began long before Pete was writing it.

      This may sound strange, but this is a book that has long been in process and only recently found its author. Now, don’t get me wrong. Pete is one of the most “full of life” and passionate people I know, and his life experiences are a perfect fit for this book’s longing to be told and understood. His experiences simply became the medium for which a set of truisms are told.

      In reading Pete’s text, I am convinced that these truths should be incorporated into the business and personal lives of leaders, managers, and people following their passions everywhere. This set of truths will not bring about an academic revolution in the field of leadership and management, but they will lead