On January 12, 2010 at 10:20 PM sirens blazed outside my home. With great concern, our family rushed to the front door and observed an ambulance and police car rushing into my neighbors’ home across the street. These neighbors Neil and Kay Lewis are a retired couple in their 70s and one of the pillars in our neighborhood. Over the past seven or eight years that they have lived here, I have observed from a distance how they conduct their lives. I would frequently see Neil and Kay walking together. In church each week they sit close together and with bright eyes absorb and pay attention to each and every speaker all the way from the five-year-old child giving a talk, to the great theoretical sermons. In watching their interactions, I would frequently feel like I was witnessing newly weds rather than a retired couple.
My great respect for Neil and Kay does not come from their professional lives. (Although Neil was a successful executive and Kay is a brilliant musician.) 
Their success comes from three other sources:
1. How they raised their children – Each of their children is a responsible, contributing adult. Their grandchildren are smart, hardworking, productive, and overall thriving. I am fortunate to have frequent contact with one of their sons and I simply do not know a better man on this earth.
2. The Service They Render - After retirement Neil and Kay did not sail off to the Bahamas and sip fruity drinks. They engaged in a 2nd career of tireless leadership, spiritual service, and focus on others.
3. Their Positive and Vibrant Approach to Life - Neil and Kay treat each other with respect. They are tender and kind. They build others. They do not tear down, but always lift those around them. I watched with great interest as they built a legacy in their family by building a family cabin. I am confident that they deliberately and methodically chose to create a family-unifying activity in a unifying location.
Although Neil and Kay are a good 25 – 30 years older than me, I have considered them my dear friends. Neil did indeed have a heart attack and through what I consider a great blessing from God, he was able to fully recover and continue being an example and sage to all of us young bucks.
I am blessed to have several sages in my life, but it was at that moment, late on a cold January night, that I cognitively realized the important role they play in my stages of growth and development.
One of my favorite sayings is:
A Stupid Man Never Learns From His Mistakes - A Smart Man Learns From His Mistakes - A Wise Man Learns From Others Mistakes.
I think often we do not take advantage of the sages in our lives. We do not learn from them and avoid the big bumps both in business, and in life.
The questions I leave you with are:
Who are the Neil Lewis sages in your life? And what can you observe and learn from them?
Make these relevant observations in business —- but more importantly in life.
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Over the past 10 years I have developed a respect for Alan and Leslie Layton. My respect however has not been for Alan’s accomplishments in the business world but rather the relentless service that he and his wife have given. Alan and Leslie have been one of the examples in my life of how I believe service should be done and the level of intensity at which it can be attacked. Although my relationship with Alan has been on a more personal level, I have superficially been aware of some of his philosophies and approaches in the business world.
Alan was central to helping Layton Construction grow from a family business to a main stage commercial construction corporation.
I took the opportunity this week to discuss with Alan what enabled the scale and growth in Layton Construction into a world class organization. I was delighted with the response because it resonated perfectly with the past several posts I have been making.
Alan shared the following story with me.
Back in the late 80′ he was attending a conference with several of his executives and the question was asked from the stage ”Who has a mission statement in their company?” Alan raised his hand at what point the speaker asked if any of his executive staff was there. He responded that they were. The speaker then proceeded to ask the executives “what is your companies mission statement?” These individuals stuttered and stammered and could not recite it. Alan stated that he was embarrassed and the members of his staff were very apologetic. Alan then realized that what the speaker had said was true and he wrestled with what he could use to unify the company. He settled on the phrase
Constructing with Integrity
Alan went on to explain in detail the three components of what the mantra meant:
1. What We Produced – Build using the highest level of quality and not cut corners. Use the best materials and the best methodologies available to Construct with Integrity.
2. How We Dealt With People - Behave ethically and treat all people equally and with respect. Construct relationships with Integrity
3. The Organization We Built – Remove posturing and politics, but build our organization and interactions with each other with respect. Construct the organization with integrity.
These simple three words became the North Star – the guiding beacon, indeed the Catalyzing statement for Layton Construction.
To Quote Alan: “Everyone understood it and it was very rewarding.”
At one point at a company function they took a camera around and just began asking team members what Constructing with Integrity meant to them. Here are a few of the statements they made:
“It means I can live the same way on the job as when I am home with my wife.”
“It means I don’t ever apologize to anyone for what we do”
Alan believes that this Catalyzing statement coupled with employee ownership in the company was what enabled the scale and durable growth in Layton Construction.
We ran out of time, but as we were closing Alan made some intriguing comments regarding the second aspect of what allowed Layton Construction to scale so effectively. It was structuring an employee ownership program.
In my next conversation with Alan I will explore more about how he structured the employee ownership program, and of course I will share it with you.
Thank you Alan for your insights and also for being a good man and a good example.
The closing questions that I ask you are:
Are you constructing your life with integrity?
and
What is your catalyzing statement?
