I’m very sad to hear about what has happened to Lehman. Lehman has a very special place in my heart. It was at Lehman that a bright manager put his faith in me at such a very young age.
The closest I came to Dick Fuld was riding the elevator with him several weeks after the September 11th attacks. He was pleasant, unassuming and more than willing to chat in our brief encounter. A far cry from the image most of us have of Wall Street power brokers and the image I’ve encountered when dealing with other bankers.
Fuld was a legend at Lehman. A fearless leader and I still have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I’m sure he tried his very best to keep Lehman alive as he had done before in the past.
I haven’t contacted old colleagues. Most of the people I worked with were still employed there. I’m sure they have more important things to deal with right now.
If I can be of any assistance, please reach out to me.
I was featured on a PBS TV that teaches kids about finance and business. The episode was about ethics. You can see me in the neighborhood I grew up in and in front of my old apartment building. This is the last time I will speak publicly or give a interview about hacking. The shot of me swinging a bat is where I played baseball as a kid. You can see more about the show at www.bizkids.com
The show is for kids and I think they did a lot of “cutting” of what I said to make it more…interesting? ;-/
I’m only in the first two minutes, but the second two should give you some idea of the show.
I haven’t posted much recently because I’ve taken to being a little more private about my life. Sorry for the long lapses. Here are some tidbits I’ve learned over the past few months.
Someone who doesn’t keep their word or commitment is useless. I’ve blogged about this before but I find myself reminded of it all the time. You waste so much time and energy when you stand behind someone who doesn’t keep their word.
Character flaws can be identified within one week of dealing with someone. Some flaws can be accepted, others should be avoided like the plague. For example if someone is indecisive you can help them make a decision. But if someone is a liar, that’s not a flaw you can help them with. Get away from them immediately.
Negativity is a virus. If someone is overly negative get away from them and keep them away from people you associate with. This is especially true in companies. People like that should be fired immediately. And yes, there is a difference between negativity and realism. As a general rule, someone is overly negative if they present problems with no solutions. You have no need for people like that.
Your partner, girlfriend, boyfriend is great if they help to make you a better person. That’s all. If your partner can not honestly tell you when you are wrong then you shouldn’t be with them. If you have yes men in the office, you don’t need a yes woman at home.
“Its either you or me, and it ain’t going to be me.” Words to live by. The one critical exception. If you are part of a team your decisions have to be about what is in the best interest of the team. If a team member believes that its “either the team or me” get rid of that person.
Relationships are important. If you remember that impressions and relationships will likely last more than 30 years you give a lot more weight to your interactions with people. 30 years! Don’t be a ass.