Creating Connections from Past to Present
"We view ourselves on the eve of battle. We are nerved for the contest, and must conquer or perish. It is vain to look for present aid: none is at hand. We must now act or abandon all hope! Rally to the standard, and be no longer the scoff of mercenary tongues! Be men, be free men, that your children may bless their father's name."
—General Sam Houston, before the Battle of San Jacinto
This past week, Texas celebrated San Jacinto Day. As I read General Houston’s quote, it reminded me that he and his commanders knew April 21, 1836 was going to be a day in which the values the Texians professed in their Declaration of Independence would be put to the test.
General Houston and his commanders, Thomas Jefferson Rusk, Juan Seguín, Henry Millard, Mirabeau B. Lamar, Ed Burleson, George Hockley and Sidney Sherman, met as a war council that morning 174 years ago. History records the battle was engaged at 4:30 in the afternoon, lasting 18 minutes. It was a surprise attack resulting in the loss of more than 600 Mexican soldiers and nine Texians. Sam Houston himself took a round in the ankle, which is why he is laying on the ground in the famous portrait by artist William Henry Huddle, painted the day after Texas' victory over Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto. The ankle! That had to hurt like crazy, don’t you think? This version of the portrait from the State Preservation Board identifies each of the characters if you’re ever interested in learning more. You’ll get a quick reminder about the namesakes of many Austin streets.
With the artifacts and the powerful story, I am reminded that none of it would have occurred had it not been for values – the principles for which they just had to fight.
I am sometimes surprised at how much I think about the values our firm holds close. They serve me almost on a daily basis -- whether I’m listening to a client, evaluating the goals and accomplishments of one of our staff members or even thinking about a new investment. Roy Spence of GSD&M fame provided great perspective on the topic in his book “It’s not what you sell, it’s what you stand for.”
Ours probably don’t rise high enough to be included in a book, but as a group, they do bring to life the essence of our purpose: to create connection. Here they are, in no particular order:
Presence. We value the idea of being ready and well-prepared to engage in any discussion, to ask smart questions, being forthright, yet tactful, and we value willingness to step forward to take quick action so the outputs of a good conversation become outcomes that matter. I also love it when people sprint towards problems and take care of them in the present, so they aren’t aggravating in the future.
There’s no real trick to being good at being present. Read the paper. Listen to or watch the news religiously. Build relationships with people who help you stay informed and provide perspective on matters of importance and interest. Practice and improve your craft everyday.
Brilliance. This isn’t about genius. Instead, I think someone is brilliant when they connect dots that others haven’t or who find an especially creative solution to what may be a mundane question. Brilliance can also take the form of a person who, in the course of work, sparks a new idea or delivers more than expected to a client.
Russ Rhea demonstrated brilliance a few weeks ago. The question of annual training came up in our staff meeting and Russ took the assignment of identifying courses we might all take. These are usually offered through industry groups like PRSA, but Russ thought of something else. Beginning in May, Dr. Frank de la Teja, professor of History at Texas State University and former Texas State Historian, will be holding a monthly class here at Hahn, Texas, teaching us Texas history from several new angles. I’m stoked about the learning to come, and it’s brilliant to me because it demonstrates how we live our brand as a Texas-wide firm.
Fairness. This has been a value of our firm since day one. Fairness rules the way we work with one another, how we support each other, it ensures we honor our commitments – from the smallest project deadline to the biggest contract.
I do believe I think about this value more than any other. It’s how I want us to always treat others and how I expect others to treat us. It is also the value that drives us to declare “we don’t do business with mean people.” That’s probably odd to some who may hear it, but it’s a mantra that is sacred to us. Mean people have a need to win at someone else’s expense. Mean people are predisposed to getting more than they have earned or deserve. They’re the kind of people who cut you off in traffic just to beat you to a stoplight. No thank you. Life is too short for all of that.
If presence and brilliance and fairness are used in concert, they have the ability to create connection. Granted, it’s a bit of alchemy, but I see the recipe work beautifully every week here. It doesn’t happen often, but when we sometimes forget to fully live up to the values, it can hurt as bad as Sam Houston’s ankle must have on April 22, 1836. The important thing is that we return quickly to them. They’re worth fighting for – and we’re grateful our Texian forefathers gave us the opportunity to do so.
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