He was a hero in the Coral Sea battle. On a destroyer, his captain froze in the heat of the sea battle, and he, a Junior Officer, took command. I enjoyed working with him because he eagerly turned himself and his inner circle into my students. He allowed me to mentor him and his key people. He clearly understood power and leadership and shared this readily with his staff.
After years of being his own man and a true leader, he had no trouble becoming a team member, so the pyramid that existed in his organization when we first met flattened out. We worked well together, and he and I formed a lasting friendship. His company grew, purchasing a larger building to handle its growth better.
He owned a cabin cruiser, and we spent time on that as well as in his plant. He was always an officer, a gentleman, and a committed participant. And since our dialogue was genuine, we learned much about each other. He understood the value of dialogue compared to monologue or conversation from fixed positions. His firm went from a traditional hierarchy to a flat playing field, increasing efficiency and profits.
When he passed away, I lost a friend and client. Afterward, his company was sold, closing the book on a wonderful human but not my memories.
Life throws much at us—We are made by those events—And family, too
Born to live, be me—Life’s events make me more me—Events dictate who
Sy
Author: Sy Ogulnick
Sy Ogulnick received a BA from UCLA, Teacher’s Credential from Los Angeles Board of Education and completed phase I (Master’s portion) in a Doctor of Behavioral Science program at California Coast University. Sy leased and operated a summer day camp in LA. He and his wife then purchased virgin wilderness land in Northern CA, where they built and operated a coed summer camp. They moved to Las Vegas, NV, and purchased, built and operated a community children’s program for families staying in a major resort casino in Las Vegas. They have created programs for children nationwide that employed many people and in the process developed successful training programs for personnel. This led Sy to lecture on how to train staff and the creating of community within the workplace. Sy was then invited to speak at professional conferences on how best to hire and train employees, which led to his becoming a consultant in the art of improving relationships in a work environment and eventually to his epiphany that “Leaders are the primary problem and the answer to the personnel issues that arise in the workplace.” Sy has written numerous papers on the subject of interpersonal relationships, leadership and power. He has lectured throughout the United States, has been interviewed by the media and has appeared on many radio and TV talk shows
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