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“I Know of No Great Man Except Those Who Have Rendered Great Services to the Human Race…” Voltaire said that a long time ago. Perhaps I can paraphrase that to read “I know of no great person in this industry except those who have rendered great services to it!” And what I have just written may be one of the most profound and thought provoking statements I have ever made. What this may mean to you, if I gage my readers and my audience, is that the more service you render, the more rewards you receive…the more contributions you make, the greater you will become. Now, these are not just trite clichés, but rather a result of a lifetime of studying, both the human condition and successful people in our industry. And our industry does have some very successful people. Look around you, in every city of size, and some that are pretty small, there are owners and managers of alarm companies that are perceived to be highly successful, perhaps even great. Almost always, those same individuals are the same people who have spent a great deal of their personal time, probably some money, and certainly a great deal of emotional capital in working with one of the trade associations in the alarm industry. Since this is being written by me for the NBFAA, let’s use it as an example: if you have just attended the NBFAA Leadership Summit or are looking at the meeting coming up in Washington, D.C. to help protect the industry from adverse legislation, you will see people who are spending their own time and money to support both the industry and the association. More than likely, these are the same people who are running the industry’s most successful companies. Accident? Random happening? Why is this happening? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that the leaders of the industry…the people who are most visible in their support of the NBFAA…are the ones that are also running the most successful companies. Think about this:“No man is more than another unless he does more than another.” Cervantes wrote that several hundred years ago, and it’s as accurate today as it was back then. Here’s something to think about from one of our former presidents, Calvin oolidge: “No person was ever honored for what he received; honor has been the reward for what he gave.” Go through a listing of all those who have received awards in the industry. NBFAA’s Morris F. Weinstock Award, Sarah E. Jackson Memorial Award and the Triton Award, any recognition of an individual’s greatness in the industry is almost always a recognition of that person’s service TO the industry . You probably think that this could be turned into a great sermon or a motivational speech. Probably it could, and I certainly don’t mean to preach to the choir (by definition, successful people are pretty much the ones that read this magazine), but I wonder if there isn’t more that could be done like volunteering on committees, going to Washington, attending all meetings, promoting your association within your community, introducing friends and competitors to the association. And although not obvious to the casual observer, these acts are actually some of the most selfish acts one can perform – yes, I do mean selfish! Because as those who volunteer on a regular basis know, without a doubt, it always comes back to you in one way or another. Almost always, through friendships that you might not have otherwise had; through recognition of your contributions; through increased visibility to your company; through increased recognition of the work you’ve done in the community; through a better understanding of your company; through a lack of surprise when good things happen to you. Okay, if it sounds like preaching, I apologize. However, this article, the speeches that I do and the contributions that I make to the NBFAA (as well as other associations) are, in just a small way, my payback to the industry that has done so much for me in the last, almost 40 years. So, not only am I preaching…but I believe so much in it that I am a product of that. Give to the industry. Give any way you can, even if it means just belonging to an association. And believe the NBFAA is as good as it gets in this industry. I believe that what we can do as individuals is truly limited; I believe with greater passion than anything else that what we can do as a group…a community of security professionals… is truly unlimited! Through its broad-reaching contacts in and around the security services industry, Davis Group can add legal, financial, operational and executive search capabilities to its core competencies of sales and marketing. In addition, Davis and his associates are knowledgeable and accomplished public speakers, having spoken in front of thousands of dealers, manufacturers and industry executives. To contact Ron Davis, call (847) 955- 2345 or visit www.graybeardsrus.com. View or download the original article from NBFAA Newsline, 2009, Vol.1. The Graybeards team:
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