Commemoration From A Close Friend And Colleague
John Cull: A Perspective of the Visionary
By Long-Time Friend and Colleague
Bill Lenhard
- John was courageous. When times were tough and hard decisions needed to be made, John stepped forward and made the call. While others were running for cover, he was willing to do what he thought was right and took responsibility for the outcome.
- John could envision the future and was able to help others see it too. He believed so strongly in his picture of a desired future that his steps were a decisive march in one direction and his actions left a clear path to follow.
- John made the most of even the smallest opportunity. Because he was so clear about his vision, he was quick to see a potential advantage or an alternative solution to a problem. His pace was decisive and steady and he was always alert to any avenue that would help the Foundation reach its goals.
- John didn't need to waste time playing political games. While he has the emotional intelligence to deal with different personalities, he didn't stoop to manipulation, social climbing or patronizing behavior. John didn't need to.
- John added value. Rather than take the easy way out, he looked for problems to solve and applied himself to untangling the mess. John was willing to move laterally within the Foundation or move to an undesirable area of the organization to get the job done.
- John was a survivor. Rather than whine about fairness, he empowered himself to do whatever it took to rise above adversity. Entitlement and victimization were not on his radar screen.
- John got a thrill from developing others. He made it a point to know the career goals of the people around him and then looked for opportunities to put in their path. He was also quick to give credit and visibility to others.
- John believed in the inherent goodness and integrity of people and treated his coworkers and employees as though they had the best intentions. This trust was rewarded more than it was betrayed because people wanted to live up to this trust in him.
- John was a student who never stopped learning. He read books, attended classes and sought advice from those who could teach him how to approach challenging situations. He studied behaviors and was a close observer of people and strategies. Mistakes were opportunities to learn lessons.
- John had a servant mentality. He dedicated himself to the outcome, not to personal recognition. Given the choice, he would rather see the team win and didn't need to be the "star of the show."
- John was dependable to a fault. Everyone knew that his promise would be kept and a deadline would be met. As a great leader, John always knew that his word was the currency on which trust and credibility are built.
- When John was wrong he admited it and made it right. He didn't blame others or faulty circumstances. He was the backbone and the character to own up to his mistakes. He didn't wallow in his error or seek reassurance; he sucked it up and moved on.
- John had integrity. Even if it's easy to take the road to personal gain, he wouldn't go down that path if it was at the expense of someone else. He made decisions as though a room full of people were observing each action. Instead of doing what is fast and easy, he would slow the process, if necessary to do what is right.
- John defined success in his own terms. He didn't let others make the rules for his own happiness. Often it's a balance of family life, personal achievement and doing good for others. He didn't let other's "shoulds" and "musts" rule his choices. He made up his own mind and set the course for his own life.
- John G. Cull was the mentor for Elder LifeCare Foundation, set the standards and its course.
