Who Do You Admire Professionally?

Last week, a colleague asked me who I admired professionally. I hesitated before answering, there are a number of people I admire professionally. I hesitated because a number of people, including my boss, came to mind and I wasn't sure who I admired the most. Plus, when these people came to mind, I had to ask myself if I admired them professionally or personally. 

 

My colleague asked, if I admired my dad because she knows I think highly of him. I agreed that I did admire my dad and wonder to myself if I admired him professionally- he is the president of his own company, a college professor and a politician. 

 

When I think of my dad, I think of the work he has done politically...I admire his passion for the causes he believes in, his drive to improve situations, and his belief that the right thing to do is most times not the popular thing to do but to always do the right thing.  

When I think of my dad on a professional level, I do not think of his political career. To me, my dad is not a 'professional politician'. His political work is who he is...ethical, high standards, helping others, improving the quality of life. What he does politically, is what he does personally; I look at his public life and I can see similarities in his personal life. He (and my mom) set excellent examples for my siblings and me. My dad has dedicated (a potion of) his life to public service.

I have known this colleague for a number of months and I know she knows of my dad as related to his company (he did some pro bono work for us...thanks dad). I doubt she knows that he is a professor and I'm not sure of she is aware of him as a politician. 

 

After this conversation, I started to wonder if I do admire my dad professionally. After thinking about it... no, not really (sorry dad). I admire him as a parent, as my dad, as a politician, as a humanitarian, as a philanthropist...I do admire him on so many levels.

I started thinking about my dad professionally, about the company, which lead me to think about my grandpa- the founder of the company. He built the company from scratch and I know why he started his own company, which I admire. He would tell me stories...it was this lifestyle from a different era. The travel, contacts, business meetings and time spent at the Club. His personal and professional lives intermingling. 

 

My grandfather always said, it's not about what can be done for us, but what we can do for the communities we are a part of. 

 

It is because of my grandfather that I have decided to dedicate my life to working for a non-profit. Working for a non-profit allows me to give back to the community on a daily basis. I know that I am making a difference, improving the lives of others, leaving the world a little bit of a better place. 

 

I have dedicated my life to service, volunteering and giving back- both personally and professionally.

But lets get back to the questions at hand, who do you admire professionally?

I'm still pondering an answer to this...I have a list of people that I do admire. I admire them for a number of reasons, both professionally and personally. There isn't anyone that I admire strictly for professional reasons.

But, I realize, I admire them all for similar reasons. They give back to the communities that they are apart of, they are successful business people yet are grounded and humble, they have high standards, ethics and morals, they turn out quality work. I look at them, and I see similar qualities in me.

I can see their influence in my life, both personal and professional. Which makes me wonder, maybe there is no need to separate the two. It's ok to admire someone as a whole person and not just who they are as a professional.