Reflections on skills vs character, and on being a mensch:
For those who may not know, “mensch” is a Yiddish word that translates as “a person of integrity and honour“. It has colloquially come to mean someone who has good values, who strives to be a decent human being, and who cares about others.
This is an old photo of me and my Zaida, my grandfather. He wasn’t perfect, but most anyone who met him would agree that he was a mensch. In business, as in life, he treated everyone with kindness and respect, no matter their background or station. The company his father founded, which he and his brother led for decades, just celebrated 100 years in business, still run by a 3rd and now 4th generation of family. That’s not an accident.
In my career, as in my life, I’ve been fortunate to know some great mensches. They’ve been role models to me. And while I know I don’t always live up to their examples, they’ve made me want to try. Continue reading “On being a mensch”