Career Reflections 3-2-25

Companies are fragile and short-lived. Of the 8 companies I worked for, only 4 companies including United Way, Kearney National, Monsanto and Washington U continue to exist. 3 companies including Rickel, Electromagnetic Sciences and Schwan Foods were sold. Hayes failed to manage its working capital, went bankrupt and closed. 

I watched once great companies like General Electric fail. Lower prices from competitors and market saturation can drive big companies to make mistakes. They scramble to add more profitable businesses outside their expertise to increase revenue. They should focus on their core strengths. Boards of Directors are too focused on increasing revenue and quarterly profits. They should fucus on continuous improvement of operations and product quality.

My career was geared to accomplishing what I came to do.

United Way rapid expansion and structure fixing

Kearney National teamster dumping and relocation

Monsanto promotion refusal and water treatment issue

Washington U promotion refusal and SEU dumping

Schwan Foods promotion refusal, automation and solving employee development

Rickel UAW dumping and industry consolidation with Ag Chem

Hayes rapid expansion and cost containment failure

EMS rapid expansion and rapid contraction

I watched the US auto industry fail to compete with the Japanese auto industry and attribute this to their lack of innovation and systemic unionization.

Unionization in the US peaked at 35% in 1954 and is currently 10%. I was involved in improving employee relations to make unions unnecessary. Unions need to reform their focus to support automation and innovation to increase productivity. Wages are based on labor supply and demand and are controlled by the average wage for each occupation. Non-union wages are typically higher than Union wages. Wages are also determined by expertise within the ranges published by occupation.

Employee development begins with testing to establish a “Base-Line”.  Employees are responsible for their own development.

This is also true for Education from 1^st grade through high school and beyond to college. Students are responsible for their own education. Parents and Teachers need to prepare students to become self-supporting. Students need to identify their Motivated Abilities to ensure that they are happy and successful.

God is in charge and will help if we listen. We need to identify what we are good at and love to do as clues to God’s Plan for us. We are as unique as our DNA.

I am extremely grateful for my career that was guided by God’s Plan for me. I got to use my musical talent to work as a musician for 18 years from age 14 to age 32. I got to use my business talent to work in Personnel for 51 years from age 23 to age 74.

I am extremely grateful for my wife’s career as a Dental Hygienist for in Dunwoody 31 years from age 43 to age 74 after raising our 6 children. She loved her job, the Dentists she worked for and her patients. It was God’s Plan that she enjoy being a Mom and enjoy having a professional career.

I am grateful for the success of our 6 children and hopeful that our 13 grandkids and our 6 great-grandkids will succeed in finding God’s Plan for each of them.

God has a Plan for you and you’re not going to like it if you fail to discover God’s Plan for you. If you listen, God will help you through the tough spots. 

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader