Your Values-Based Legacy E-Book

Harry M. Jansen Kraemer

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 301

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Build your legacy to have an impact and make the world a better place

In Your Values-Based Legacy: Making a Difference at Every Age and Phase of Life, the fourth book in Harry Kraemer’s series on values-based leadership, you are invited on a journey of introspection and exploration to discover how you can help make the world a better place. As a former chairman and CEO of a multi-billion-dollar global healthcare company and now a Professor of Management and Strategy at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Kraemer shares first-hand accounts from dozens of individuals who are building legacies by tackling some of the planet’s biggest challenges, including poverty, hunger, inequality, climate change, education, and leadership development. From local community projects to global initiatives, Your Values-Based Legacy captures the essence of caring for others.

• Personal Empowerment: Learn how to make conscious choices that positively impact your life and the world around you.
• Inspiring Stories: Read compelling accounts from people making a difference in various fields and communities.
• Actionable Guidance: Gain practical advice and reflective questions to help you build a sustainable legacy.

Your Values-Based Legacy is structured around the concept of legacy as a continuum. In Part 1, Honoring Our Past, you explore the influences in your life—from family to teachers and role models. In Part 2, Celebrating Our Present, you reflect on the causes, challenges, and opportunities that resonate with you, and hear from others who are making a positive impact. In Part 3, Creating Our Future, you consider how to make your legacy sustainable, such as by passing the torch to the next generation.

Ready to make a difference? Start your journey towards building a meaningful legacy with Your Values-Based Legacy: Making a Difference at Every Age and Phase of Life today.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

COVER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRAISE FOR

YOUR VALUES-BASED LEGACY

TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT

DEDICATION

INTRODUCTION: A VALUES-BASED JOURNEY

WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO?

PART ONE: HONORING OUR PAST

CHAPTER 1: OUR EARLIEST INFLUENCES

MY EARLY INFLUENCES

RAUL RAYMUNDO: THE RESURRECTION PROJECT

LOOKING FOR THE LINKS

Notes

CHAPTER 2: SELF-REFLECTION

SELF-REFLECTION: A TOOL FOR LIFE AND LEGACY

THE WHEN AND WHERE OF SELF-REFLECTION

THE FIRST C: CONNECTIONS

THE SECOND C: COMMUNITY

THE THIRD C: CHOICES

FROM ROLE MODELS TO CONSCIOUS CHOICES

REFLECTIONS ON THE 3Cs

Notes

PART TWO: CELEBRATING OUR PRESENT

CHAPTER 3: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SMALL

WITHIN OUR “CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE”

ONE HOPE: MANY HANDS TO HELP OTHERS

PAYING IT FORWARD: BERKELEY COMMUNITY SCHOLARS

AN EXECUTIVE’S “OTHER JOB”

LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK: A SOLUTION WITHIN REACH

WHAT NEED DO YOU SEE?

Notes

CHAPTER 4: GROWING AT THE GRASSROOTS

McKENZIE RIVER TRUST: PROTECTING THE LAND AND WATER

KHEYTI: BRINGING CLIMATE RESILIENCE TO SMALL FARMERS IN INDIA

MALAWI: A “BIG” IDEA AT THE GRASSROOTS

AS THE GRASSROOTS GROWS …

Notes

CHAPTER 5: FROM LOSS TO LEGACY

CHRISTOPHER’S STORY

A LASTING LEGACY

Notes

CHAPTER 6: WHO ARE “THOSE GUYS”?

STEPHEN ISAACS: FROM WORLD WANDERER TO WORLD CHANGER

MAZIWA: HELPING MOTHERS AND THEIR BABIES

MACEDONIA2025: FOR LOVE OF THE HOMELAND

SHRI STUDIO & SERVICE CORPS: SUPPORT, HONOR, RESPECT, INSPIRE

BECOMING ONE OF THOSE GUYS

Notes

PART THREE: CREATING OUR FUTURE

CHAPTER 7: A GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

ANDREW YOUN: A HEART TO SERVE

PAULINE WANJALA: FROM LOCAL FARMER TO SENIOR LEADER

FROM A TINY SEED

Notes

CHAPTER 8: THE CYCLE CONTINUES

PACIFIC SPIRIT FOUNDATION: BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS IN THE COMMUNITY

THE GALLAGHER FOUNDATION: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THEIR FATHER

LEARNING WHAT THEY LIVE

Notes

CHAPTER 9: WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW

NATURE AND NURTURE

FROM THE POPE TO POP MUSIC

“WE ARE THE WORLD”

FOLLOWING THE LIGHT OF THE LUMINARIES

FOLLOWING THE LIGHT OF OTHERS

OUR BUTTERFLY EFFECT

FINAL THOUGHTS

Notes

EPILOGUE: MY INSPIRATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

APPENDIX

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

INDEX

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Praise for Your Values-Based Legacy

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

INTRODUCTION: A VALUES-BASED JOURNEY

Begin Reading

EPILOGUE: MY INSPIRATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

APPENDIX

INDEX

End User License Agreement

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Praise for Your Values-Based Legacy

“Your Values-Based Legacy is required reading for anyone seeking to understand what it means to build a compelling legacy. Both philosopher and practitioner, Kraemer offers powerful guidance for every point of our lives. My most valuable epiphany … meaningful legacy starts at the beginning and never stops—far from being an end of career phenomenon.”

—Greg Case, CEO of Aon, plc

“In this truly remarkable book, Harry Kraemer does a fabulous job of showing us how we can build a lifelong legacy of impact through the values-driven choices we make every day. He encourages us to look inward, rediscover the values modeled by our families and mentors, and use that moral foundation to create positive ripples in the world. This book is a powerful call for every one of us to embrace our potential to make an extraordinary difference.”

—Hubert Joly, former Best Buy CEO; senior lecturer Harvard Business School; author, The Heart of Business

“Harry Kraemer’s newest book is a must-read. Earlier in my career I thought that legacy creation was for ‘later,’ as being an executive and busy mom was enough for ‘now.’ Harry helps us learn how we can begin to set the stage throughout our lives to build the framework for the legacy we hope to leave.”

—Mary Dillon, CEO of Foot Locker; former CEO of Ulta Beauty

“Drawing from his extensive career with Baxter International and Northwestern University, Harry provides insightful guidance on honoring our past, celebrating the present, and creating a future legacy that reflects our core values. It inspires readers to take conscious steps toward creating a fulfilling and purpose-driven life—starting today. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to make a difference and leave a legacy to be proud of.”

—Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach and New York Times best-selling author of The Earned Life, Triggers, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

“Harry Kraemer’s new book, Your Values-Based Legacy, not only belongs in your library at home next to his other books but more importantly it needs to be in your heart and your head. Our legacy depends on the choices we make now, and our choices for doing good for others will inspire and encourage those who come after us. And that goodness in action goes forth like a ripple effect: ever farther and ever greater.”

—Rev. Francis Joseph Hoffman, CEO of Relevant Radio

“In this deeply personal book Harry Kraemer reminds us that legacies are not what is written in obituaries but the impact we have right now, every moment, through our choices and actions, on the lives of others. I strongly recommend it to everyone who wants to live a more meaningful and impactful life.”

—Daniel Diermeier, PhD Chancellor, Vanderbilt University

“Your Values-Based Legacy is a testament to the wisdom, experience, and passion Harry Kraemer brings to every aspect of his life. He has a unique—and compelling—ability to weave the personal with the professional and exemplifies every aspect of the values and leadership principles he teaches in the classroom. He inspires everyone to think of their legacy and long-term impact. If you are looking for inspiration and practical guidance on how to live a life of meaning and purpose, you must spend time with Harry’s Your Values-Based Legacy.”

—Francesca Cornelli, Dean, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management

“Harry Kraemer’s Your Values-Based Legacy provides an inspiring set of stories that demonstrate how leaders at every stage of life find their purpose and drive change throughout the world. His powerful 3Cs framework encourages each of us to weave together our connections, communities, and conscious choices into a legacy that is uniquely ours and meaningful in its impact.”

—Deborah DeHaas, CEO of Corporate Leadership Center; former vice chair of Deloitte

“This is required reading for anyone seeking to understand what it means to build a compelling legacy.”

—GREG CASE, CEO of Aon, plc

YOUR VALUES-BASED LEGACY

MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT EVERY AGE AND PHASE OF LIFE

HARRY M. JANSEN KRAEMER, JR.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is Available:

ISBN: 9781394271320 (cloth)

ISBN: 9781394271337 (epub)

ISBN: 9781394271344 (epdf)

Cover Design: Paul McCarthy

To my two grandfathers, Farrell Grehan, a world history teacher in Queens, New York, and Dr. Harry M. Kraemer Sr., a family physician in Scranton, Pennsylvania—two amazing examples of what it means to start a legacy

To my first grandchild, Harrison Thomas Clark, whom I will encourage to continue this legacy

INTRODUCTION: A VALUES-BASED JOURNEY

Values-based leadership is the journey of my life. It began during my career at Baxter International, a multibillion-dollar health care company where I spent 23 years, including 6 years as CEO. The next phase of my journey began 20 years ago, when I became a clinical professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Teaching at Kellogg has led me to write three books, and now a fourth. In fact, the ideas for each of my books were generated by questions from my students. When they asked me what it takes to become a values-based leader, that discussion led to my first book, From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership, in which I discuss self-reflection, balance, true self-confidence, and genuine humility as being foundational to values-based leadership.

From values-based leadership the discussion moved to a values-based organization. That led to my second book, Becoming the Best: Build a World-Class Organization Through Values-Based Leadership. Then, right before the onset of the COVID pandemic—which, for many of us, led to both isolation and self-reflection about what matters most—a student asked me, “How do I live a values-based life?” The answer shaped my third book, Your 168: Finding Purpose and Satisfaction in a Values-Based Life.

After writing these three books, I thought I was finished with everything I had to say. Then Tricia Crisafulli, who has played a significant role in all three of my books, called me one evening and raised an interesting question: “Harry, how do you build a values-based legacy?” Our conversation led to this book, which you are about to read.

Initially, I expected to approach this book the way I had my first three: drawing from my teaching, the four principles, and experiences from my career and those shared by people I highly respect (many of whom are also guest speakers in my Kellogg leadership classes). As I soon found out, though, this book required a different approach. Instead of being the teacher, I became the student as I explored what it means to build a legacy. I reached out to people in my network who are doing important work to help others. They, in turn, introduced me to people in their networks, who also suggested others I should talk to. This process started with my own network, but quickly spiraled outward to many more people, including several I had never met before.

This also became the first lesson in building a values-based legacy: start where you are and with people you know and see where it leads you. Within your own network, community, and even your neighborhood, there are people and projects that are making a difference. You don’t have to travel the world. You can start, literally, in your own backyard. The key word, though, is start.

Often when I speak to young professionals about legacy, they think about what they might do one day. They view it as something to put on a bucket list—when they’re older and more established in their careers, after they’ve bought a house, after they’ve had children, after those children graduate from college, when they’re ready to retire … in other words, it’s something they’ll do when they have more time and more money.

That’s not how I view building a legacy. It’s about the conscious choices you are making in your life right now. It may be a genuine commitment to show respect and kindness to others in your daily interactions with colleagues, friends, family members—or the next person you see at the coffee shop or the grocery store. You may become a dedicated volunteer with an organization in your community. You may spend a certain number of hours every week or month supporting a cause that reflects your values, your sense of purpose, and how and where you’d like to make a positive impact. In time, your vision may even become a calling. Your focus may be local or global. Whatever it is, it’s all part of your legacy—on the journey we call life.

It’s also important to understand what legacy is not. It has nothing to do with building your résumé. A legacy isn’t about your image, your network, or your net worth. There’s nothing for you to gain—except, of course, personal satisfaction. As I’ve heard countless times from the people interviewed for this book, as they gave of themselves—whether to a cause, a community, or an entire country—they were transformed. My good friend Stephen Isaacs, who supports and works with numerous philanthropic projects in Africa and elsewhere, said it best: “Working with people is a two-way street.”

WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO?

It’s a common question—and one you may be asking yourself right now. What can one person do? The answer is: more than you might ever imagine.

Yes, there are many problems and challenges in our world, and solving them is beyond the capability of any one person. But when one person joins with another and then another… . Soon there is a critical mass of people and resources that can, indeed, lead to positive change and make a significant impact.

Just ask Andrew Youn, cofounder of One Acre Fund, a former Kellogg MBA student (you’ll read about him in Chapter 7), who went to Africa with a desire to help farmers grow enough to feed their families and improve their communities. Not knowing how to do that at first, he listened and learned. Today, One Acre Fund supports more than 4 million farm families, with a goal of 10 million families. (As with all my books, I donate my proceeds, along with speaking fees and honorariums, to One Acre Fund.)

One Acre Fund is expanding its reach across Africa, but there was a time when it was only Andrew and a few people, trying to make a difference. If Andrew hadn’t had this desire and acted on it, One Acre Fund would not exist. This is the difference that even one person can make in the world.

This is the essence of what it means to step up to the challenges we see around us. It’s understanding that we cannot wait for someone else to solve the problems. We each can and should do something—in other words, we are the ones to do what needs to be done. Even if we don’t have ample financial resources, we can give our time and talent. There is always something to contribute to others, and no effort is too small or insignificant.

When Andrew and I talked about that, we found a metaphor in a surprising place—the fable of Stone Soup. This well-known story goes like this: One day hungry strangers arrive in a village with nothing but an empty pot. But the people of the town refuse to give them anything to eat. Undeterred, the travelers fill their pot with water and a large stone and start to “cook” it. One by one, the villagers come to investigate this “stone soup,” which the strangers promise to share. To improve the taste, a villager offers a few carrots, another gives an onion. Others come with potatoes, cabbage, a little meat… . Soon, that pot of soup is bubbling with tasty ingredients—and the meal is shared by all. The fable of Stone Soup reminds us that even a small effort, multiplied many times over, becomes significant.

Another personal inspiration for me is the poem The Dash by Linda Ellis (visit her site, https://lindaellis.life/the-dash-poem to read it). It tells the story of a man who delivers a eulogy at a friend’s funeral. Looking at his friend’s tombstone, he notes the dates: when his friend was born and when he died. What mattered most, he says, is “the dash between those years.” It’s the same for all of us: Our “dash”—the time we have on Earth—contains the legacy we’ll leave.

Compared to the hundreds of thousands of years of human history, let alone the billions of years of our planet, our individual lives last only the blink of an eye. We are here, then we are gone. The older I get, the more I know this to be true, as time seems to be accelerating. When I look back, it feels like only 10 or 20 years ago when I was a freshman at Lawrence University—but no, it was 50 years ago. How did time pass so quickly?

No matter where we are along our life path—whether still in school, just starting careers, or well into retirement—we can discover what it means to leave a legacy. This book is meant to inspire and guide you along that journey.

In Part One, Honoring Our Past, we explore our earliest influences, those who came before us and set an example. Parents, grandparents, teachers, community members, and others provided life lessons and helped shape our lives, our purpose, and our values—in other words, what matters most. That was the legacy they gave to us, which we can carry forward. Then, engaging in self-reflection—we look back on our past to see the influences of our connections, community, and choices. These 3Cs also draw our attention to philanthropic causes and charitable activities we engaged in, no matter how big or small, in our past. These are the seeds we can sow for a lasting legacy.

In Part Two, Celebrating Our Present, we explore the examples of people who are actively making a difference, locally and globally. We learn about the “significance of small” when making a difference in our local communities and “growing at the grassroots,” where what we do locally (whether in our communities or halfway around the world) relates directly to global issues.

Some legacies are born of loss, the death of a loved one or other personal tragedies. The desire to honor the memory of a loved one establishes a legacy, as you’ll read with the story of a courageous, grieving mother. You’ll also learn what it means to be one of those who show up and do what they can.

In Part Three, Creating Our Future, we see just how impactful a legacy can be: crossing borders, spanning continents, and bringing together generations. Here we find the story of One Acre Fund, which is not only raising millions of farm families out of poverty but also creating a legacy of local leaders who empower their communities. We’ll also learn about families that seek to “pass the torch” of their legacy by establishing a foundation, ensuring that good works last beyond one generation. Finally, we’ll conclude by looking at what the world needs now—and all the various people and places that can inspire and uplift us.

My hope is that, guided by this book, you’ll follow your own values-based journey and build a legacy. Then one day, when you look back on your life, you will be able to say, “I tried to make a difference by doing what I could to make the world a better place.” There is no greater success or satisfaction than that.

I wish you the very best on your legacy journey.

PART ONEHONORING OUR PAST

When we reflect on our earliest influences, we see how our grandparents, parents, teachers, mentors, leaders, and role models led by example as they demonstrated the importance of caring for others. Woven into our stories of origin are our values, our purpose, and what matters most.

CHAPTER 1OUR EARLIEST INFLUENCES

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved on stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

—Pericles

When we hear the word legacy, what comes to mind is often money or property. It’s no wonder; Merriam-Webster’s first definition of legacy is a bequest made in someone’s will. But legacy means much more. Legacy is a treasure that we inherit and that we, in turn, can leave to others, but not in the material sense. The legacy we discuss in this book is giving of ourselves.

Grounded in a deep desire to make a difference in the world, legacy brings with it life lessons and invaluable experiences. As our values and best intentions turn into meaningful actions, legacy celebrates what is most important to us. The fruits of these efforts also live on past our lifetime.

In this chapter, we begin our exploration of legacy as part of a continuum—past to present, and present to future. As we contemplate where we are already making a difference, or where we’d like to become more involved, we often find the imprint of our earliest influences: grandparents, parents, teachers, mentors, leaders, and others who by their example demonstrated the importance of caring for others. Thanks to these role models, legacy is part of our DNA (perhaps literally, based on the research that shows a genetic component to altruistic behavior).1

Genetics aside, I believe our desire to carry on a legacy is as much nurture as it is nature. In my conversations with people, particularly over the past year, I’m often struck by how their desire to give back and the activities in which they engage link them closely to early influences in their lives. Therefore, those who shaped them in the past are still playing a role in how they act in the world.

Every conversation I had with people in this book included the same question: who influenced you? The vast majority of people mentioned a family member and frequently their parents. Stephen Isaacs, a successful biomedical entrepreneur and a philanthropist who supports numerous humanitarian projects in Africa, is a perfect example. “I grew up in a single-parent home without a lot of resources,” Steve explained. “But my mother was always willing to share what little we had. This was also true of my extended family—grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins.”

He recalled Sunday evening get-togethers with the family—“with rich, unhealthy food and home-based family music, all held in the haze of unfiltered cigarette smoke.” Not exactly the typical idyllic scene, perhaps, but it shines brightly in Steve’s memory. “The lesson from these Sunday evenings was that good times and rich experiences are based on love and togetherness and not necessarily connected to material wealth. And I then re-learned this lesson again in Africa.”

Similarly, Elizabeth Goward, who manages the volunteer program for the McKenzie River Trust, a watershed protection organization in Oregon (profiled in Chapter 4), credits the influence of her mother, as well as the local community. She recalled her childhood of growing up in a family of three children raised by a single parent. “As a child, I was introduced to the YMCA, which had incredible resources to support low-income families,” Elizabeth said. “I was a nonprofit baby!”

Through the YMCA and other community organizations, Elizabeth attended summer camps and spent time in the forest as a youngster, which became a lifelong influence. “It really brought out my interest and passion for the environment.”

Another example is Dr. Pat Lee, president and CEO of Central Health, an Austin, Texas–based health care system (his story appears in Chapter 2), who has devoted his life to social justice and closing the gaps of health care inequities. He recalled the enduring influence of his uncle, Dr. David Lee, professor emeritus of medicine/nephrology with the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, who believed caring for all patients was a humbling privilege. “Uncle David was the kindest person in the room. He could make you feel better about yourself, just by being there. He had that gift.”

These are just some of the stories I had the privilege to hear in the writing of this book. Each example is a testimony to the enduring influence of those who came before us, to guide and inspire us in how and where we want to give back. For some people, this may be tapping the power of generational stories of giving others a helping hand. One friend of mine described how her grandparents, who had a small farm during the Depression, never turned away anyone who came to the back door asking for a meal in return for doing an odd job, such as chopping wood for the kitchen stove. Having heard these stories so much in her childhood, my friend sees it as “no surprise” that she’s drawn to causes that address homelessness, poverty, and hunger in the local community.

Remembering these early influences helps us connect the dots to where and how we can be involved in the causes that resonate with us. On an emotional level, we can often see how our philanthropic efforts honor the legacy we inherited from others in our past.

MY EARLY INFLUENCES

In my own life, I can trace the roots of my legacy back to childhood. I can remember being in second grade in Catholic school and our teacher, who was a nun, passed out empty milk cartons to collect change to help feed children in developing countries. Deeply moved by images of children my age who suffered from malnutrition, I was on a mission to be the first one in the class to fill my milk carton with pennies, nickels, dimes, and the occasional quarter. Back then, empty soda bottles could be returned to the corner grocery store for a two-cent deposit and quart-sized bottles for a nickel. Soon my younger brothers and I were scouring the park for empty glass bottles to turn in for the refund. Looking back on this early influence, it’s no surprise that one of the organizations I support is One Acre Fund, which seeks to eradicate poverty and hunger by increasing the productivity and profitability of farmers in Africa. (You’ll be reading more about One Acre in Chapter 7.) My support of One Acre Fund has a direct link back to my milk carton collection days.

When I was growing up, life lessons were taught to my three brothers, my sister, and me as part of our family values and our faith. We were expected to take responsibility, do our best, treat others with honesty and respect, and give to those who were less fortunate. Other kids in the neighborhood might complain about not having a new bicycle or only getting 25 cents for a weekly allowance. But we didn’t dare. It’s not that the Kraemer kids were angels, but we were taught to recognize how blessed we were. We couldn’t grumble about not having enough pocket money to buy ice cream when we knew there were children halfway around the world who did not have enough food to keep them alive.

My parents, Harry and Patricia Kraemer, and my maternal grandparents, Farrell and Emily Grehan.

Me, about age two, playing with Grandpa Grehan.

When I think about specific episodes, I get quite emotional. One involved my maternal grandfather, Farrell Grehan, my mother’s father. He was a world history teacher who lived in New York City—specifically, Richmond Hill, a neighborhood in Queens. I can remember visits with Grandpa Grehan when he would explain the importance of understanding the past and learning from history—all the way back to the ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire. He would talk to me about Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and Napoleon—and how they had focused on building their personal empires, but not on leaving legacies of a truly positive difference in the world.

One vivid memory from my younger days is when I was about seven years old and walking with Grandpa Grehan around New York’s Central Park and looking at all the statues of “important people” who seemed to gaze down at me from their pedestals. Some of these statues depicted generals and other military leaders. That stirred a question in my young mind. “Grandpa,” I asked one day, “why are there always wars?”

I’ll never forget his reply: “Harry, since the dawn of humankind, people have killed each other. Part of it is that people don’t take the time to listen to one another and don’t reflect on how short of a time they’re on this Earth. They’re only after power and wealth—things that are very temporary.”

Then Grandpa Grehan looked down at me and said, “It was only a blink of an eye ago that I was a child like you.”

There I was, a young boy, looking up at my grandfather who had lived more years than I could imagine at the time (truthfully, he was just a little older than I am now). And yet, he was talking about being a child and how that felt like such a short time ago.

Of all the many discussions with Grandpa Grehan over the years, this particular conversation was a formative moment. It was the first time I began to grasp what my grandfather meant when he said, “We’re here only for a very short time.” This perspective is a big part of the legacy that Grandpa Grehan gave to me. Sure, I played a lot of baseball (during the summer, we started after breakfast and finished when the sun went down, with only a few breaks for meals). But from a young age, I grew up knowing that life is short, and time should not be wasted.

Dr. Harry Kraemer Sr., my paternal grandfather.

My paternal grandfather, Dr. Harry Kraemer Sr., died long before I was born. A physician in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he delivered babies for free during the Depression when his patients could not pay. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, he told his wife to destroy his accounting books because he didn’t want people to have to pay after his death.

My dad was only 18 when his father died. But the stories he later told my siblings and me about him became enduring lessons, as we learned values such as giving to others in need. Money was not what mattered.

One of the biggest influences on this perspective was my father. He was a salesman, as personable a guy as you’d ever want to meet. He had several great lines (some no doubt he heard from someone else), but he sure knew how to deliver them. One of his best was, “Have you ever seen a hearse going to a cemetery with a U-Haul attached to it?”

He always got a good laugh from that one. Beyond the punchline, though, was a serious message. As Dad would say, “Most people must think they’re either going to live forever or they’re going to take all of this material stuff with them.” It was a message I heard often, and it made an impression on me.

When I was 13 years old, I was really into cars and liked to look at the front grilles and figure out their make and model. I’d see a particular grille and know whether the car was a Ford or an Oldsmobile. Back in those days, there were big fields filled with junk cars sold for parts or scrap metal. One day, Dad and I drove past a big flatbed truck carrying a tall stack of flattened cars. Dad looked out the window and asked me, “What’s the grille on the third one from the bottom?”

“That’s a Mercedes,” I replied.

Dad shook his head as he spoke. “You know, about 10 years ago, some guy bought that car and was so proud of it. He’d always park it at the very end of the parking lot so no one would put a ding in the door. Didn’t matter if it was raining, he’d be the farthest from the building so nothing would happen to his car. And now look, that same car is as flat as a pancake on the back of a truck.”