Details matter.

You never know when the smallest detail can affect your company.  In 1989, the then president of the largest direct marketing agency in the world came to visit me in La Crosse at the business I owned at that time, an ad agency called Ovation.  He lived in Chicago and wanted to raise his family in a small town like La Crosse, but remain engaged in the advertising business at a high level as Ovation was doing. 

I liked the guy immediately and offered him my job.  I envisioned returning to the creative side I loved and had left to manage the successful agency.  I "wined and dined" him and used all of my persuasive ability to convince him to move his family to La Crosse and take the position of president. 

His son and daughter were 12 and 13 years old and both avid soccer players.  At that time the soccer program in La Crosse was non-existent and that was the deciding factor in the family decision to stay in Chicago.  I was disappointed by his decision and remained as president of the agency for an additional 20 years, or my first book might have been about creativity rather than leadership.

My youngest daughter, born about the time of my interview with the then president, grew up to become an avid soccer player, and I got it.  Details matter.  I also learned to become involved when people in your community are doing things to improve it, like starting a youth soccer league.