Thomas Leonard Would Have Been 50
Thomas Leonard would have been 50 on July 31, 2005.
On this occasion, whether behind closed doors or on more public forums, there have been three kinds of conversation:
(1) The misty-eyed remembering him conversation.
(2) The ‘are we still talking about Thomas?’ conversation.
(3) The ‘Thomas who?’ conversation.
Because of having been his Chief Operating Officer (CoachVille and Schools of Coaching) at the time of his death, I get asked a lot for ‘stories’ or something about Thomas that ‘the rest of us didn’t know about.’
It’s funny because I actually didn’t know him much either.
Personally, that is, almost at all. (You would want to ask Susan Austin for that kind of insight.)
What I did know was his work and how he liked it done. The pace of emails, the rate of ideas, the ping and pong of instant message…the to do lists, and just the pure unadulterated drive to put ideas on a platform and go very big, very viral, very fast.
I was only ever face to face with Thomas 3 times over the course of our work relationship. And only once outside a CoachVille Conference setting. (We had Thai food once and Cheesecake Factory another time, both in Phoenix.)
So, although I’m not the font of Thomas stories that some people wish I might be, I can say that he showed me by example, what the power of a great vision, courage in spite of fear, and love, could do.
Of late, the most compelling thing to me, that Thomas wrote, was something like, “Ideas find me at such a velocity that I am rendered helpless.” This was on his website where he confessed he was hopelessly behind on his promises.
It’s one of those splinters in the mind, and on the anniversary of his death I find myself celebrating how well he exemplified an idea greenhouse in full pungent blossom – and how he was completely committed, yet surrendered, to this. It was his ‘lot.’
Remember, it’s all about completion, not perfection. If you knew your earthly life was to be as short as Thomas’ or the equivalent, what idea would you let loose now, raw and unformed, regardless?
What gift would you leave the world, today?
If you are looking for something to read or soak up that Thomas wrote, to mark this occasion…consider the ecourse called “A Course about People.”
You can visit the entire collection at: http://news.webvalence.com/sites/acourseaboutpeople/ but don’t subscribe, because I’m almost positive it’s not being delivered anymore.
Just browse around the archives and pluck a few if you’re so inclined.
The most well-known item from it is probably “People do what they do because they have nothing more compelling to do.”
I guess Thomas is still compelling enough now, three years after his death, that people are talking about him.
