Day: 28 September 2006

It is with some sadness that I note the death of Byron Nelson earlier this week. Everything I heard and saw and read about him spoke of his immense gentleness and humility.

Born on a farm. Worked as a caddy while still a teenager. Worked as an accounts clerk. Thrown out of work during the Great Depression, found himself working temporarily for a banker’s magazine some time later. Turned pro because he couldn’t find work. Rewrote the record books. Retired to all intents and purposes at the age of 34, to run his ranch. Which he did for sixty years.

Here are some of the things he said:

I don’t know very much. I know a little bit about golf. I know how to make a stew. And I know how to be a decent man.

When I was playing regularly, I had a goal. I could see the prize money going into the ranch, buying a tractor, or a cow. It gave me an incentive.

Shades of Peter Drucker and Making Shoes Not Money.

Byron Nelson was hewn from stones we rarely see today. He will be missed. My condolences to his family.

Ever since I read Leadership is an Art, maybe 20 years ago, I’ve had a lot of time for the management thoughts and writings of Max De Pree. That in turn led to a deeper interest in Herman Miller.
Max’s writings exemplified modern servant leadership to me, almost like a reinterpretation of New Testament teachings in a modern enterprise context. I had to learn more about the company. Which I did. They’re an admirable company with admirable people and admirable values. [If you’re even vaguely interested, take a look at this article as an introduction.]
And it is therefore with considerable regret that I note that Bill Stumpf died last month. I found his writings useful as well. Some of you may have read The Ice Palace That Melted Away, well worth it. Incidentally, it wasn’t until today that I realised that the subtitles change between the hardcover and paperback editions of Stumpf’s book. The hardback says “Restoring civility and other lost virtues to everyday life” and the paperback says “How good design enhances our lives”.

I’ve never really known or met Stumpf; what I know of him is through his designs and his writings. In a recent addendum to his obituary in the Times, the author adds:

Stumpf was a visionary who brought a passionate intensity to his work. The horror he felt when faced with something ugly or that did not function properly was described in his book, The Ice Palaces that Melted Away.

Or just look at the quotes and anecdotes related to Stumpf in his wikipedia entry:

Everything was about freeing up the body, designing away constraints

“I work best when I’m pushed to the edge,” he said, “when I’m at the point where my pride is subdued, where I’m an innocent again. Herman Miller knows how to push me that way, mainly because the company still believes — years after D.J. DePree first told me — that good design isn’t just good business, it’s a moral obligation. Now that’s pressure.”

Good design isn’t just good business, it’s a moral obligation. So good I had to say it twice. Thanks to the Duprees, to Bill Stumpf and to the Herman Miller company. And my condolences to the Stumpf family.