How was your first job different than you thought it would be?
Keeping company with black widow spiders and rats in old farm buildings was not what I expected. Long work days in the Texas sun required stamina beyond even high school football practice in August.

What important lessons or skills that you learned in your first job have been instrumental in your success?
I learned that making money required hard work, and that working with your hands has a relatively low rate of return. I also learned to appreciate people who must make a living with their hands. It was important to me to earn their respect.

Which of those lessons, and how, carried into subsequent jobs after your first? How do you use those skills in your position today?
People at every level are the most important part of any enterprise. Learning to appreciate the value of each person’s contribution is essential to leading a successful team effort. There cannot be sustained motivation without fair evaluation, appreciation and rewards.

Have you seen how lacking those first job skills had negative effects on others?
I have seen very good people leave organizations because they were not fairly evaluated and appreciated.

Is there a specific event in your first job that you learned something you still use today?
I learned the value of sustained effort. It is important to know how to sprint, but long distance runners win the prizes.

What obstacles that you faced had the greatest impact on your career path?
I was my own greatest obstacle. I spent too much time contemplating career objectives, and sometimes lost focus on the job at hand. I discovered that whatever I did warranted maximum effort. It is a waste of precious time and opportunity to do anything at less than full throttle.

What people or outside factors affected your work ethic or motivated you the most to succeed?
My father was an poor immigrant, and my mother was the daughter of a Texas sharecropper. I admired them immensely and was inspired by their aspirations and their values.

What advice would you give to someone starting his or her first job?
There is great value in a job well done. No matter what the task may be. Those who assign you the work will appreciate your efforts and you will learn a discipline that will serve you well throughout your career. You will also learn that assuming responsibility often adds value greater than the task itself.