Lane Cardwell

To Norman Brinker

Dear Norman,

The world got a little darker this morning when I heard that you had passed away today. Like so many other events that change our world, I will always remember where I was standing and what I was doing when I got the call about you.

I never got the chance to talk to you and tell you what I am doing now. I had hoped to call you when I was back in Dallas visiting and have you tell me, like you tell so many others, that you were proud of me and that you knew that I would do well. Like so many others, just hearing that from you was always enough to make me try a little bit harder not to let you down.

You have prepared so many of us to pass on the lessons that you have so generously and tirelessly taught us over the years. You left us with an enduring message about the value of teamwork, and putting others before your self. You lived a life of high standards, and higher character, and invited others around you to do the same. You demonstrated daily the importance of a good culture and good people.

You never told us what to do, although I know it must have pained you greatly sometimes to wait for us to come to the right answer. Your questions always helped point us toward the correct path, but you knew that the greatest commitment comes from following our own answers.

You were a world-class athlete, an Olympian, one of the world’s top polo players, and a competitor until you died. While competition brings out the worst in some people, with you it always made you shine a little brighter. You worked hard, played hard, and lived large.

There are so many stories, so many memories, and so many nuggets from the past that all of your fellow employees can tell. I wanted to tell one that was mine alone, because it was so typical of the leader that you were, and the leader that I had always hoped to become.

I joined you at Steak and Ale in November of 1978. A few weeks later we had a company Christmas party at a nearby hotel. As was common for you, you had invited some of the leaders of Dallas to attend. Not just because they were your friends, but also because you wanted us to be able to meet and learn from them, and for them to get to see the kind of people that you had attracted to your team.

Ross Perot, the Mayor of Dallas, Ray Hunt, Joe Haggar, Tom Landry, and many, many other big names that most of us had only seen in the newspapers were there for us to talk to. I had to go to the restroom and went in, only to find you talking in your usual animated fashion to Jose from our mailroom. You were talking to him about the need for him to go back to school so that he could have the kind of opportunities that you had in business.

When I left the restroom I lingered outside to see how long this talk would take. I kept thinking, the biggest names in Dallas are in the room, and here is Norman focused on improving Jose’s life. Well, 20 minutes later you came out, looking pleased with having secured the commitment from Jose that he would return to school. The big names could wait; you had something more important to do.

I will never forget your lessons, your bright spirit, your boundless optimism that a team could tackle anything, your constant searching for a better way to do things, and how our entire business revolved around making a customer happy with one more meal.
 

You touched millions through your life, improved an industry, and gave opportunities to so many others to go out and try to accomplish with our lives what you have accomplished with yours. You will never truly die while there are still people who are scattered across the industry living your ideals, and passing on your lessons.

You were a boss, a mentor, a legend, a leader, and a friend. And you will be missed greatly.

You will always be a part of me,

Lane

Posted by Lane Cardwell on June 9, 2009 | Comments (34)