Cowboy-Up!

In the last issue of QwikConnect I used this space to re-print the Glenair Guiding Principles. As is often the case with these Outlook columns, I received a number of comments. My old friend Chapman Leedy observed that "your guiding principles read like they were written by a commanding general for his troops". Ironically, Leedy hit the nail right on the head: our Guiding Principles are in fact based on a set of field management policies originally crafted by General George Patton during his career in the U.S. Army. So given their military roots, it's not surprising they still have a "blood-and-guts" flavor to them. At the risk of dating myself, I recall the great cowboy heros that were once such a big part of American culture—at least as they were portrayed in books and at the movies. Gene Autry was a favorite, together with Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger. And I'll never forget the character of the ranch foreman in Owen Wister's immortal classic of the American West, The Virginian. These cowboy figures had a code they lived by; a type of chivalry that was characterized by plain talk, honesty, hard work and respect for others. Gene Autry once published a Cowboy Code, which reads: Never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage. Never go back on your word or a trust confided in you. Always tell the truth. Be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals. Do not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas. Help people in distress. Keep yourself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits. Be a good worker. Respect women, parents, and the nation's laws. Be a patriot. Obviously Mr. Autry's Cowboy Code doesn't take into account everything we need to keep in mind in the operation of our business, and I'm not suggesting we adopt this code in place of the Guiding Principles which have been so instrumental in shaping the culture of our company. But on a personal level, I kind of like Mr. Autry's Cowboy Code with its compassionate outlook on how to treat others, and how to behave with honesty and integrity. And I wonder if we all couldn't benefit from a bit more old fashioned chivalry in our lives. Certainly our primary Guiding Principle, Protect the Reputation of the Organization, would cease to be a worry if we all just "cowboyed-up" a bit a la Autry and the other heros of the Wild West.

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