Rusty Rueff v 1.23 The Entertainer – HR, Futurist, Academy

Rusty Rueff v 1.23 The Entertainer – HR, Futurist, Academy

Posted on 25. Aug, 2009 by in Blog, Top 100

By John Sumser

“The snickering begins when they ask to be your business partner. With little business acumen and even less understanding, they demand a seat at the table when anyone knows that what you want is a seat in the golf cart.”

So says Rusty Rueff as he ponders the future of HR. “We’re looking at an era where work becomes molecular. Project teams band together for the project and reconfigure for the next. Transparent workplaces where people come to dock and never to stay are the coming thing.”

Rueff’s career in HR was a skyrocket. From management trainee at Pratt-Whitney to Pepsico to Electronic Arts to Venture Backed startup as a CEO, Rueff’s career is a model that people point to. He worked all of the HR functions, published a book on talent management saw each phase of the corporate lifecycle and ran and sold a venture backed firm.

Rusty’s core developmental experience came in his decade at Pepsi. /component/option,com_virtuemart/page,shop.product_details/flypage,flypage.tpl/product_id,45/Itemid,44/”>generic cialis 10mg There are several academy companies in HR, the ones whose alumni run an enormous percentage of the other HR departments. Pepsi is one of the prime sources of HR Executives throughout America.

Some forms of influence come from the networks that you form over the years. The Pepsi alumni are a fraternity whose reach extends into boardrooms and training programs. Rusty’s colleagues throughout the course of his career are central to the level of influence he wields.

In action, Rusty’s HR department was a competitive weapon, recruiting as an offensive strategy, managing perks and compensation to retain the core assets of the business, offering strong counsel on non-HR business issues. The combination of a deep network of like-minded execs plus innovative performance gave Rusty a platform for influence.

In the career model of influence, that’s how you do. Stage 1, you learn the craft in rich detail. /component/option,com_virtuemart/page,shop.product_details/flypage,flypage.tpl/product_id,45/Itemid,44/”>generic cialis 10mg In Stage 2, you learn the politics of executing the craft appropriately. The third stage involves demonstrating these skills on problems outside the craft. This is important, you don’t get permission to be a business partner, you earn the privilege.

Stage four is where the network comes in. By having a peer group to turn to for new tactics and techniques, you ensure your ability to continue to innovate in your role, ever increasing the benefit to the organization. Stage four is where you build the platform for influence. The fifth and final stage involves using and increasing the influence you’ve developed.

Rusty Rueff is a fifth stage influencer. When he left HR, he took a two and a half year tour as the CEO of a VC backed SnoCap, a digital rights management company. By navigating the company to a sale, Rueff completed his tour of the business lifecycle, buying him even more credibility. Credibility, you see, is the substrate of influence. No credibility, no influence. Lots of it and influence is possible.

Today, Rueff plies his trade as a philanthropist, board member and consultant. Early on, he had a mentor who encouraged him to do the things he loved by reading him Ayn Rand. It looks like Rusty followed his advice.

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8 Responses to “Rusty Rueff v 1.23 The Entertainer – HR, Futurist, Academy”

  1. […] This post was Twitted by recruitingblogs […]

  2. Recruiting Animal

    25. Aug, 2009

    One question: What did this guy influence?

  3. […] Rusty Reuff v 1.23 The Entertainer – HR, Futurist, Academy | RecruitingBlogs.com – The Social Networ… http://www.recruitingblogs.com/rusty-reuff-v-1-23-the-entertainer-hr-futurist-academy – view page – cached Rusty Reuff is a fifth stage influencer. When he left HR, he took a two and a half year tour as the CEO of a VC backed SnoCap, a digital rights management company. By navigating the company to a sale, Reuff completed his tour of the business lifecycle, buying him even more credibility. Credibility, you see, is the substrate of influence. No credibility, no influence. Lots of it and influence is possible. — From the page […]

  4. saleem qureshi

    26. Aug, 2009

    I completely agree with you when you say that work is becoming more modular

  5. Hank Stringer

    26. Aug, 2009

    Rusty’s influences are many but one that had impact was his introduction in an article in Fast Company. He was introduced to the publisher at the 1st Chief Talent Officer Conference held in 2000 which culminated in an article highlighting the value of strategic talent plans and execution. Rusty was not the only one but the article got a number of C Suite execs considering and executing on the strategic value of talent. A number of talent consultants and vendors today have that article to thank in direct and indirect ways. And yes I’m biased, Rusty is a close friend.

  6. […] Rusty Reuff […]

  7. Mike Mayeux

    04. Sep, 2009

    Rusty is one of those guys who quickly understands things, then has the ability to drill further again quickly almost without effort. He is an intellectual drill bit. His thoughts and perceptions have lead my generation of HR players through the past 10 or so years. Few, if any, are more noble or beloved. He is a genuinely good man.

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