A Tribute to my Grandma!

Mother Mayor Didn't Have to Run a Marathon

By Lorene Rasmussen Last year I had the privilege of introducing my mother to you through a holiday article called, Mother Mayor's Management Style. Many of you wrote back to us saying that you enjoyed the "heart warming" story and that it was a nice tribute to a woman who had obviously exhibited hope, passion, tenacity, and leadership. I shared in the earlier article that the holiday season was my Mother's favorite time of year and I still believe her drug of choice was pine scent and fruit cake. Her idea of an extreme sport was baking 15 different flavors of cookies and 10 varieties of homemade candy. Mom was magnificent, colorful, and quite authentic. She never went to college; she never wrote a book; and at the time of her passing, she didn't have a $1,000 in her bank account. Nonetheless, she raised 6 hard working children; owned a greasy spoon café, and stayed married to my father for more than 50 years. Mom had a passion for good food, good kids, and a good community. Mom was a big woman; she stood 5'8" tall, weighed well over 200 lbs, and her voice entered the room before she did. Mom accomplished everything she needed to without the aid of computers, iphones, or blackberries. She drove a big green Cadillac and always had a cigarette lit, which she used for dramatic emphasis when she needed to make a point. Mom's last paying job was mayor of my hometown, population 272. The community called her "Mother Mayor," a term of endearment, which followed her to the grave. One year, Mom was elected as Mayor by the write- in votes alone, but she declined the position in favor of the second place gentleman who was actually running for the position. When introducing mother to you last year, I mentioned she never ran a marathon; the truth is, she didn't have to! She passed away three years ago, but her memory ran every mile of training with me as well as the Marine Corps Marathon. The day I crossed the finish line, I desperately wanted to pick up the phone to say, "MOM, I Did It!" Even now as I am recovering from a torn calf muscle and a few secondary issues from the injury, I just want to talk to her. When you hurt, there isn't anyone in the whole world that can sympathize with you, like your own mom. Her memory will be ever present with me. Like I said, Mom didn't have to run a marathon to be a metaphor for leadership. Everything I learned during this past year through training, implementing, and execution, she knew instinctively. Mom wasn't perfect but the woman did know how to love people and manage projects and she did it straight from her gut, right through her heart. So with that said, let me share four of mom's attributes last year's readers found inspiring. Perhaps these attributes will help inform your leadership style, whether you are a hometown mayor, a small business owner, or someone who just needs to rethink some old principles in a new, down home way. Hope: Mom was a fairly optimistic person with a sense that things would turn out for the best. Originally, when she campaigned for the office of mayor she did so because our town's water system was running through 100 year old rusty and rotted pipes that couldn't keep pressure. The pipes needed to be flushed regularly so the drinking water wouldn't be brown. Being a responsible citizen and tired of living with nasty water, she believed that someone needed to be accountable for the drinking water before the state of Wyoming stepped in and took charge of the situation. Mom knew this project was unpopular with many of the townspeople because they thought that the water bill increase would be more painful then the unpleasant water they had grown accustom to. Over gallons of coffee, one cup at a time, Mom carefully took the time to communicate her hope for clean water and a new system that would hold the proper pressure. Tenacity: Being elected as mayor was only the first step of thousands required to obtain the brand new multi-million dollar water system. Mom was faced with learning a whole new skill set; understanding the idiosyncrasies of DEQ's rules and regulations, learning how to write bond applications, meeting with "real" politicians, and playing the mediator between small town needs versus big state politics. It was Mom's tenacity that kept her focused on the greater good when conflicts, details, and deadlines threatened to derail the project. Passion: Mom would not accept the myth that "there is nothing we can do about the bad drinking water." Her passion for doing what was right and creating a better community was far more important to her than her own comfort. Settling for status quo was not an option for her. (It seldom is for real leaders.) Leadership: Mom was accused of being bold! She would speak her mind, not mincing words, but I don't believe she was ever considered brutal, just truthful. Mom knew there was an urgency when she took office. She only wanted to be in office just long enough to accomplish what she set out to do. Consequently, Mom had to have the courage to take charge and make unpopular decisions regarding the details surrounding the water system and community pride. It's outrageous to believe Mom accomplished this multi- million dollar installation by herself. As a leader, she knew there were people she needed on board to accomplish the mission. She also knew there were others that would criticize her work the entire way. The dichotomy created between the cheerleaders and naysayers became the check and balance system that kept Mom on target, realizing the completed project. Mom's natural leadership style was not only demonstrated during public times but it was also apparent when she took the time to serve others in her home, just listening to their concerns. I guess if you can raise a house full of successful children, you have an understanding how to lead others. No doubt I have painted a picture of a woman that is "bigger than life." I admit I have "creative memories" that surround the details of my Mother. However, I believe even a legend can teach all of us essential principles of leadership. So why didn't Mom really run a marathon? Beside the fact they wouldn't allow her to enter the race with her Cadillac and a cigarette, Mother Mayor had a city to run, a water system to overhaul, and a family to raise. Since we are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, perhaps this would be a good time for you to reflect on the people that made an impact on your leadership style and if possible, why not send them a thank you note this year. She asked me when the season of joy was suppose to end. I said I didn't really think there was an exact date. So we left the tree up until June that year!" ~ Brian Andreas, Story People