Cincinnati, OH, January 08, 2024 –Tom Hagerty, a father, grandfather, entrepreneur, business strategy consultant, and graduate of Marquette University has completed his new book, “The Business of Relationships: Using the Wisdom of Great Executives to Create Thriving Personal Connections.” It is a sharp and captivating compilation of essays all about how to develop fulfilling and rewarding personal connections by interpreting the broader potential application of these executives’ insights.
The Introduction to the book opens, “This book is my first and possibly my last, or maybe not. It is something I have thought about for a long time and then began in earnest to get down in writing. It started in 1998 when I began to read a lot of business articles and books with greater intensity than ever before. It is a series of quotations, often little known and seldom cited, from major American and international business leaders. The difference is that unlike a mere compilation of “stuff famous people said,” I have tried to take some liberty with each quote to illustrate how it might also enlighten us to create more productive and stable relationships. The quotes are real, and the observations are my own into what may enhance the various relationships that are the foundation of our lives.”
The first chapter begins, “Abraham Maslow, the great 20th century American philosopher and psychologist, said ‘The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short.’ Even if it is only partially true, it is incredibly sad. Think of all the common and seemingly non-invasive ways we tell ourselves we don’t matter. We say why bother voting, it doesn’t matter. Don’t waste your breath, he won’t listen. Nobody cares what I say anyway. I can’t change her so I’m not going to even try. Do whatever you want, I don’t care. He wouldn’t give me the time of day. I wouldn’t even dignify that with a response. It’s the least I can do. Call someone who cares.”
Later in this introductory chapter, Hagerty writes, “If Maslow was anywhere near the mark with his observation, he clearly spoke of a life not many (if any) of us would desire. Do you ever think that it’s acceptable to sell yourself short? Is it OK in your mind to strive for less? Is resignation and acceptance of defeat just a normal situation for you? Even though the widely-circulated Serenity Prayer states that we want God to grant ‘the serenity to accept the things I cannot change and the courage to change the things I can,’ I think too many of us accept while too few exhibit courage. This is especially true in our national ADHD approach to the crisis of the moment. It seems we lurch from one breaking news story to another, frequently failing to stop and consider anything approaching broader implications. What I’m asking now is that we all consider the implications of perhaps our most valuable contribution. It is that which we make to our relationships.”