100 years ago, my maternal grandparents, known as “Mam-ma and Pa-pa” to me, were born. It’s hard to imagine that they were once my age, and before that, they were kids too. And like most of us, there were times when they weren’t quite sure what they were doing or the best way to do it.
I knew them in retirement only. Mam-ma was a beautiful lady with an independent spirit, a big heart and a love of gardening and entertaining. Pa-pa was tall, handsome and wise. He didn’t speak often but boy could he snore loudly! He was usually the man behind the camera, documenting our family gatherings and simply observing.
A DIFFERENT TIME
Charles Windsor Cheape, Jr. was the eldest child and was affectionately known as “Sonny” to his parents and “Bubba” to his sister. His father had grown up with a nomadic lifestyle as the son of a traveling salesman.
Mary Evelyn Florence was the oldest of 5 children, and the story goes that her first bed was a dresser drawer, as her parents couldn’t be sure that they would need a crib. She had 3 sisters and one brother, one of whom died at the tender age of 7 from scarlet fever.
As Windsor and Evelyn approached their teenage years, the country and much of the world had entered the Great Depression. Many of the opportunities of the previous decade of prosperity were no longer available. Through this, they successfully completed high school and went on to attend college. They soon reconnected back in Charlottesville where he began work for the C&P Bell Telephone Company, and she became a secretary.
They were married at 21, just after Thanksgiving. They couldn’t have predicted that only a week later, the United States would be entering the second World War with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Pa-pa’s job kept him at home for a while, but soon his skills were in demand from the Army and he was officially drafted in 1944. Other military families had warned that housing and employment were scarce for spouses, but that didn’t stop Mam-ma from coming along to his training camp in Missouri, where she quickly secured both.
In early 1945, Pa-pa was requisitioned as a telephone / telegraph operator based in present-day India, and remained stationed there until 1946. He was halfway around the world when his first son, my uncle Chuck, was born and his discharge wasn’t issued until several months later.
The following year, my uncle Chip was born. For health reasons, Mam-ma’s doctor recommended that she not have any more children. They decided not to follow this advice and thankfully so because that’s when my mom came into the picture. All of this happened before they turned 30.
Pa-pa spent the rest of his career at the phone company, and Mam-ma as a legal secretary, ultimately providing executive support to the dean of the law school at University of Virginia.
Their marriage was one of partnership, compassion and mutual respect, and I noticed Pa-pa always a twinkle in his eye when it came to his great love for my Mam-ma.
Together, they raised their children, grew in their respective careers and celebrated 62 years of marriage before Pa-Pa passed away in 2002. We were fortunate to have Mam-ma in our lives for another 10 years after that.
SHAPED BY OUR TIME
According to our naming conventions, Mam-ma and Pa-Pa were members of the Greatest Generation. Without a doubt, they and their peers faced challenges we will never truly comprehend, and I am a beneficiary of their efforts and actions.
We talk a lot about generational differences - in the workplace and across society as a whole. Some of these differences are simply a function of age. As we get older, it’s virtually impossible to remember what it was like not to know what we know now, and some can be quick to criticize or correct those with less experience. Conversely, our lived experience gives us perspective that we didn’t have before, and those who don’t yet have this perspective aren’t always so patient to listen and understand.
Regardless of the year we were born, our dreams and desires as humans are in many ways very similar. The circumstances around us differentiate the way we go about pursuing them, and we are thereby connected within our generation.
Back to the naming thing… I believe being great isn’t doing one big thing; greatness comes with intention and action to do many small, good things. My grandparents faced adversity early and often in life. They gave their best with what they had and moved forward one step at a time together. I’m certain they didn’t aspire to be “great”, and in fact my grandmother never could figure out why others thought this about them. That sort of humility is part of what makes them so great.
VUCA ISN’T NEW
The term VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) has been used in the workplace since the 1980’s to describe the challenges associated with change and the accelerated speed that comes with globalization and technological advances.
The reality is that we are all starting with a baseline of what we know, so anything different than that baseline is new. They didn’t have a name for it then, but I’d say my grandparents had plenty of VUCA in their lives.
As leaders, we can first acknowledge that we ourselves are constantly experiencing change, and we are not exempt from the challenge and opportunity this brings. We can deny it or lean in. Reflect on change throughout history and use this to inform your design of the future. Continue to take steps forward. Pause and recharge often. Small intentional action can ultimately pay off in big ways.
How can we help our team members? Continue to challenge and support each other. Try new things. Celebrate success. Embrace learning. We will stumble and may even fall. Sometimes we’ll need help and sometimes we simply need room to get back up. Move forward together.
AND AS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION…
There’s something powerful about what we experience at a young age. What we learn early prepares us for how we will live, and the world around us shapes the characteristics of a generation.
Our youngest generation has gone almost a full year with virtual classrooms, significantly reduced social interaction, and in too many cases, they’ve lost a loved one earlier than expected. I have no idea what it would have been like to experience a year like 2020 during my school years.
This intersection of social, economic, environmental, political and healthcare challenge is overwhelming at any age. We’ve recognized value in things we may have previously taken for granted, and we’ve seen what happens when not enough resources are invested in what’s truly important.
Then I remind myself that like my grandparents, the adversity our youngest generation faces is the only thing they know. Like those before us, they will find ways to move forward. And I too have a role to play as an investor and steward in their future.
If I need any sort of reminder of what greatness is and can be, I can simply look to my nieces. Not only do they carry forward my grandparents’ names, but resilience and love are also a part of who they are.
While some things remain the same, the world continues to change. Piper, Mattie Windsor, and their entire generation, will put their own twist on leadership and life. I know it is going to be amazing, because it already is.
Piper Evelyn Gill and Mattie Windsor Hurt
We are capable of more than we realize, and greater than we know.
Who has inspired your greatness and what are the ways you are moving forward in 2020 and beyond?