his employees; always produce results with integrity. Jerry was willing to take a chance on employees or promote individuals if he knew they had the integrity and character that aligned with the company's values.
Multiple companies in the aviation sales industry made headlines because of sub‐standard parts they supplied to airlines and aviation dealers. These companies took shortcuts, sold inferior products, and failed to perform testing and certification to ensure the airworthiness of the parts. But not Turnbow Technologies. Jerry wasn't someone who chased quick opportunities for money or personal gain. He maintained a long‐term view of where the company was headed, and he believed that if each employee did the right thing with the right values and intentions, Turnbow would grow exponentially over time. He wanted his clients to come back to Turnbow again and again because of their great service and integrity. And they did.
Jerry had a simple philosophy when it came to bringing people onto his management team. He promoted and partnered with people who displayed a great attitude, whom he could trust to do their jobs right. Jerry was known for saying, “You only control two things in this life, your attitude and your effort.”
On a major television talk show, the host said to Jerry, “So, you have created one of the most successful companies in your industry, thousands of people apply each year to work for you, and your company makes a difference in the community and in the world. What is the secret to your success?”
Jerry explained, “Well, at the end of the day, people and integrity come first. When you start a business, you must remember that character counts. While we are an aviation tech company that delivers high‐quality parts and products, we are really in the integrity business.” He took in a confident breath. “Every day, our goal is to deliver results with integrity and have a great time serving others. When you have that kind of daily focus, exceeding the expectations of those you serve, success will come. The reason our company has had success for decades is that we hire great people who truly love their jobs and love the people they serve. We invest in our employees and, in turn, they serve our clients.” The audience broke out in applause. The public image was good.
Matt watched Jerry's television performance from his hotel room. He loved his grandpa and, as a kid, had always wanted to be like him. But as he got older, he often forgot the character lessons he'd learned from him. At times, Matt distanced himself from his brother, grandpa, and other members of his family because he felt inferior to them. He felt he didn't measure up. Matt had the natural talent to be a great leader, but his values and character didn’t fit the company culture that his grandpa had worked so hard to create. Matt dreamed of having a more significant role at Turnbow someday, but everyone, including his grandpa, knew he could not be trusted in a leadership role. If no one wanted to be around him, how could he ever lead others and positively inspire thousands of employees at Turnbow? Matt kept his dream buried inside.
Chapter 3 The Future of Turnbow Technologies
Now in his early 80s, Jerry was regularly being told by his closest friends and advisors that he needed to start thinking about who would replace him as president and CEO when he was ready to retire. Jerry knew that the best thing for Turnbow was to have a succession plan in place, identifying a new CEO who could lead the company for years to come. The industry was evolving at a rapid pace, and cutting‐edge leadership was imperative. Jerry insisted that he would be patient in finding the right person.
Jerry had always hoped that someone in his family would succeed him in running the business. His only child, Bruce, had been a local TV news host for 21 years and had no desire to join the family business. That left his two grandchildren, Luke and Matt. Luke had made all the money he could ever want and loved his life of freedom. He didn't desire the corporate life and was happily raising his kids in Florida.
Matt was his only other option, but Matt was not ready to be a leader. Over the years, Jerry had heard many worrisome stories about him. He loved his grandson and wanted to make sure that he had a good job at Turnbow, but for the sake of the employees and the company at large, Jerry recognized that Matt was not prepared for a leadership role, especially not one as vitally important as CEO.
Jerry gathered his leadership team and formed a search committee for his successor. He was adamant that the search could take as long as necessary to find just the right person. First, the committee decided to review external candidates before considering internal candidates. Jerry wanted to help facilitate a smooth transition with the future CEO. He wanted to find the right leader with a fresh and vibrant energy and ideas to move the company forward.
Since the beginning, Jerry was the smiling face of the organization. It was his leadership that had propelled it to local, national, and even worldwide impact, with his insistence on great customer service, impeccable products, attention to detail, and integrity. He always focused on doing little things to make his employees and team members feel valued. He would regularly send handwritten, personal notes to employees to recognize them individually and thank them for their hard work. Jerry walked the aisles of the production plant to make sure that frontline workers were doing well, and he personally called clients to thank them for their business. Jerry seemed like a grandpa to all because of the love and care he showed them.
Despite how open and available Jerry was, he did keep some secrets. He was experiencing a health challenge but had decided not to tell anyone at Turnbow other than his board of advisors. Fourteen years earlier, he had been diagnosed with cancer. After multiple rounds of chemotherapy, it was eradicated. However, doctors recently told him that it had returned.
Despite this difficult news, Jerry's attitude and life perspective remained unchanged. In college, he played football and was a middle linebacker. Even though he was charming off the field, on the field he was a warrior, and he approached life with this same spirit. Jerry was determined that cancer shouldn't change the way that he loved, served, and cared for others every day, so he figured that everyone was better off not knowing and worrying about the state of his health. Even though he didn't talk about it openly with employees, people started to notice his physical decline. His trusted friends and family knew that someday he would no longer have the capacity to lead, no matter how difficult it was to imagine Turnbow without him.
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