The Men of Iron Minute

by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation

Shadows & Masculine Traits

Tom towered over most people. He worked with his hands while smiling and offering the wisdom of grace. He lived beyond ninety years, pouring himself into projects and people for most of his life. I recall seeing him (nearly 90 years old) repairing shingles on a church. I suppose he knew it needed it done, so he took the initiative to see it through. Tom lived to lift others. He started numerous businesses while deliberately training people, then sold those lucrative businesses at a discount to entrepreneurial employees. His motivation wasn’t profit as much as building up people. Tom’s face lit up when he talked about the men running those businesses; he could recall names, stories, and their families. Tom offered personal memories of racing or camping with his employees and their families as they shared dirt and grace. Remarkably, Tom got out of the way so these other men could chart their path. Seeing people thrive was Tom’s version of success. Though he cast a long shadow, he wanted men to create their own. He knew that men needed to be who God made them to be. Marriages, kids, and communities need men like this.

Humor and hard work marked the man who instilled those masculine traits in others. Like a sage, Tom countered lies with truth and quiet confidence. His kindness regarding people need not be construed as naiveté and weakness. Tom was tough as nails donning a blue-collar attitude and an open-hearted approach to life. Whether grit, resolve, or commitment, Tom was a masculine man. He drew those same qualities out of the men under his leadership and care.

Tom is in heaven now, but I believe he would say something like, “Don’t stand in another man’s shadow. Cast your own. Be a man. The world depends on you.”

Thanks, Tom.

Do something.

Dare greatly.

Be a better man.

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