The wisdom of Wiesner.

• Author: Cross, Eliza

ON TRANSPARENCY AND AUTHENTICITY

When I started working for Pat in 1985,1 think I could best be described as... green. Like really green - in business, in sales, in life. I started in advertising sales and one of the first bits of wisdom Pat imparted was to start listening and stop selling. He encouraged us, as a team, to develop a genuine interest in our customers. Listening, he said, is the key to success in life.

Pat is a communicator, and that was a cornerstone of his leadership. There were no secrets, and our goals were not mysterious: he shared monthly financials with everyone - from the receptionist to the maintenance manager. And this is my favorite thing - Pat truly wants people to be happy. Other people's happiness is, in his opinion, a reflection of his legacy.

Eliza Cross

Former WiesnerMedia partner; CEO of Cross Media Inc.

ON CHARACTER

I first got to know Pat when we served on the Metro State University board together. I have a habit of looking people in the eye, and right away I could tell Pat was real, sincere and honest. As we worked together I came to know him as a very thoughtful, hardworking, commonsense businessperson with a deep commitment to education. What really sticks in my mind, though, is a conversation we had years ago when Pat told me he was going down to Honduras to help launch a micro-loan nonprofit with the goal of helping local women start businesses. He said, "I want to support people who...