On the ride from Tokyo to Narita Airport, a co-worker from my past escorted me to say goodbye. He related how his professor at Tokyo University (sort of like the Harvard of Japan) was probably the #1 or #2 people in the world in his subfield of materials science. This professor’s administrative assistant of thirty years had recently died at the young age of 55 from cancer. My friend was still reeling from this news and wanted to relieve some of his pain by relating the story as he and many past students had a deep emotional attachment to her.
As the story went, the professor's assistant had followed this famous professor all the way up from being a junior professor to later becoming a high ranking person in the professor’s field. My friend joked about how people all over the world claimed to not know who the professor was, but everyone sure knew his administrative assistant because she was the one that made things happen logistics-wise for this famed professor. He was loved, not just for his expertise, but the good company he had closest to him as support.
Towards the end of her life in the hospital this professor visited her every day without fail. He canceled all his travel to be with her. And since he was so respected in Japan, he moved his assistant to the highest ranking doctor and service above all other VIPs at the hospital ... yet it did not result in her getting better.
The lesson I took away from this is one that I know by heart. That great people know how to take care of their people. For a great person does not become great by themselves.
Posted by maeda at January 21, 2008 10:48 AM