Be a Life Enricher!

How to Be Like Rich Devos: Succeeding With Integrity in Business and Life
by Pat Williams

In today's business climate, rocked with scandals involving unscrupulous corporate leaders and unethical business practices, this book highlights a man of the highest character and honesty who has built a multibillion-dollar company with succumbing to the vices afflicting so may of today's executives.

Meet Rich DeVos, cofounder of Amway and owner of the Orlando Magic, and explore the qualities that make him a successful businessman, a devoted Christian leader and a beloved figure to millions around the world.

Each chapter examines a different facet of Rich DeVos's character. Together, these qualities have allowed him to overcome huge obstacles and achieve the highest level of success and fulfillment. They include

• risk-taking
• putting people first
• mentoring
• salesmanship
• philanthropy
• focusing on marriage and family
• patriotism
• faith in God

The good news is that we can all build these qualities into our own lives. This book gives us the tools and knowledge to pursue the American Dream. We have the ability to become like Rich DeVos - and, in the process, reach undreamed-of heights of achievement and personal satisfaction. Says Rich DeVos, "If you have a dream, dare to believe it, dare to do it, dare to make it come true." Let Rich show you how to make it happen.

Chapter 7

In his speeches, Rich Devos often quotes a statement originally made by Walt Disney. "There are three kinds of people in the world today," Disney said. "There are 'well poisoners,' who discourage you and stomp on your creativity and tell you what you can't do. There are 'lawn mowers' - people who are well- intentioned but self-absorbed; they tend to their own needs, mow their own lawns and never leave their yards to help another person. Finally, there are 'life enrichers' - people who reach out to enrich the lives of others, to lift them up and inspire them. We need to be life enrichers, and we need to surround ourselves with life enrichers."

Well, that's exactly the kind of person Rich DeVos is. He encourages people to be what he calls "life enrichers." Ask him what his role is with Alticor or the Orlando Magic or any other organization he's involved with, and he'll say, "I'm the head cheerleader!" Boy, is he ever! That's his job description in a nutshell.

Rich has a wonderful ability to praise, encourage, inspire and motivate. Whenever he comes to visit the Orlando Magic, he'll stop by my office and spend time with me, asking me about my life, my work and my family. He'll offer sincere encouragement: "Is there anything you need? Any way I can support you and pray for you?" Then he'll close with an uplifting word: "Well, Pat, you're doing a terrific job. We couldn't do it without you!"

Whenever Rich and I are together with one other person or with thousands, he never fails to acknowledge the role I had in helping to launch the Orlando Magic. He'll always say, "Pat Williams started all this. Without him, we wouldn't be here. There wouldn't be a team without him." He has said that literally dozens of times to countless people, and whenever he does that it makes me feel ten feet tall. While many bosses steal the credit for what people around them do, Rich loves to spread the credit around and acknowledge the contributions of others. That's one reason why I always feel inspired and energized after a few minutes with Rich DeVos, the head cheerleader and chief life enricher of the Orlando Magic.

Cartwheels and Handsprings

When Rich calls himself a cheerleader, it's not a figure of speech. "It's literally true," says his high school friend Marvin Van Dellen. "Rich was actually a cheerleader for the basketball team at Christian High - and you should have seen him! He would do handsprings and cartwheels the length of the court and get the crowd all stirred up. I guess that's why he's been a cheerleader ever since."

Rich's wife, Helen, recalls one incident from Rich's cheerleading career. "One day, in front of the whole student body," she recalls, "Rich did a cartwheel and ripped the seat of his pants out! He turned red and walked off the court backwards - but he didn't let that stop him. He loves to get the crowd worked up. He loves to get the team fired up. Cheerleading has carried over to the rest of his life. It's one of the biggest reasons for his success."

Dr. David Nicholas, senior pastor of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, Florida, told me how much Rich's cheerleading has meant in his life. "Rich is the most encouraging man I've ever met," said Pastor Nicholas. "You'll never hear a negative word from him. He'll always put a positive spin on every situation.

"My wife left me when I was in seminary, and she took my three sons with her. As a result, my sons didn't grow up with me. That was very hard on me, and it was difficult to maintain any kind of relationship with my boys. When I was at a point of real discouragement, Rich put his arm around me and said, 'Be aggressive! Call your boys - don't wait for them to call you. Love them, pursue them and talk to them. Don't let anything come between you and your sons.' I did what Rich said, and today I have the best relationship I've ever had with them. Rich's encouragement and positive reinforcement are a big part of that."

D. James Kennedy, senior minister at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, recalls a commencement speech Rich gave at the church's Westminster Academy High School. "That year, the school had an extraordinarily high percentage of students who were on the dean's list or the honor roll, or had received honors from national academic societies. As I recall, some 60 percent of the students were mentioned, and some of them collected as many as seven or eight tasseled cords, which they hung around their necks.

"When Rich got up to give the commencement address, he said that when he graduated from high school, he won no honors at all. Then he proceeded to focus his attention on the other 40 percent of the students, those without honors, without tasseled cords. He encouraged them and told them that every member of that graduating class could accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God.

"The students who won no honors had probably entered that ceremony feeling like nobodies. Thanks to Rich DeVos, they went out believing that they could conquer the world. It was a marvelous demonstration of Rich's unique gifts of compassion and encouragement."

Dr. James Fahner, chief of pediatric hematology and oncology at DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, is also grateful for the cheerleading of Rich and Helen DeVos. "They are such an inspiring and energizing couple," he told me. "They make you believe in yourself so strongly, and they make you want to be the best you can be. Let me tell you a story about the way they have been cheerleaders in my life.

© 2004. All rights reserved. Reprinted from How To Be Like Rich DeVos by Pat Williams. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher.

About the Author

PAT WILLIAMS is the senior vice president of the Orlando Magic, a renowned speaker, and the author of How to Be like Mike, The Magic of Teamwork, and Go for the Magic.