Peters //
Tom retired today at 80 after 45 years of excellence and maybe 10,000,000 miles flown.
I still have a photograph of him lying on a bench at an airport in Siberia.
He was holding my son when we were about to go on stage together in Florida twenty-four years back.
I can recall being at a small gathering that he hosted in Vermont where we debated about how many words should be on a slide.
He gave a Stanford class in 1983 after his first book had gained traction. I still remember him meeting me.
When I was at Spinnaker, I had briefly held the rights to the In Search for Excellence computer game. Our rare duets were also a delight.
Many of my greatest stuff was inspired by, stolen from, or both Tom from Zig and Roz. Also, Ben from Steve. It helps to have a shorter first name.
Tom made it possible for people to perform new things on stage, leading to TED talks and conferences as well as other informal education methods by unauthorized teachers.
Even if Tom Peters never had the opportunity to work with you, or to read his books, it is certain that he has made an impact on your lives.
He was a symbol of significance that opened doors for others. In his own words, “Okay word…”
Excellence. [Period.]
