The Big Idea with Ron Davis
July, 2012

Enriching Your Industry Experience With Your Life Partner

Idea of the Month

If you had just one really great idea you could share with the alarm industry, what would it be?

This month’s great idea is inspired posthumously by Louise Lombardi whose husband, John Lombardi, is the president of CIA Security in New York.

Louise Lombardi’s great inspiration:

Share the joy of being a part of this industry with the people who you love most.

Louise Lombardi died on May 19, 2012, much too soon, with too much to do, and much still to contribute.

My wife, Beverly, and I attended Louise’s funeral. It was heartbreaking to say the least. Later that day, we spent some time with her husband, John Lombardi. He is well known in the industry as both the president of CIA Security in Fishkill, N.Y., and an active participant in Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) activities, among other industry relations.

While sitting with John following the funeral I asked him, more as a distraction, “If Louise were here right now what is the one idea she could share that would help define her legacy in the industry?”

John’s reply was instantaneous: “One of the big pleasures in Louise’s life was her relationships with industry people, particularly wives. She looked forward to every industry event we would go to. In fact, she always prodded me when I was a little bit slow in registering for a trade show or convention.”

As it turns out, the question resonated deeply with John because he had been pondering the very same. It was then that I just knew I had to make a small part of Louise’s legacy in the industry the focus of this column.

There is a message for all of you owners and managers, as well as those of you who aspire to be leaders: Don’t attend industry events in a superficial manner; participate in them on a personal level. Become a part of what it is that makes this industry unique. And be sure to bring along your spouse or significant other.

Seeing True Meaning

What I will miss most about Louise is the time that she, John, Beverly and I would spend together at industry events. John and I would inevitably discuss various business-related topics while Beverly and Louise would be deep in their own conversations. I would come to discover they were talking about many of the things that would help John and I in our professional careers.

If you look around the industry, and the trade associations within it, you start to see the truly successful people are those who pursue professional and personal relationships. Not just with other people in the industry, but together with their spouses who also look forward to industry functions as an opportunity to renew acquaintanceships and nurture new friendships. 

I’ve been in the security business for more than 30 years. In conducting in excess of a thousand talks/keynote addresses/seminars, I have observed that probably 20% of the people in attendance are also with their spouses. As I reflect on it, I can say with absolute certainty that many of those people who came with their life partners, statistically, are among the more successful in our industry.

I ask you to take a moment to reflect on whether your wives, husbands and children share in your professional life. A great majority of our time, energy and creativity are consumed in order to succeed in our work. It is therefore a blessing to have our loved ones share in our professional pursuits.

It seems to me that is one of the real joys of living. Louise understood that, both consciously and intuitively. She left a great legacy among her family and friends, in addition to an equally great legacy within the industry. May all of you enjoy the gifts of Louise’s wisdom!

Ron Davis is a SSI Hall of Fame inductee and President of Davis Mergers and Acquisitions Group Inc. Also known as The Graybeards, the company is active in acquisitions and mergers exclusively in the alarm business.