Seeking
The Big Time
Growing up in 1960s Virginia, aspiring basketball star Dickie Perkey sets his sights on the big time with one goal in mind: a crowd roaring his name. His secret weapon? His signature "granny shot," flung skyward from between his legs, which narrowly avoids the gonads of whichever neighborhood boys are unfortunate enough to guard him . . . most of the time.
Tip Off
Nov
11
th
Tip Off
Nov
11
th
New Book!
Leadership Services
Drawing on decades of experience in executive search and a deep understanding of what makes leaders and teams successful, Richard advises organizations and executives through critical leadership decisions. His work spans four areas of leadership advisory, each designed to help clients navigate what’s next with greater clarity and purpose.
Stories
A collection of stories, observations, and reflections from Rich—on leadership, basketball, business, and the experiences that have shaped his perspective.
Issue #101: Random Thoughts
Good Morning! I hope you had a good week! I hope you have a good week next week! I hope you have a good life!
Lots of thoughts are coming to mind when I think about what to write in this week's edition of “Thoughts of the Week.” The summer solstice. The passing of the greatest cat ever, Pudding Perkey. My desire to sell bumper stickers that say, “HONK IF YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT!!!”
But the topic I keep coming back to is…
Randomness.
What got me started down this track is the retirement of Chris Oddleifson from Rockland Trust in Cohasset, Massachusetts.
A Leadership Quality That Gets Overlooked…. But Shouldn’t
At the end of each basketball season, the great coach and teacher John Wooden made it his practice to pick a topic of interest to him and to do a “deep dive” study into that topic in a manner that would bolster Wooden’s coaching ability, his strategies, and his team.
With UConn having secured its second straight NCAA D1 Men’s basketball championship, the Gamecocks of South Carolina winning the NCAA D1 Women’s crown, and my Golden State Warriors being bounced from the NBA Play-in Tournament, my basketball season is officially over.
Thus, it is time for me to pick my study topic for the 2024-2025 executive search season!
And the winner is…
April Showers
It is stunning how beautiful Atlanta is at present and how Mother Nature has whipped up the wind just in time for The Masters.
Wind does not impact my golf game as much as ant hills.
I always reference Stephen Covey’s Habit #2 of Highly Effective People – “Begin with the End in Mind “ – as the reason to begin a CEO succession project with a SWOT analysis, and a “visioning” session about the organization’s “end game.” The board needs to be asking: “In 3 to 5 years:
A humorous, heartfelt and poignant story about ambition, identity, perseverance, and discovering that success may look very different from what we imagined.
"While Rich may not have been an all-league point guard, he is an All-American humorist and storyteller. He captures perfectly the unforgettable cast of characters who starred in the highlights, the low lights and the unexpected twists and turns of an interesting and at times, simply zany, period of Davidson basketball and college athletics. Whether a hoops junkie, or not, this is a wildly entertaining read."
— Dr. John Gerdy, Founder & CEO, Music for Everyone
"A heartwarming and funny throwback to a bygone era, Seeking The Big Time balances the brashness of youth with the harsh realities of chasing the biggest dreams. It is fast paced, sometimes unbelievable, and oftentimes irreverent! But ultimately, it captures a true underdog story and a boy who had to make the big time, no matter what."
— Chris Clunie, VP & Director of Athletics, Davidson College
About Richard
Rich Perkey earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Davidson College, where he rose to be captain of the men’s varsity basketball team after joining as a nonscholarship walk-on. Shaped by his athletic experiences, Richard translated his ability to read people into a highly successful career as one of the nation’s top executive search consultants. He has also served as a color analyst for Wildcat Basketball radio broadcasts. Rich lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Seeking the Big Time, loosely based on his life, is Rich’s debut novel.
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