the secret reginald f. lewis's brother, Jean Fugett Jr., taught me
- Tunji Williams
- Mar 31, 2021
- 2 min read
a picture from a 2014 Catholic Review article on Fugett, titled, "Fugett's remarkable path includes being prep pioneer"
Jean Fugett, Jr. is a giant of a man. he looms both physically and intellectually. former NFL tight end with the Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowl X) and Washington Football Team (as one of the first modern day free agents), corporate attorney, investor, and former CEO of TLC Beatrice International Foods, the largest black-owned and black-managed business in the world at the time. the list of accomplishments really does go on. someone needs to make a movie about this man.
Jean really made a profound impression on me. i didn't realize it at the time, but i had the opportunity to be his student for a 5 month stretch back in early 2016. it was a period when i happened to managing a city council campaign in West Baltimore for my good friend, Reggie Fugett, who also happens to be Jean's son.
i was the campaign manager in name only. the truth of the matter is that each day, for that 5 month period during the campaign, Reggie and i showed up for school at the Jean Fugett Jr. School of Raw Wisdom. i was only sometimes wise enough to pick up the gems Jean was dropping on a daily basis. i was always more interested in the unbelievable war stories he would tell me about his days as his late-brother's right hand man and advisor.
one of the most powerful lessons Jean taught me back in 2016, is one i summon almost everyday on my current path. that is, NEVER ENTER A MEETING WITHOUT A CLEAR AGENDA. i can hear Jean's voice booming in my ears now as i type that. i thought it was a small tactical point he was making, as i sat on the other side of the breakfast table from him, nodding agreeably, hoping he wouldn't expound. i had yet to understand the power of the tool he was giving me.
the learning i've integrated and crystalized since, is that a clear and thoughtful agenda is the sign of a clear and thoughtful mind. i use that as a guiding principle each day as i create my master to-do-list and discrete meeting agenda for various meetings. that framing has been a major unlock for me personally. i have Jean Fugett Jr. to thank for that, honestly. a great man, indeed.
term of the day: innovation. that's a link to one of my favorite Harvard Business Review articles on the topic. i believe fundamentally that innovation is about curiosity, humility, speed, and faithfulness to a thoughtfully-optimized idea discovery and refinement process.
song of the day: Trippy by Anderson Paak (ft. J. Cole). this one takes me to far away places in the sun with mojitos and vibes...
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