Opening Preview:Every leader can remember the moment someone believed in them before they believed inthemselves. The coach. The teacher. The manager. The mentor. The person who looked you inthe eye and said, “You can do this,” at the exact moment you weren’t sure you could. Thatmoment doesn’t just stay with you, it shapes you. It becomes the quiet force that pushes youforward when doubt tries to pull you back.
And now, in an AI driven world where uncertainty is rising and confidence is slipping, thosemoments matter more than ever.
AI can analyze, predict, and optimize. But AI cannot believe in people. Only leaders can. Only you can.
Over the next four newsletters, we’re going to pull back the curtain on one of the most powerfulforces in leadership – the mentor who sees potential before performance. You’ll step into thekitchen table where my father gave me the advice that shaped my entire career. You’ll walk intoCoach Wooden’s living room and hear the wisdom that changed how I lead. You’ll see how UPStaught me what belief looks like in action. And you’ll discover the five behaviors great coachesshare, the underrated superpower of being coachable, and the one question that defines yourleadership legacy.
Think of this series as a journey one that will challenge you, stretch you, and make you rethinkwhat leadership really means. By the end, you won’t just understand belief. You’ll feel it. You’llsee it. And you’ll know exactly how to use it to lift the people who are counting on you.
This isn’t just a series. It’s a call to action. A challenge. A reminder that leadership is not aboutthe role you hold, it’s about the people you lift. And by the end, you’ll be ready to lead with moreclarity, more purpose, and more belief than ever before.
And it all begins with the mentor who shaped my very first steps as a leader.
PART ONE — The Heart of Belief
(Episode 1 of 4)
Mentoring is never about you, it is always about the mentee. It is about lifting someone else. It isabout seeing potential before performance. It is about giving someone the belief they need at themoment they need it most.
My first mentor wasn’t a coach, a manager, or a corporate leader. It was my father.
I grew up in a traditional Italian American family born in New York City, raised in New Jersey, theoldest of four. My father came to the United States at fourteen, leaving school after his freshmanyear to work full time as a tool and die maker. We didn’t have much, but we had everything thatmattered: family, respect, and values that were lived, not spoken.
Inside the house, we spoke Italian. Outside, we spoke English because my parents wanted us tobe proud Italian Americans. We were taught to work hard, treat people with dignity, and neverconfuse money with success. Achievement mattered. Effort mattered. Character mattered.
Looking back now, I realize we were on the cusp of being poor, but we never knew it. My parentsnever talked about money. They talked about responsibility. They talked about family. They talked about respect. You could disagree, but you were never allowed to be disagreeable.
And then came the moment that shaped my entire career.
The night before I started my job at UPS, we were sitting around the kitchen table. My fatherlistened quietly as I explained the role. Then he looked at me with his thoughtful but seriousexpression, a glass of wine in his hand, and said:
“In everything you do, be the best you can be – you owe it to yourself and your family.Learn everything you can about your job and then learn some more. Whatever they askyou to do, say yes, and thank you for the opportunity.”
That advice guided every decision I made for the next 40 years.
Every time I was asked to move, I heard his voice and I said, “Yes.” Every time I was challenged,I thought about his sacrifices and I said, “Yes.” Every time I was stretched, I remembered his example, and I said, “Yes.”
My father didn’t have a title. He didn’t have degrees. He didn’t have wealth or influence. But hehad something far more powerful: the heart a computer could only wish for, and an unassuming manner that could move a mountain.
He was my first mentor. My first teacher. My first example of what belief looks like in action andnow, as you reflect on your own journey, I’ll leave you with the question that closes Part One:
Who are the mentors who shaped your leadership and what did they teach you that stillguide you today?
Visit us for more on this topic—and to explore our Leadership and Sales Workshops, Keynote Speaking Topics, and Podcast—visit TightenTheLugNuts.com. It all starts with the Amazon Best Seller, Tighten The Lug Nuts—the foundation of our message and mission.
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Let’s work together. I am a practitioner as well as an educator and motivator, and an experienced senior leader and CEO with over 45 years of boots-on-the-ground experience. I led one of the largest rebranding initiatives in franchising history – The UPS Store, revolutionizing the $9 billion retail shipping and business services market.
I believe that none of us can achieve success without some help along the way. For each of us, there is a person, a mentor, who we are grateful towards and who can help us get to where we aspire to be. Sharing stories and experiences as a speaker is a way of recognizing the value of these experiences and giving back to the next generation of leaders. It also is a way of demonstrating in words and deed the value I am placing in mentorship. As for me, I have been fortunate to have worked with and mentored by some incredibly special people, and none more incredible than Coach John Wooden.
“Rocky was the Keynote Speaker at our FragilePak Connect Conference. His presentation on Balanced Leadership was educational, informative, and delivered with great energy and enthusiasm. We especially appreciated Rocky attending the conference to learn more about who we are, what we stand for and what we are trying to accomplish as a team. He received a 4.9 score on our survey and the following comments best represent the overall comments.”
“He was the best speaker and had useful life tips”
“Fantastic”
“Amazing”
Rick Schad / VP FP Certified Providers Network
FragilePak
I have broad experiences to share that can help others as they grow and take on new challenges. During my time as president of UPS Supply Chain Solutions, I integrated over 20 acquisitions that became UPS Supply Chain Solutions. I steered UPS’s entry into the health care industry and created the mantra, “It’s a patient, not a package. ®” With the ability to see a clear vision of the changing business landscape, the passion to develop strategies, tactics, and metrics to drive desired results, and the passion to develop the Best, The Brightest, Most Informed, and Best People in the industries they serve.
Please give me a call today at 610-322-0720 or email at
[email protected]
THE LEADERSHIP LIBRARY PODCAST SEASON 9
Looking for quick morning leadership advice in under 5 minutes?
Check out Rocky’s leadership library podcast.
We launched Season 9 of the Leadership Library Podcast on October 7th, 2025. The primary focus of Season 9 will center on building a World Class Team and HighPerformance Selling. We will a have a subject matter expert joining us on each episode with real life experiences. We are on our way to 2000 subscribers.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: PLAYING A VARIETY OF ROLES
For more information visit our website https://www.3sixtymanagementservices.com/. My book,
Tighten The Lug Nuts, will also serve as a workbook for these important topics and discussions.
Read my latest Forbes article:
TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS: THE PRINCIPLES OF
BALANCED LEADERSHIP
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Visit our website, https://3sixtymanagementservices.com, as well as my book, Tighten The Lug Nuts, for additional information.
Contact me at: [email protected].
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