In this era of specialization, when many bemoan the degree to which one has to narrow oneself to achieve expertise and accomplishment in a given field – lawyers, doctors, academics, and so on – it is a particular pleasure to honour a man whose career says bah humbug to that whole notion.

Dr. Fleck is truly a Renaissance man with accomplishments in so many fields it is both breathtaking and humbling. In many ways, he is the perfect honouree for today’s convocation because of his accomplishments in fields spanning Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Museum Studies, Health Science and Social Work in addition to Management.

One of Jim’s many successful careers was as an academic. Excellent performance at University of Toronto Schools earned him a Mathematics and Science Scholarship at Western, which led to a Gold Medal and a Ford Foundation Fellowship to pursue his Doctorate in Business Administration at Harvard Business School, which in turn led to a professorship at York University and a series of visiting professorships at Keio, INSEAD, the Kennedy School, University of Western Ontario and Harvard Business School. While that career had substantial impact and huge promise, Jim left it early to begin a second career in government.

The entry vehicle was as Executive Director of the Committee on Government Productivity, but this led to CEO of the Office of the Premier, Secretary of Cabinet, and Deputy Minister of Industry and Tourism. In addition, he pursued a love of public policy as a founding director of the Public Policy Forum and Director of the Niagara Institute.

Most would be delighted to have Jim’s record of accomplishment in government as their entire career, but for Jim while government policy remained an important and beloved hobby, it needed to step somewhat aside for career #3 – entrepreneurship.

Jim founded and built Fleck Manufacturing into a North American company with 3500 employees and over $100 million in sales. He also helped to shape and support numerous other entrepreneurial ventures such as Alias Research, ATI, and CUC Cable. He was honoured by his peers as International President of the Young Presidents Organization.

But entrepreneurship also needed to be bumped aside into the enduring hobby category for a fourth career as a supporter of the Arts. And I speak not only of economic support but also as a driving force. He was the founding president of The Power Plant, a wonderful and innovative organization that would not have been likely to reach fruition without Jim. He serves as President of the Art Gallery of Ontario. He was the driving force behind the creation of the Yo Yo Ma Music Garden on the waterfront. His arts directorships include the Canadian Council for Business and the Arts, the North York Symphony, Toronto Free Theatre, The Banff Centre, Harborfront, etc.

In and amongst these academic, government, entrepreneurial and arts careers, Jim has woven yet another as a benefactor and fund raiser extraordinaire. His major causes include: the Fleck clerestory at the Power Plant; the Fleck Galleries at the Art Gallery of Ontario the Fleck Atrium at the Rotman School; the Humphrys Chaplaincy at Trinity College; the Fleck Tannenbaum Chair in Prostatic Diseases at Toronto General; Studio Prima at the National Ballet; the Paul D. Fleck Marquee in Stratford; the Yo Yo Ma Music Garden on the waterfront; and the Paul D. Fleck Fellows Program at the Banff Centre.

But perhaps a more lasting impact is from what is now known in fundraising circles as the Fleck Flinch Test. When on a fund raising call, the rule states, think of a number you think appropriate for the donor – let’s say $5000 – and ask the donor for that number – $5000. Watch their face and if they flinch before they have a chance to say no, clarify that you are asking for $5000 over five years, $1000 per year. If they don’t flinch, clarify that you are asking for $5000 per year for five years. I will probably never be as effective as Jim Fleck using the Fleck Flinch Test, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t use it often.

Luckily for the Rotman School of Management, in due course Jim looped back to his first career, this time as the distinguished M. Wallace McCutcheon Professor of Business Government Relations at Rotman. For us he created and taught a brilliant course on business-government relations and wrote extensively on Canadian economic policy.

At the School, Jim has been a great friend, supporter and advisor to me.

I went back and reviewed the scores of letters from supporters and admirers on the occasion of Jim’s retirement from Rotman. One quote cited in one of the letters from one of his many many students jumped out at me as summing up Jim’s marvellous series of careers:

Look up and not down;
Look out and not in;
Forward and not back;
And lend a hand
— Edward Everett Hale

It seemed to me that described our beloved Dr. Fleck. Always looking forward to the next magnificent career, not back, not down and while at those numerous successful careers always thinking first about lending a hand.

Citation by Dean Roger Martin, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto at Convocation Ceremony, June 6, 2002.

Articles of Interest

www.thestar.com/article/500472 
www.thestar.com/article/50115 

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