Into the Deep End of the Pool

The author benefited greatly from joining Lev Zetlin Associates (LZA) as work starred on the World's Fair projects. During those years, he also worked on his master's degree, and had access to New York University's computer complex. One of LZA's approaches to management involved pushing young employees into the deep end of the pool, encouraging them to take initiative and work within controlled risks. Most of the key staff when he joined were in their early to mid-20s and were from Manhattan College. As for strategy, their team would always propose three schemes for every project: the wild and crazy, the small step forward for mankind and the plain vanilla.