The Art of Obeying and Learning to Commit to Your Values

Greg Lindberg on Lessons Learned in Prison

In 2020, the head of a worldwide company that was started inside a college dorm room was sentenced to a seven-year prison term at Federal Prison Camp Montgomery in Alabama. Knowing he had been wrongly convicted, the man resigned himself to his fate, unsure of when or even if his conviction would be overturned on appeal.

Greg Lindberg started his business career as an entrepreneur and quickly became a CEO, portfolio leader, and shareholder commanding a work force of thousands of people on different continents. Though his companies were run well with him in prison, now he had only himself to command.

While “inside” he was expected to do only two things: (a) learn the rules; and (b) obey them. Surprisingly, this contributed to a remarkable personal transformation.

“What prison taught me was that learning how to obey is just as important as learning how to command,” Lindberg says in a new YouTube video. “The commanding skills that allowed me to build that business to a billion five in revenue were enhanced dramatically by an ability to obey that I learned in prison.”

Busy executives in the 21st century are often surrounded by compliant employees looking to the boss for answers. There are endless communications to deal with, and in Lindbergh’s case, these occurred across multiple time zones. At FPC Montgomery, there were only prison officials and other “cellies” (fellow inmates). Time for email and outside communications was short. Even in a minimum-security prison, rules were strict and had to be followed.

“If you don't obey a prison guard, you're done,” Lindberg explains. “They're gonna ship you up ‘behind the wires’ it's called in prison, which is behind a real barbed wire fence… a very different environment.” So, despite being convicted of a white-collar crime, Lindberg quickly learned the drastic possibilities of his new life and the consequences of getting in trouble in custody over non-compliance.

In contrast to “the so-called free world” outside of prison, there were immediate consequences for not following the rules once inside. The typical American fails to realize there are many laws that can get you sent to prison even when you believe you’re doing something legally, and Lindberg discovered that before being convicted of bribery in North Carolina.

“You don't need to go to prison to learn this lesson,” he says in his latest talk.

He learned that the term “minimum security” was not the much ballyhooed easy “country club prison” so many people hear about.

“Everything in prison is controlled, every single thing you do, there's a rule for it. And if you want to survive in prison and thrive in prison, you're gonna have to follow every single one of the rules… do exactly what you're supposed to do all the time, every day, every way. I cleaned toilets for my living in prison, I made 29 cents an hour cleaning toilets at the education building. It was a wonderful job.… And so I learned, starting at the bottom, that if you work hard you'll get a promotion. I was promoted.”

Lindberg’s model prisoner behavior, and the fact that inmates continually asked him for advice, resulted in him being asked to teach classes. He taught entrepreneurship, stress management, and career planning to around 100 inmates. While coaching former drug dealers who wanted to get into a legitimate business, he learned that many of them had business talent and solid values, but had grown up in bad environments, often without mothers or fathers, that engendered criminal enterprise. Accordingly, even before Lindberg’s conviction was overturned on appeal after 633 days at FPC Montgomery, he determined to do as much as he could to help people avoid a life of crime and also create a fairer justice system in the United States.

He led by example. When fellow inmates would ask why he was working so hard at constantly getting better at cleaning toilets, he explained it was his value system to do the best job he could every day in every way. “If I fail,” he would say, “I'm going to fail without guilt. Because I did my best. I did the absolute best that I possibly could.”

Unlike all too many of his fellow prisoners, Lindberg had a fine family background. A gift of $5000 from his parents while he was in college had financed his initial business. Sadly, he could not attend the funeral of his father while “inside” but he was inspired by something his mother told him just before he went into custody. She said “Greg, I'm proud of you, son.” Lindberg, you see, had never had any legal trouble prior to this. Her inspiring simple sentiment meant everything to him.

The Chinese philosopher Mencius said this about men who overcome trying circumstances: “Only when they are frustrated in mind and in their deliberations can they stand up anew. Only when their intentions become visible on their countenances and audible in their voices can they be understood by others…. Only then do we realize that anxiety and distress lead to life and that ease and comfort end in death."

In prison, away from the hustle and bustle of the “so-called free world” Greg Lindberg focused on improving himself, doing his best with every job assigned, helping his fellow prisoners, and keeping faith in the future. Well before his sentence was finally unanimously overturned, he was greatly enhanced mentally and physically.

“When I won my appeal, my convictions were vacated,” he says. “The warden stopped by and said, Greg, you're the most exemplary and extraordinary inmate on this compound that I've seen in terms of your behavior. He thanked me for my behavior of following the rules and setting an example. This is what prison is about. You're sent to prison for a reason. To follow the rules. And you have no choice. There's nothing, very little in prison, that is your choice.

“Learn obedience. It's important for your character. It's also important for your career. It's important in this hyper-legalistic society. Be self-aware and self-humble on the need to obey.”

In learning increased self-awareness, this already highly capable man emerged from prison energized about helping others improve their lives, starting with obeying their own most worthwhile intentions so they can triumph over the seemingly endless obstacles to living a good life.

Stories of his experiences in prison, including how he transformed himself personally and helped other inmates, are told in Lindberg’s second book, 633 Days Inside: Lessons on Life and Leadership. The ebook of 633 Days Inside can be found on Amazon, GooglePlay, Apple Books and many other major outlets. The paperback is available at Barnes & Noble and, via IngramSpark, around the world. Through his website www.greglindberg.com, he is making digital copies available to any currently incarcerated inmate or their family member.

His company, Global Growth, has a stated policy of not turning away potential employees because of a criminal conviction. He is currently mentoring and helping people he met while at FPC Montgomery, while keeping track of the operations of his international companies and 7500 employees.

You can see the video of Greg Lindberg on Lessons Learned in Prison / The Art of Obeying and Learning to Commit to Your Values on YouTube.

(Listen to the audio of the full video.)