X.always
MASTER
PART Three
10 MARCH 2007
Tom Peters’ X25*
EXCELLENCE.
ALWAYS.
XAlways.MASTER/PART 2.10 March 2007
*In Search of Excellence 1982-2007
VALUE
ADDED
#11
EXCELLENCE.
BEDROCK.
TALENT.
Hire very
good
people!
“We believe companies can increase their market cap
50 percent in 3 years. Steve Macadam at Georgia-
changed 20 of his
40 box plant managers
to put more talented,
higher paid managers in
charge. He increased profitability from
Pacific …
$25
million to
$80
million in
—Ed Michaels, War for Talent
2
years.”
C
O*
*Chief talent acquisition Officer
CRO/Chief Recruiting
Officer: #1 strategic issue in
“commoditized” world,
enormous financial services
company. Agent turnover.
15% retention after 4 years.
(Industry average is 11% …
“because that’s the way it is” )
INVITE THEM TO
JOIN US IN A
JOURNEY TO
EXCELLENCE!
“In the end, management
doesn’t change culture.
Management
invites
the workforce itself to
change the culture.”
—Lou Gerstner
Organizing Genius / Warren Bennis
and Patricia Ward Biederman
“Groups become great only when
everyone in them, leaders and
members alike, is free to do his or
her absolute best.”
“The best thing a leader can do for a
Great Group is to allow its
members to discover their
greatness.”
Leadership’s Mt Everest/Mt Excellence
“free to do his or her
absolute best” …
“allow its members to
discover their
greatness.”
“The role of the Director is to
create a space where the
actor or actress can become
more than they’ve
ever been before, more
than they’ve dreamed
of being.”
—Robert Altman, Oscar
acceptance
“No matter what the situation,
[the great manager’s] first response is
always to think about the
individual concerned and how
things can be arranged to help
that individual experience
success.” —Marcus Buckingham,
The One Thing You Need to Know
C
O*
*Chief quest-meister
EMPHASIZE
THE “SOFT
SKILLS.”
“It’s simple, really,
Tom. Hire for s,
and, above all,
promote for s.”
—Starbucks middle manager/field
A Few Lessons from the Arts
Each hired and developed and evaluated in unique ways
(23 contributors = 23 unique contributions = 23 pathways =
23 personalities = 23 sets of motivators)
Attitude/Enthusiasm/Energy paramount
Re-lent-less!
“Practice is cool” (G Leonard/Mastery)
Team and individual
Aspire to EXCELLENCE = Obvious
Ex-e-cu-tion
Talent = Brand = Duh
“The Project” rules
Emotional language
Bit players. No.
B.I.W. (everything)
Delta events = Delta rosters (incl leader/s)
PUT HR AT THE
HEAD OF THE HEAD
TABLE. BEST
PEOPLE. NOBLEST
MISSION.
DD$21M
A review of Jack and Suzy Welch’s Winning claims there are but
two key differentiators that set GE “culture” apart from the herd:
First: Separating financial forecasting and performance
measurement. Performance measurement based, as it usually is, on budgeting
leads to an epidemic of gaming the system. GE’s performance measurement is
divorced from budgeting—and instead reflects how you do relative to your past
performance and relative to competitors’ performance; i.e., it’s about how you
actually do in the context of what happened in the real world, not as compared to a
gamed-abstract plan developed last year.
Putting HR on
a par with finance
and marketing.
Second:
SO YOU’RE A
“PEOPLE
PERSON”?
PROVE IT.
“Leaders
‘do’ people.
Period.”
—Anon.
From
sweaters to …
Les Wexner:
people!
PARC’s Bob Taylor:
“Connoisseur
of Talent”
“The leaders of Great
Groups love talent and
know where to find it. They
revel in the talent of
others.”
—Warren Bennis &
Patricia Ward Biederman, Organizing Genius
SO YOU’RE A
“PEOPLE
PERSON”?
PROVE IT.
< CAPEX
> People!
“Do”
TALENT!
“Things don’t stay the same. You
have to understand that not only
your business situation changes,
but the people you’re working with
aren’t the same day to day.
Someone is sick. Someone is
having a wedding. [You must]
guage the mood, the thinking level
of the team that day.” —Coach K [Krzyzewski]
220 workdays
= 220 “rosters”
Source: Coach K
new goal …
every game!
Source: Coach K
LIVE FOR
TALENT!
Our Mission
To develop and manage talent;
to apply that talent,
throughout the world,
for the benefit of clients;
to do so in partnership;
to do so with profit.
WPP
Portfolio Thinking
G.M.
V.C.
M.B.S.A.
(Brand Yous)
(Wow Projects!)
(Demos. Heroes. Stories.)
Internal
“brand
promise”!
EVP/
IBP?*
What’s your company’s …
*Employee Value Proposition, per Ed Michaels et al.,
The War for Talent; IBP/Internal Brand Promise per TP
EVP/IBP = Remarkable
challenge, rapid professional
growth, respect, satisfaction,
fun, stunning opportunity,
exceptional reward, amazing
peer group, full membership in
Club Adventure, maximized
future employability
Source: Ed Michaels, The War for Talent; TP
“We are a
‘Life Success’
Company.”
Dave Liniger, founder, RE/MAX
Brand =
Talent.
“The key difference between
checkers and chess is that in
checkers the pieces all move
the same way, whereas in chess
all the pieces move differently.
… Discover what is unique
about each person and
capitalize on it.” —Marcus Buckingham,
The One Thing You Need to Know
Re-imagine
People Power:
The Talent50
The Talent50
1. People first!
2. Soft is Hard.
3. FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE: We are in an
Age of Talent/ Creativity/Intellectualcapital Added.
4. Talent “excellence” in every part of the
organization.
5. P.O.T./Pursuit Of Talent = Obsession.
6. HR sits at The Head Table.
7. HR is “cool.”
The Talent50
8. Re-name “HR.” (Talent Department, Center of
Talent Excellence)
9. There’s an HR Strategy
10. There is a FORMAL Recruitment Strategy.
11. There is a FORMAL Leadership Development
Strategy.
12. There is a “world class” Leadership
Development Center.
13. There is a FORMAL-STRATEGIC HR Review
Process.
14. The “Top100,” and every unit’s Top10, are
consciously managed.
The Talent50
15. “People/Talent Reviews” are the
FIRST reviews.
16. HR Strategy = Business Strategy.
17. Make it a Cause Worth Signing Up For..
18. Set Sky High Standards.
19. Enlist everyone in Challenge Century21.
20. Pursue the Best!
21. Up or Out.
22. Ensure that the Review Process has
INTEGRITY.
23. Pay!
The Talent50
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Training I: Train! Train! Train!
TII: 100% “business people.”
TIII: 100% Leaders.
TIV: Boss as Trainer-in-Chief.
Open Communication I: NO
BARRIERS.
Open Communication II: Share
Information. (ALL!)
Respect!
INTEGRITY!
Treat the Whole Individual.
The Talent50
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
Places of “grace.”
MBWA: The “Rudy Rule.”
Thank You!
Promote for “people skills.”
(ALL ELSE IS SECONDARY.)
Honor youth.
Early leadership assignments.
Fast Tracking is the norm.
Create a System of Mentoring.
The Talent50
41. Diversity!
42. Diversity starts on the Board of
Directors.
43. WOMEN RULE.
44. Weird Wins.
45. We are all unique.
46. Bosses “win people over.”
47. GOAL: Adventures of Mutual
Discovery.
48. Foster Independence.
49. Enthusiasm!
50.
Talent
= Brand.
Marcus
Buckingham:
The One Thing You
Need to Know
“No matter what the situation,
[the great manager’s] first response is
always to think about the
individual concerned and how
things can be arranged to help
that individual experience
success.”
—Marcus Buckingham,
The One Thing You Need to Know
“The key difference between checkers and
chess is that in checkers the pieces all move
the same way, whereas in chess all the pieces
Discover what
is unique about each
person and capitalize
on it.”
move differently. …
—Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know
“The mediocre manager believes that most
things are learnable and therefore that the
essence of management is to identify ach
person’s weaker areas and eradicate them.
The great manager believes the opposite.
He believes that the most influential
qualities of a person are innate and
therefore that the essence of management
is to deploy these innate qualities as
effectively as possible and so drive
performance.” —Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing
You Need to Know
VALUE
ADDED
#11A
EXCELLENCE.
WOMEN.
RULE.
“AS LEADERS,
WOMEN
RULE:
New Studies find that
female managers outshine their male
counterparts in almost every measure”
TITLE/ Special Report/ BusinessWeek
10 UNASSAILABLE REASONS WOMEN RULE
Women make [all] the financial decisions.
Women control [all] the wealth.
Women [substantially] outlive men.
Women start most of the new businesses.
Women’s work force participation rates have
soared worldwide.
Women are closing in on “same pay for same
job.”
Women are penetrating senior ranks rapidly
[even if the pace is slow for the corner
office per se].
Women’s leadership strengths are exceptionally well
aligned with new organizational effectiveness
imperatives.
Women are better salespersons than men.
Women buy [almost] everything—commercial
as well as consumer goods.
So what exactly is the point of men?
VALUE
ADDED
#12
To The Mat:
The “5 Damn Its”
Women.
PSF.
Brand you.
R.f.a.
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
EXCELLENCE.
INDIVIDUAL.
BRAND YOU.
“One of the defining
characteristics [of the
change] is that it will be less
driven by countries or
corporations and more driven
by real people. It will unleash
unprecedented creativity, advancement of
knowledge, and economic development. But
at the same time, it will tend to undermine
safety net systems and penalize the
unskilled.” —Clyde Prestowitz, Three Billion New Capitalists
Core Mechanism:
“Game-changing Solutions”
PSF
(Professional Service Firm “model”/The Organizing Principle)
+
Brand You
(“Distinct” or “Extinct”/The Talent)
+
Wow! Projects
(“Different” vs “Better”/The Work)
“If there is nothing
very special about
your work, no matter
how hard you apply yourself
you won’t get noticed, and
that increasingly means you
won’t get paid much either.”
—Michael Goldhaber, Wired
New Work SurvivalKit.2006
1. MASTERY! (Best/Absurdly Good at Something!)
2. “Manage” to Legacy (All Work = “Memorable”/“Braggable” WOW Projects!)
3. A “USP”/UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION 4. Rolodex Obsession
(From vertical/hierarchy/“suck up” loyalty to
horizontal/“colleague”/“mate” loyalty)
5. ENTREPRENEURIAL INSTINCT (A sleepless … Eye for Opportunity!
6.CEO/LEADER/BUSINESSPERSON/CLOSER (CEO, Me Inc. 24/7!)
7. Master of Improv (Play a dozen parts simultaneously, from
Chief Strategist to Chief Toilet Scrubber)
8. Sense of Humor (A willingness to Screw Up & Move On)
9. Comfortable with Your Skin (Bring “interesting you” to work!)
10. Intense Appetite for Technology (E.g.: How Cool-Active is your
Web site? Do you Blog?)
11. EMBRACE “MARKETING” (Your own CSO/Chief Storytelling Officer)
12. PASSION FOR RENEWAL (Your own CLO/Chief Learning Officer)
13. EXECUTION EXCELLENCE! (Show up on time! Leave last!)
“The only thing you
have power over is
to get good at what
you do. That’s all
there is; there ain’t
no more!” —Sally Field
ACTING:
Think of a person as a
“troupe of
actors.” (“Many truths
about oneself” which must
all be understood if one is to
know oneself.)
Source: A..C. Grayling, The Meaning of Things: Applying Philosophy to Life
“You can make more
friends in two months by
becoming interested in
other people than you
can in two years by
trying to get other people
interested in you.”
—Dale Carnegie
Be
“To
somebody or to
Do something”
BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
(Robert Coram)
“This is the true joy of Life, the
being used for a purpose
recognized by yourself as a
mighty one … the being a force of
Nature instead of a feverish,
selfish little clod of ailments and
grievances complaining that the
world will not devote itself to
making you happy.” —GB Shaw/
Man and Superman
“You are the
storyteller of your
own life, and you can
create your own
legend or not.”
—Isabel Allende
“Make each day a
Masterpiece!”
—JW
“Make of
yourself a
light.”
—Buddha, on his deathbed
12January2006
th,
Happy 300
Brand You!
Muhammad Yunus:
“All human beings
are entrepreneurs. When we
were in the caves we were all selfemployed . . . finding our food, feeding
ourselves. That’s where human history
began . . . As civilization came we
suppressed it. We became labor
because they stamped us, ‘You are
labor.’ We forgot that we are
entrepreneurs.”
Source: Muhammad Yunus/The News Hour—PBS/1122.2006
“In Tom’s world, it’s
always better to try a
swan dive and deliver a
colossal belly flop than
to step timidly off the
board while holding
your nose.”
—Fast Company
“Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in a pretty and
well-preserved body—but
rather a skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up, totally
worn out, and loudly
proclaiming, ‘Wow, what
a ride!’ ” —anon.
Distinct
…
… or
Extinct
Joe J. Jones
1942 – 2006
HE WOULDA DONE SOME
REALLY COOL STUFF
BUT …
HIS BOSS WOULDN’T
HIM!
LET
1 Person!
Wendy Kopp, Princeton senior (1989)
Teach America (19,000-2,400)
10% Dartmouth, Yale
17,000 to date
Principal hirer of college graduates
“One of the few jobs that people pass up
Goldman Sachs for is Teach America” (Edie
Hunt, HR)
Source: Fortune, 1127.06
eliot + 7
Getting to WOW
Through Mastery of …
The Sales25.
Getting Things Done:
Power &
The
Implementation34.
Presentation
Excellence: The
PresX56
“The problem with
communication ...is the
ILLUSION that it has been
accomplished.”
—George Bernard Shaw
Presentation Excellence
1. Total commitment to the Problem/Project/Outcome
2. A compelling “Story line”/“Plot”
3. Enough data to sink a tanker (98% in reserve)
4. Know the data from memory; ability to manipulate the
data in your head
5. Great Stories/Illustrations/Vignettes
6. Superb “political antennae” (you must “play the room”
like a Virtuoso and be hyper-attentive to the likes of
Body Language)
7. By hook or by crook … CONNECT
7A. CONNECT! CONNECT! CONNECT!
8. Punch line/Plot Outline/WOW/Surprise in first
one to two minutes
Joe Kramer, welder: “When my
mother’s toaster went on the
fritz, I asked myself, ‘If I were
that toaster and didn’t work,
what would be wrong with me?’”
—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal
Experience, on “empathetic identification” (Joe: “burdens” vs
“opportunities” to master complex problems)
Presentation Excellence
9. Once you’ve “won” … stop pushing (don’t “rub it in”)
10. Be “in command” but don’t “show off” (if you’re
brilliant they’ll figure it out for themselves)
11. Pay attention to the Senior Person present, but not
too much (don’t look like/act like/be a “suck up”)
12. Brief the hell out of your “champions” before the
presentation; insist that they make changes/fine tune ...
they must “own” the outcome before the fact!
13. Don’t try to “score off” your detractors … be
especially courteous to them (even if/especially if they’re
jerks)
14. Adjust as you go: LET THE GROUP ARRIVE AT
“YOUR” CONCLUSION! THEY MUST OWN IT (“I knew
that”) IN THE END!
Presentation Excellence
15. No more than THREE key points! Come at them in several
different ways.
16. No more than ONE point per slide!
17. Slides: NO CLUTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (no wee print/ charts/graphs)
18. Slides: Good quotes from the field. (Remember you’re “telling a
story”)
19. Be aware of differing cognitive styles, especially M-F
20. There must be “surprise” … some key facts that are not
commonly known/are counter-intuitive (no reason to do the
presentation in the first place if there are no Surprises)
21. Summarize the argument/story from time to time
22. Include an Action Agenda that involves some small items that will
be started/accomplished in the next 72 HOURS (this ices
commitment/practicality)
Presentation Excellence
23. If you don’t know something … ADMIT IT! (this is actually a good
thing—as opposed to appearing as a “know it all”)
24. ASK FOR THE SALE! (Remember to be a “closer”)
25. This is War (a war for Hearts & Mind), but never forget that you
are the Supplicant!
26. Data are imperative, but also play to Emotion.
27. Consider bringing along a “customer” (internal or perhaps
external) for support
28. Be precisely clear where/when you intend to prototype … and
that the prototype guinea pig is lined up (better yet, do the first, at
least partial, prototype before the presentation)
29. Compromise but don’t yield! (Lost battles are normal, no matter
how agonizing)
30. Assume that you may be cut off at any moment, and be prepared
to give on the spot a compelling 30-second to one- minute (no
longer!) Brilliant Summary including Sales Pitch
Presentation Excellence
31. Follow the Law of Recency: Make sure that you have been in the
field with the key “operating” players more recently than anyone in
the room
32. Make it clear that you’ve done a Staggering Amount of
Homework, even though you are exhibiting but a tiny fraction …
allude to the tons of research that are available if desired by
participants; offer deeper one-on-one briefings if desired
33. SMILE! RELAX (to a point) (fake it if necessary) (“up tight” is
disastrous) (remember you are doing them a favor by sharing this
Compelling Opportunity!)
34. EYE CONTACT!!!!!!!
35. Be shrewd: Override some interruptions; be attentive to others
(distraction is okay and normal … within limits!)
36. Becoming an Excellent Presenter is as tough as becoming a
great baseball pitcher. THIS IS IMPORTANT … and Presentation
Excellence is never accidental! (Work your buns off!)
Presentation Excellence
37. Practice … but don’t leave your game in the locker room.
38. Seek tips on how various participants “play the [presentation]
game”
39. A Presentation is an Act (FDR: “The President must be the
nation’s number one actor”)
40. Remember, the presentation is about Change … RESISTANCE IS
NORMAL (in fact if there’s little resistance then your Project is hardly
a “game changer”)
41. Dress well. Don’t over-dress.
42. Be early (obvious, but worth saying)
43. GET THE A/V RIGHT/PERFECT.
44. Don’t bring a supporting horde … a couple of back-ups is
okay/enough
45. No matter how good you are you’ll have crappy days … WEEP
AND THEN GET BACK ON THE HORSE
Presentation Excellence
46. Speak in “Plain English” … keep the jargon to a
minimum
47. Make your Personal Commitment clear as a bell!
48. Emphasize “competitive advantage” and timeliness
(act now), without stooping to ridiculous war-like
language (“tear the heart out of the competition”) (in
audiences with heavy female component, if you are
male, avoid repetitive “football analogues”)
49. Underscore the USP/Unique Selling Proposition
50. Emphasize the Positive
51. Sell Novelty yet “fit” with “core values”
52. Remember JFK’s immortal words: “The only reason
to give a speech is to change the world”
Presentation Excellence
53. Say what you have to say Clearly … and then Say It
Again & Again from slightly different angles
54. Make it clear that you are a Man/Woman of Action …
and Execution Excellence is your First, Middle, and Last
Name!
55. Energy! Enthusiasm! (don’t know the answer to, “If
you ain’t got it how do you get it?”)
56. Enjoy it! This is a Hoot! THE ULTIMATE TURN ON!
Remember your Goal:
Change the world!
Let Us
March!
Tom Peters/1023.06
“The pen is mightier
than the sword, but
nothing compares
with the vocal cord.”
—DAW/Vineyard Gazette
“The problem with
communication ...is
the ILLUSION that
it has been
accomplished.”
—George Bernard Shaw
“Speech is power:
speech is to
persuade, to
convert, to
compel.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Everyone lives
by selling
something.”
—Robert Louis Stevenson
“If you don’t
listen, you don’t
sell anything.”
—Carolyn Marland/Managing Director/Guardian Group
“If all my possessions were
taken from me with one
exception, I would choose
to keep the power of
speech, for by it I would
regain all the rest.”
—Daniel Webster
“The only
reason to give a
speech is to
change the
world.”
—JFK
“In classical times when
Cicero had finished speaking,
the people said, ‘How well he
spoke,’ but when
Demosthenes had finished
speaking, they said, ‘Let
march.’”
us
—Adlai Stevenson
Let us
march.
“Nothing is so
contagious as
enthusiasm.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“It’s always
Showtime.”
—David D’Alessandro, Career Warfare
The Interviewing
Excellence:
The IntX31
EXCELLENCE.
THE WORK MATTERS.
“It’s always
showtime.”
—David D’Alessandro, Career Warfare
“When was the last
time you asked,
‘What do I want
to be?’ ”
—Sara Ann Friedman, Work Matters
The Work Matters!
“What we do matters to us. Work
may not be the most important
thing in our lives or the only thing.
We may work because we must,
but we still want to love, to feel
pride in, to respect ourselves for
what we do and to make a
difference.” —Sara Ann Friedman, Work Matters:
Women Talk About Their Jobs and Their Lives
“If you ask me what I
have come to do in
this world, I who am
an artist, I will reply: I
am here to live my life
out loud.” — Émile Zola
“How Would You
Play Today If You
Knew You Could
Not Play
Tomorrow”
Source: Slogan for Loyola’s lacrosse season, from
coach Diane Geppi-Aikens (Lucky Every Day: The
Wisdom of Diane Geppi-Aikens, by Chip Silverman)
“She made us close our eyes and hear the singers
she was passionate about: Roberta Flack and
Aretha Franklin. ‘Listen to the joy in their voices,’
‘It’s not the words or
the music. They sing with such
great passion, such heart and
soul. You can feel how the singers love what
urged Diane.
they’re doing. It’s not just a job to them. If you want
to excel at anything, you must be passionate.
Otherwise, why waste your time?’ ”
Source: Lucky Every Day: The Wisdom of
Diane Geppi-Aikens, by Chip Silverman
VALUE
ADDED
#13
EXCELLENCE.
MOTIVATIONAL
STUFF.
“Do one thing
every day that
scares you.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt
“ARE YOU BEING
REASONABLE? Most people
are reasonable; that’s
why they only do
reasonably well.”
Source: Paul Arden, Whatever You Think Think the Opposite
"The reasonable man adapts
himself to the world. The
unreasonable one persists in
trying to adapt the world to
himself. Therefore, all
progress depends upon the
unreasonable man.” —GB Shaw,
Man and Superman: The Revolutionists' Handbook.
“If it’s not fun
you’re not doing
it right.”
—Fran Tarkenton
“The [Union senior] officers rode past the
Confederates smugly without any sign
of recognition except by one. ‘When
General Grant reached the line of
ragged, filthy, bloody, despairing
prisoners strung out on each side of
the bridge, he lifted his hat and held it
over his head until he passed the last
man of that living funeral cortege. He
was the only officer in that whole train
who recognized us as being on the
face of the earth.’*”
*quote within a quote from diary of a Confederate soldier
The Power
of Optimism.
“Success or Failure”/Try Instead “Optimism or
Failure”/From Martin Seligman’s Learned
Optimism: “I believe the traditional wisdom is
incomplete. A composer can have all the talent of a
Mozart and a passionate desire to succeed, but if he
believes he cannot compose music, he will come to
nothing. He will not try hard enough. He will give up too
soon when the elusive right melody takes too long to
materialize. Success requires persistence, the ability to
not give up in the face of failure. I believe that …
OPTIMISTIC EXPLANATORY STYLE … is the
key to persistence. … The optimistic-explanatory-style
theory of success says that in order to choose people
for success in a challenging job, you need to select for
(1) Aptitude. (2)
Motivation. (3) Optimism. All three determine
three characteristics:
success.”
Pessimist: Good things … “I’m
worthless, but got lucky on this
one.” Bad things … “I’m a bozo
who deserved my sorry fate.”
Optimist: Good things … “I
deserved that; I’m the cat’s
meow.” Bad things … “I’m the
cat’s meow, but the cat had an
unlucky day; tomorrow will be
better for sure.”
Stop
Doing
It!
“The one thing you
need to know about
sustained individual
success: Discover what
you don’t like doing
and
stop doing it.”
—Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know
Start
Doing
It!
“A year from now
you may wish
You had
started today.”
—Karen Lamb
BONUS
Stating the Obvious:
THE PROBLEM IS
RARELY THE
PROBLEM.
THE PROBLEM IS
RARELY/NEVER THE
PROBLEM. THE
RESPONSE TO THE
PROBLEM INVARIABLY
ENDS UP BEING THE
REAL PROBLEM.* **
*Watergate, M Stewart, BR
**And: PERCEPTION IS ALL THERE IS!
OFTEN AS
NOT/MORE OFTEN
THAN NOT THE
UNDERLYING
PROBLEM IS NOT
MUCH OF A
PROBLEM.
PERCEPTION
IS ALL THERE
IS. PERIOD.*
*From Whole Foods to IBM to the corner deli
Relationships
THERE
ONCE WAS A TIME WHEN A
THREE-MINUTE PHONE CALL
WOULD HAVE AVOIDED
SETTING OFF THE DOWNWARD
SPIRAL THAT RESULTED IN A
COMPLETE RUPTURE.
(of all varieties)
:
POWER WORDS!
“I’m sorry.”
Stating the Obvious II:
MORE POWER
WORDS/IDEAS
Thank
You!
MBWA*
*5,000 miles for a 5-minute face-to
-face meeting (courtesy superagent Mark McCormick)
FLOWER
POWER
POWER IDEAS!
You must care.
—General Melvin Zais
Only
connect!
—E.M. Forster, Howards End
Only connect!
That was the whole of her
sermon.
Only connect the prose and the
passion, and both will be
exalted,
And human love will be seen
at its height.
Live in fragments no longer.
Only connect ...
—E.M. Forster, Howards End
bedrock
behaviors
Home Run
Being there! * ** *** ****
*No more, no less
**“A body can pretend to care, but they can’t
pretend to be there.” — Texas Bix Bender
*** GEN Melvin Zais on COs and inspections
****Silence is golden! [Utter silence is golden-er.]
Period!
Shake hands
Smile
Eye contact
Period+!
Shake hands
Smile
Eye contact
Thank you
Flowers
Open pose
ROIR
Period+!
Shake hands
Smile
Eye contact
Thank you
Flowers
Open pose
ROIR
VALUE
ADDED
#13A
Peter & Mary
on their
fellow
humans
Drucker on
his fellow
humans
Source: Interview, Management Today (Australia); 01-02.2006
“The purpose of
professional
schools is to
educate competent
mediocrities.”* —PD
*Warren Bennis & Peter Drucker:
On Organizing Genius, Drucker communication to
Bennis:“It should have been ‘organizing idiots.’”
Source: Management Today (Australia); 01-02.2006
Mary oliver+
on her/their
fellow humans
“Tell me, what is
it you plan to do
with your one
wild and
precious life?”
—Mary Oliver
“Every child is born
an artist. The trick
is to remain an
artist.”
—Picasso
“The key question isn’t ‘What fosters
creativity?’ But it is why in God’s name isn’t
everyone creative? Where was the human
potential lost? How was it crippled? I think
therefore a good question might be not
why do people create? But why do people
not create or innovate? We have got to
abandon that sense of amazement in the
face of creativity, as if it were a miracle if
anybody created anything.”
—Abe Maslow
Joe J. Jones
1942 – 2006
HE WOULDA DONE SOME
REALLY COOL STUFF
BUT …
HIS BOSS WOULDN’T
HIM!
LET
“We make our
own traps.”
“We construct our
own cage.”
“We build our own
roadblocks.”
Source: Douglas Kennedy, State of the Union
“[The novel] traced the very ordinary life of a very
ordinary woman—a life with few moments of high drama,
but which was also remarkable. The extraordinary in the
It was a theme I often
discussed with my students—how
we can never consider anybody’s
life ‘ordinary,’ how every human
existence is a novel with its own
compelling narrative. Even if, on the
ordinary.
surface, it seems prosaic, the fact remains that each
individual life is charged with contradictions and
complexities. And no matter much we wish to keep things
simple and uneventful, we cannot help but collide mess.
It is our destiny—because mess, the drama we create for
ourselves, is an intrinsic part of being alive.”
—Hannah, from State of the Union by Douglas Kennedy
“If you ask me what I have
come to do in this world, I
who am an artist, I will
I am here to
live my life out
loud.”
reply:
— Émile Zola
The Work Matters!
“What we do matters to us. Work
may not be the most important
thing in our lives or the only thing.
We may work because we must,
but we still want to love, to feel
pride in, to respect ourselves for
what we do and to make a
difference.” —Sara Ann Friedman, Work Matters:
Women Talk About Their Jobs and Their Lives
“… the delight of being totally
within one’s own element—of
identifying fully with one’s work
and seeing it as an expression of
one’s character … this affection
must be so strong that it persists
during leisure hours and even
makes its way into dreams … the
mind knows no deadlines or
constraints and is open to its inner
energies …” —Robert Grudin/ The Grace of Great
Things: Creativity and Innovation
“This is the true joy of Life, the
being used for a purpose
recognized by yourself as a
mighty one … the being a force of
Nature instead of a feverish,
selfish little clod of ailments and
grievances complaining that the
world will not devote itself to
making you happy.” —GB Shaw/
Man and Superman
“Self-reliance never comes
‘naturally’ to adults because they
have been so conditioned to think
non-authentically that it feels
wrenching to do otherwise. … Self
Reliance is a last resort to which a
person is driven in desperation only
when he or she realizes ‘that
imitation is suicide, that he must take
himself for better, for worse, as his
portion.’ ” —Lawrence Buell, Emerson
“For Marx, the path to social betterment was through collective
resistance of the proletariat to the economic injustices of the
capitalist system that produced such misshapenness and
For Emerson, the key was to jolt
individuals into realizing the untapped power
of energy, knowledge and creativity of which
all people, at least in principle, are capable.
He too hated all systems of human
oppression; but his central project, and the
basis of his legacy, was to unchain individual
minds.”
fragmentation.
—Lawrence Buell, Emerson
Grant+
Respect
“The [Union senior] officers rode past the
Confederates smugly without any sign
of recognition except by one. ‘When
General Grant reached the line of
ragged, filthy, bloody, despairing
prisoners strung out on each side of
the bridge, he lifted his hat and held it
over his head until he passed the last
man of that living funeral cortege. He
was the only officer in that whole train
who recognized us as being on the
face of the earth.’*”
*quote within a quote from diary of a Confederate soldier
“It was much later that I realized
Dad’s secret. He gained respect by
giving it. He talked and listened to
the fourth-grade kids in Spring Valley
who shined shoes the same way he
talked and listened to a bishop or a
He was
seriously interested in
who you were and what
you had to say.”
college president.
Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect
“I wasn’t bowled over by [David Boies]
intelligence. … What impressed me was
that when he asked a question, he waited
He not only
listened, he made me feel
like I was the only person
in the room.” —Lawyer Kevin _____, on his
for an answer.
first, inadvertent meeting with David Boies, from Marshall
Goldsmith, “The One Skill That Separates,” Fast Company, 07.05
“What creates trust,
in the end, is the
leader’s manifest
respect for
the followers.”
— Jim O’Toole, Leading Change
“Don’t
belittle!”
—OD Consultant
“The deepest
human need is
the need to
beappreciated.”
William James
“Ph.D. in leadership. Short
course: Make a short list of
all things done to you that
you abhorred. Don’t do them
to others. Ever. Make
another list of things done to
you that you loved. Do them
to others. Always.” — Dee Hock
“We behaved as if we
were guests in their
house. We treated
them not as a defeated
people, but as allies.
Our success became
their success.”
—“How One Soldier
Brought Democracy to Iraq: The Mayor of Ar Rutbah”
(MAJ James Gavrilis/USA Special Forces)
Geron-imo!
“Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in a pretty and
well-preserved body—but
rather a skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up, totally
worn out, and loudly
proclaiming, ‘Wow,
what a ride!’ ” —anon.
"Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in one pretty
and well preserved piece, but
to skid across the line
broadside, thoroughly used
up, worn out, leaking oil,
shouting ‘GERONIMO!’ ”
—Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer
(Cycle magazine 02.1982)
"The object of life's
journey is not to arrive at
the grave safely in a well
preserved body, but rather
to skid in sideways, totally
worn out, shouting, 'Holy
Shit, What a
Ride!!!’ ”
—Mavis Leyrer
(feisty OCTOGENARIAN, living in Seattle)
HANDS THAT
SHAPE
HUMANITY.
HTSH/Hands That Shape Humanity: Engage!*
Commit! Engage! Try! Fail! Get up! Try
again! Fail again! Try again! But never,
ever stop moving on! Progress for
humanity is engendered by those in any
station who join and savor the fray by
giving one hundred percent of themselves
to their modest or immodest dreams! Not
by those fearful souls who remain
glued to the sidelines, stifled by
tradition, awash in cynicism and petrified
of losing face or giving offense to the
reigning authorities.
Key words:
Commit! Engage! Try! Fail! Persist!
*HTST/Hands That Shape Humanity, Tom Peters’ contribution of
“most important advice”—for a Bishop Tutu exhibit in South Africa
“It’s always
showtime.”
—David D’Alessandro, Career Warfare
VALUE
ADDED
#14
EXCELLENCE.
AWOL: THE
SCHOOLS
FIASCO.
“My wife and I went to a [kindergarten] parent-teacher conference
and were informed that our budding refrigerator artist, Christopher,
would be receiving a grade of Unsatisfactory in art. We were
shocked. How could any child—let alone our child—receive a poor
His teacher
informed us that he had
refused to color within the
lines, which was a state
requirement for
demonstrating ‘grade-level
motor skills.’ ”
grade in art at such a young age?
—Jordan Ayan, AHA!
“How many artists are there in the room? Would you please raise
your hands. FIRST GRADE: En mass the children leapt from their
seats, arms waving. Every child was an artist. SECOND GRADE:
About half the kids raised their hands, shoulder high, no higher. The
hands were still. THIRD GRADE: At best, 10 kids out of 30 would
raise a hand, tentatively, self-consciously. By the time I reached
SIXTH GRADE, no more than one or two kids raised their hands,
and then ever so slightly, betraying a fear of being identified by the
group as a ‘closet artist.’ The point is:
Every school I visited
was participating in
the systematic suppression
of creative genius.”
Source: Gordon MacKenzie, Orbiting the Giant Hairball
Ye gads: “Thomas Stanley has not only found
no correlation between success in school and
an ability to accumulate wealth, he’s actually
found a negative correlation. ‘It seems that
school-related evaluations are poor
predictors of economic success,’ Stanley
concluded. What did predict success was a
willingness to take risks. Yet the successfailure standards of most schools penalized
risk takers. Most educational systems reward
those who play it safe. As a result, those who
do well in school find it hard to take risks
later on.”
—Richard Farson & Ralph Keyes,
Whoever Makes the Most Mistakes Wins
15 “Leading” Biz Schools
Design/Core: 0
Design/Elective: 1
Creativity/Core: 0
Creativity/Elective: 4
Innovation/Core: 0
Innovation/Elective: 6
Source: DMI/Summer 2002/Research by Thomas Lockwood
M.I.A.*: Talk. (Present.) Listen. (Interview.)
Sell. (Life = Sales.) Do. (Execution-Implementation.)
Talent. (Recruit-Develop-Retain.) Project
Management. (Create. Solicit support.
Execution. Adoption-Client “Culture Change.”)
Product. (“It.”) Innovation. (Design.
Creativity. “Buzz-building.” Politics.) Leadership.
(USMA, etc.) E.Q. (Connect.) “Culture”
Change. (Lasting impact.) Diversity. (Crosscultural Effectiveness.) Career Creation.
(Brand You life-lifestyle.) Wellness. (Life.)
*B.Schools (“M.I.A.” or at most “B.I.A.”—barely in action)
New Economy Biz Degree Programs
MBA (Master of Business Administration)
MMM1 (Master of Metaphysical Management)
MMM2 (Master of Metabolic Management)
MGLF (Master of Great Leaps Forward)
MTD (Master of Talent Development)
W/MwGTDw/oC (Woman/Man Who Gets
Things Done without Certificate)
DE (Doctor of Enthusiasm)
Fact: Last 4 Deans … Finance,
Economics, Accounting, Finance.
Query: WILL THERE EVER BE
ONE FROM THE “TOP LINE” SIDE:
INNOVATION (Ha, Ha),
ENTREPRENEURSHIP,
MARKETING, SALES (Ha Ha)? OR
THE “PEOPLE” SIDE: HR?
VALUE
ADDED
#15
EXCELLENCE.
BEDROCK.
LEADERSHIP.
EXCELLENCE.
BEDROCK.
PURPOSE.
“I never, ever thought
of myself as a
businessman. I was
interested in
creating things I
would be proud
of.”
—Richard Branson
“Management has a lot to do with
answers. Leadership is a function of
questions. And the first question for a
‘Who do
we intend to
be?’ Not ‘What are we going to
leader always is:
do?’ but ‘Who do we intend to be?’”
—Max De Pree, Herman Miller
“In 1933, Thomas J. Watson Sr. gave a
speech at the World’s
Fair, ‘World Peace through
We stood
for something,
right?”
World Trade.’
—Sam Palmisano
“People want to be part
of something larger than
themselves. They want to
be part of something
they’re really proud of,
that they’ll fight for,
sacrifice for , trust.”
—Howard Schultz, Starbucks (IBD/09.05)
Ah, kids: “What is your vision for
the future?” “What have you
accomplished since your first book?”
“Close your eyes and imagine me
immediately doing something about
what you’ve just said. What would it
be?” “Do you feel you have an
obligation to ‘Make the world a
better place’?”
EXCELLENCE.
THE STORY.
THE MESSAGE.
“To change minds effectively,
leaders make particular use
stories
that they tell and the lives
of two tools: the
that they lead.”
—Howard Gardner,
Changing Minds
Message clarity = CALENDAR +
MBWA + Language + Perceived
INTENSITY/ENTHUSIASM/
ENERGY + Concrete-Visible
support + Prototypes +
Tolerance for Failure/“Good
losses” + Promotions + Tempo +
Resilience + Celebration +
Perceived RELENTLESSNESS +
Training
EXCELLENCE.
BY INVITATION.
“If I could have chosen not to tackle the IBM
culture head-on, I probably wouldn’t have. My
bias coming in was toward strategy, analysis and
measurement. In comparison, changing the
attitude and behaviors of hundreds of thousands
[Yet] I
came to see in my time at
IBM that culture isn’t just
one aspect of the game—
it is the game.” —Lou Gerstner, Who
of people is very, very hard.
Says Elephants Can’t Dance
“In the end, management
doesn’t change culture.
Management
invites
the workforce itself to
change the culture.”
—Lou Gerstner
EXCELLENCE.
OF SERVICE.
Servant Leadership/Robert Greenleaf
1. Do those served grow as
persons?
2. Do they, while being served,
become healthier wiser, freer,
more autonomous, more likely
themselves to become servants?
EXCELLENCE.
BETTER IS
BETTER.
Hire
up!
Source: Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals
EXCELLENCE.
ENTHUSIASM.
ENERGY.
PASSION.
“Before you can inspire with
emotion, you must be
swamped with it yourself.
Before you can move their
tears, your own must flow. To
convince them, you must
yourself believe.”
—Winston Churchill
“Nothing is so
contagious as
enthusiasm.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Enthusiasm,
the ultimate
virus.”
“Whenever anything is
being accomplished, I
have learned, it is being
done by a monomaniac
with a mission.”
—Peter Drucker
“Most important,
upped the
energy level at
he
Motorola.”
—Fortune on Ed Zander/08.05
Q: “If it were your $100K
[life’s savings] and my $100K,
what sort of Waiters would
we look for?”
A: “Enthusiasts!”
EXCELLENCE.
ENTHUSIASM.
ENERGY.
PASSION.
EXUBERANCE.
Ex-uber-ance!
Exuberance: The Passion for Life, by Kay Redfield Jamison+
“I believe exuberance is incomparably more important
than we acknowledge. If, as has been claimed,
enthusiasm finds the opportunities and energy makes
the most of them, a mood of mind that yokes the two of
them is formidable indeed.”
“The Greeks bequeathed to us one of the most
beautiful words in our language—the word
‘enthusiasm’—en theos—a god within. The grandeur of
human actions is measured by the inspiration from
which they spring. Happy is he who bears a god within,
and who obeys it.”—Louis Pasteur
“Exuberance is, at its quick, contagious. As it spreads
pell-mell through a group, exuberance excites, it
delights, and it dispels tension. It alerts the group to
change and possibility.”
Exuberance: The Passion for Life, by Kay Redfield Jamison+
“A leader is someone who creates infectious
enthusiasm.”—Ted Turner
“‘Glorious’ was a term [John] Muir would invoke time
and again … despite his conscious attempts to eradicate
it from his writing. ‘Glorious’ and ‘joy’ and
‘exhilaration’: no matter how often he scratched out
these words once he had written them, they sprang
up time and again …”
“To meet Roosevelt, said Churchill, ‘with all his buoyant
sparkle, his iridescence,’ was like ‘opening a bottle of
champagne.’ Churchill, who knew both champagne
and human nature, recognized ebullient leadership
when he saw it.”
Exuberance: The Passion for Life, by Kay Redfield Jamison+
“At a time of weakness and mounting despair in the
democratic world, Roosevelt stood out by his
astonishing appetite for life and by his apparently
complete freedom from fear of the future; as a man who
welcomed the future eagerly as such, and conveyed the
feeling that whatever the times might bring, all would
be grist to his mill, nothing would be too formidable or
crushing to be subdued. He had unheard of energy and
gusto … and was a spontaneous, optimistic, pleasureloving ruler with unparalleled capacity for creating
confidence.”—Isaiah Berlin on FDR
Exuberance: The Passion for Life, by Kay Redfield Jamison+
“Churchill had a very powerful mind, but a romantic
and unquantitative one. If he thought about a course
of action long enough, if he achieved it alone in his
own inner consciousness and desired it passionately,
he convinced himself it must be possible. Then, with
incomparable invention, eloquence and high spirits,
he set out to convince everyone else that it was
not only possible, but the only course of action
open to man.”—C.P. Snow
“We are all worms. But I do believe that I am a
glow-worm.”—Churchill on Churchill
“The multitudes were swept forward till their pace was
the same as his.”—Churchill on T.E. Lawrence
“He brought back a real joy to music.”—Wynton
Marsalis on Louis Armstrong
EXCELLENCE.
RELENTLESSNESS.
RE-LENTLESSNESS
BLOOD-YMIND-EDNESS
Bloodyminded:
Unreasonably
stubborn
Source: The Random House Dictionary of the English Language
“It is no use saying
‘We are doing our
best.’ You have got
to succeed in doing
what is necessary.”
—WSC
"The reasonable man adapts
himself to the world. The
unreasonable one persists in
trying to adapt the world to
himself. Therefore, all
progress depends upon the
unreasonable man.” —GB Shaw,
Man and Superman: The Revolutionists' Handbook.
“This [adolescent] incident [of getting from point A to point B] is notable
not only because it underlines Grant’s fearless horsemanship and his
determination, but also it is the first known example of a very important
Grant had an
extreme, almost phobic
dislike of turning back
and retracing his steps.
peculiarity of his character:
If he
set out for somewhere, he would get there somehow, whatever the
difficulties that lay in his way. This idiosyncrasy would turn out to be one
the factors that made him such a formidable general. Grant would always,
always press on—turning back was not an option for him.”
—Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant
First-level Scientific Success
The smartest guy
in the room wins”
Or …
First-level Scientific Success
Fanaticism
Persistence-Dogged Tenacity
Patience (long haul/decades)-Impatience (in a hurry/”do it yesterday”)
Passion
Energy
Relentlessness (Grant-ian)
Enthusiasm
Driven (nuts!)
(Brutal?) Competitiveness
Entrepreneurial
Pragmatic (R.F!A.)
Scrounge (“gets” the logistics-infrastructure bit)
Master of Politics (internal-external)
Tactical Genius
Pursuit of (Oceanic) Excellence!
High EQ/Skillful in Attracting + Keeping Talent/Magnetic
Prolific (“ground up more pig brains”)
Egocentric
Sense of History-Destiny
Futuristic-In the Moment
Mono-dimensional (“Work-life balance”? Ha!)
Exceptionally Intelligent
Exceptionally Clever (methodological shortcuts/methodological genius)
Luck
“Whenever anything is
being accomplished, I
have learned, it is being
done by a monomaniac
with a mission.”
—Peter Drucker
Charles Handy on the “Alchemists”
“Passion was what drove
these people, passion for
their product or their cause.
If you
care enough, you will find out what you need to know.
Or you will experiment and not worry if the experiment
Passion
goes wrong.
as the secret to learning
is an odd secret to propose, but I believe that it works
passion
at all levels and at all ages. Sadly,
is
not a word often heard in the elephant organizations,
nor in schools, where it can seem disruptive.”
EXCELLENCE.
AGILITY.
“The most
successful people
are those who
are good at plan B.”
—James Yorke, mathematician, on chaos
theory, in The New Scientist
EXCELLENCE.
SHOWING UP.
MBWA
“You must
be
the change you wish
to see in the world.”
Gandhi
You = Your
calendar*
*Calendars NEVER lie!!
5,000
miles for a 5
min. meeting!
Mark McCormack:
“The First step in a
‘dramatic’
‘organizational change
program’ is obvious—
dramatic personal
change!” —RG
Message clarity = CALENDAR +
MBWA + Language + Perceived
INTENSITY/ENTHUSIASM/
ENERGY + Concrete-Visible
support + Prototypes +
Tolerance for Failure/“Good
losses” + Promotions + Tempo +
Resilience + Celebration +
Perceived RELENTLESSNESS +
Training
EXCELLENCE.
STRETCH.
The greatest danger
for most of us
is not that our aim is
too high
and we miss it,
but that it is
too low
and we reach it.
Michelangelo
Kevin Roberts’ Credo
1. Ready. Fire! Aim.
2. If it ain’t broke ... Break it!
3. Hire crazies.
4. Ask dumb questions.
5. Pursue failure.
6. Lead, follow ... or get out of the way!
7. Spread confusion.
8. Ditch your office.
9. Read odd stuff.
10.
Avoid moderation!
Sir Richard’s Rules:
Follow your passions.
Keep it simple.
Get the best people to help you.
Re-create yourself.
Play.
Source: Fortune on Branson
EXCELLENCE.
KABOOM.
No Wiggle Room!
“Incrementalism
is innovation’s
worst enemy.”
—Nicholas Negroponte
“Beware of the tyranny
of making Small Changes
to Small Things. Rather,
make Big Changes to
Big Things.”
—Roger Enrico, former Chairman, PepsiCo
Line Extensions:
86 percent of new
products. 62 percent
39
of revenues.
percent of profit.
Source: Blue Ocean Strategy, Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
Five
MYTHS About Changing Behavior
*Crisis is a powerful impetus for change
*Change is motivated by fear
*The facts will set us free
*
Small, gradual changes
are always easier to
make and sustain
*We can’t change because our brains become
“hardwired” early in life
Source: Fast Company
EXCELLENCE.
OFFENSE.
“[other]
admirals more
frightened of
losing than
anxious to win”
On NELSON:
"Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in one pretty
and well preserved piece, but
to skid across the line
broadside, thoroughly used
up, worn out, leaking oil,
shouting ‘GERONIMO!’ ”
—Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer (Cycle magazine)
You only
find oil if
you drill
wells.
—The Hunters, by John Masters,
Canadian O & G wildcatter
Insanely
great”
VALUE
ADDED
#15A
EXCELLENCE.
BEDROCK.
LEADERSHIP.
9Ps. L23.
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
“People want to be part of
something larger than
themselves. They want to be
part of something they’re
really proud of, that they’ll
fight for, sacrifice for ,
trust.”
—Howard Schultz, Starbucks (IBD/09.05)
“Management has a lot to do with
answers. Leadership is a function of
questions. And the first question for a
‘Who do
we intend to
be?’ Not ‘What are we going to
leader always is:
do?’ but ‘Who do we intend to be?’”
—Max De Pree, Herman Miller
Ah, kids: “What is your vision for
the future?” “What have you
accomplished since your first book?”
“Close your eyes and imagine me
immediately doing something about
what you’ve just said. What would it
be?” “Do you feel you have an
obligation to ‘Make the world a
better place’?”
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
“Nothing is so
contagious as
enthusiasm.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Whenever anything is
being accomplished, I
have learned, it is being
done by a monomaniac
with a mission.”
—Peter Drucker
“Great leaders move us. They
ignite our passion and inspire
the best in us. When we try to
explain why they are so
effective, we speak of strategy,
vision or powerful ideas. But the
reality is much more primal:
Great leadership works through
the emotions.” —Daniel Goleman,
The New Leaders
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
“In the end, management
doesn’t change culture.
Management
invites
the workforce itself to
change the culture.”
—Lou Gerstner
“The role of the Director is to create a
space where the actors and
become more
than they’ve ever been
before, more than
they’ve dreamed of
being.”
actresses can
—Robert Altman, Oscar acceptance speech
Organizing Genius / Warren Bennis
and Patricia Ward Biederman
“Groups become great only when
everyone in them, leaders and
members alike, is free to do his or
her absolute best.”
“The best thing a leader can do for a
Great Group is to allow its
members to discover their
greatness.”
Leadership’s Mt Everest/Mt Excellence
“free to do his or her
absolute best” …
“allow its members to
discover their
greatness.”
Servant Leadership/Robert Greenleaf
1. Do those served grow as
persons?
2. Do they, while being served,
become healthier, wiser, freer,
more autonomous, more likely
themselves to become servants?
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
“The First step in a
‘dramatic’
‘organizational change
program’ is obvious—
dramatic personal
change!” —RG
“You must
be
the change you
wish to see in the
world.”
Gandhi
“It’s always
showtime.”
—David D’Alessandro, Career Warfare
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
Relentless: “One of
my superstitions had always been
when I started to go anywhere or
not to
turn back , or stop,
to do anything,
until the thing intended was
accomplished.” —Grant
“This [adolescent] incident [of getting from point A to point B] is notable
not only because it underlines Grant’s fearless horsemanship and his
determination, but also it is the first known example of a very important
Grant had an
extreme, almost phobic
dislike of turning back
and retracing his steps.
peculiarity of his character:
If he
set out for somewhere, he would get there somehow, whatever the
difficulties that lay in his way. This idiosyncrasy would turn out to be one
the factors that made him such a formidable general. Grant would always,
always press on—turning back was not an option for him.”
—Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant
“It is no use saying
‘We are doing our
best.’ You have got
to succeed in doing
what is necessary.”
—WSC
"The reasonable man adapts
himself to the world. The
unreasonable one persists in
trying to adapt the world to
himself. Therefore, all
progress depends upon the
unreasonable man.” —GB Shaw,
Man and Superman: The Revolutionists' Handbook.
“Success seems to be
largely a matter
of hanging on
after others have
let go.”
—William Feather, author
“The most
successful people
are those who
are good at plan B.”
—James Yorke, mathematician, on chaos
theory, in The New Scientist
"Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in one pretty
and well preserved piece, but
to skid across the line
broadside, thoroughly used
up, worn out, leaking oil,
shouting ‘GERONIMO!’ ”
—Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer (Cycle magazine)
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
‘do’
“Leaders
people.
Period.”
—Anon.
“Leaders
‘SERVE’
people.
Period.”
—Anon.
Servant Leadership/Robert Greenleaf
1. Do those served grow as
persons?
2. Do they, while being served,
become healthier wiser, freer,
more autonomous, more likely
themselves to become servants?
< CAPEX
> People!
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
“Beware of the tyranny
of making Small Changes
to Small Things. Rather,
make Big Changes to
Big Things.”
—Roger Enrico, former Chairman, PepsiCo
Kevin Roberts’ Credo
1. Ready. Fire! Aim.
2. If it ain’t broke ... Break it!
3. Hire crazies.
4. Ask dumb questions.
5. Pursue failure.
6. Lead, follow ... or get out of the way!
7. Spread confusion.
8. Ditch your office.
9. Read odd stuff.
10.
Avoid moderation!
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
“[other]
admirals more
frightened of
losing than
anxious to win”
On NELSON:
“Parcells thought that Taylor’s size and speed were
closer to the beginning than the end of the explanation.
[The difference was] Taylor’s peculiar energy and mind:
relentless, manic, with grandiose ambitions and private
Parcells believed that
even in the NFL a lot of players were
more concerned with seeming to want to
win than with actual winning, and that
many of them did not know the
difference. What they wanted, deep
down, was to keep their jobs, make their
money, and go home. Lawrence Taylor wanted
standards of performance.
to win. He expected more of himself on the field than any
coach would dare to ask of any player.” —Michael Lewis,
The Blind Side
The greatest danger
for most of us
is not that our aim is
too high
and we miss it,
but that it is
too low
and we reach it.
Michelangelo
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
Potential.
Presence.
Personal.
PERSISTENCE.
PEOPLE.
Potent.
Positive.
“Excellence can be obtained if you:
... care more than others think is wise;
... risk more than others think is safe;
... dream more than others think
is practical;
... expect more than others think
is possible.”
Source: Anon. (Posted @ tompeters.com by
K.Sriram, November 27, 2006 1:17 AM)
"Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in one pretty
and well preserved piece, but
to skid across the line
broadside, thoroughly used
up, worn out, leaking oil,
shouting ‘GERONIMO!’ ”
—Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer (Cycle magazine)
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
EXCELLENCE.
THE LEADERSHIP23.
Leadership23/ML
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Enthusiasm. Energy. Exuberance.
Action. Execution.
Tempo. Metabolism.
Relentless.
Master of Plan B.
Accountability.
Meritocracy.
Leaders “do” people. Mentor. (“Success
creation business.”)
9. Women. Diversity.
10. Integrity. Credibility. Humanity. Grace.
11. Realism.
12. Cause. Adventures. Quests.
Leadership23/ML
13. Legacy.
14. Best story wins.
15. On the edge. (“Wildest chimera of a
moonstruck mind.”)
16. “Reward excellent failures. Punish
mediocre successes.”
17. Different > Better. (“Only ones who do
what we do.”)
18. MBWA. Customer MBWA.
19. Laughs.
20. Repot. Curiosity. Why?
21. You = Calendar. “To Don’t.” Two.
22. Excellence. Always.
23. Nelsonian! (“Other admirals more afraid
of losing than anxious to win.”)
Enthusiasm
Energy
Exuberance
Voracious Curiosity
Irritability/Dis-satisfaction
Relentlessness
Self-reliance
“Closer” (Execution)
excellence
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
Leaders:
gotta
say it!
“No leader sets out to be a
leader per se, but rather
to express him- or
herself freely and fully.
That is, leaders have no
interest in proving
themselves, but an abiding
interest in expressing
themselves.” —Warren Bennis,
On Becoming a Leader
“Everyone lives
by
selling
something.”
—Robert Louis Stevenson
“It’s always
showtime.”
—David D’Alessandro, Career Warfare
VALUE
ADDED
#15B
EXCELLENCE.
LET US MARCH.
“In classical times when
Cicero had finished speaking,
the people said, ‘How well he
spoke,’ but when
Demosthenes had finished
speaking, they said, ‘Let
march.’”
us
—Adlai Stevenson
Let us
march.
“No leader sets out to be a
leader per se, but rather to
express him- or herself freely
and fully. That is leaders have
no interest in proving
themselves, but an abiding
interest in expressing
themselves.” —Warren Bennis,
On Becoming a Leader
EXCELLENCE.
THRILLS.
TRANSCENDENCE.
WOW. NOW.
!
Radically Thrilling Language!
“Radically
Thrilling.”
—BMW Z4 (ad)
C
O*
*Chief Thrills Officer
Synonyms
Purity
Transcendence
Virtue
Elegance
Majesty
Antonyms
Mediocrity
C
O*
*Chief Transcendence Officer
C
O*
*Chief WOW Officer
C
*Chief
O*
!
Officer
EXCELLENCE.
TECHNICOLOR.
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
“A year from now
you may wish
You had
started today.”
—Karen Lamb
"Life is not a journey to the
grave with the intention of
arriving safely in one pretty
and well preserved piece, but
to skid across the line
broadside, thoroughly used
up, worn out, leaking oil,
shouting ‘GERONIMO!’ ”
—Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer (Cycle magazine)
You only
find oil if
you drill
wells.
—The Hunters, by John Masters,
Canadian O & G wildcatter
“It’s always
showtime.”
—David D’Alessandro, Career Warfare
“I don’t
know if ‘it’
is ‘possible.’
I do know it’s
‘necessary.’”
TP/Chile:
EXCELLE
ALWAYS
VALUE
ADDED
#16
LEADERSHIP.
OTHER.
Leadership:
Alternative
Version #1
Leadership
Excellence for
Totally Screwed-Up
Times: The
Passion
Imperative.
Lead It …
Loud!
“The Bottleneck is at
the Top of the Bottle”
“Where are you likely to find people with the least diversity of
experience, the largest investment in the past, and the greatest
reverence for industry dogma?
At the top!”
— Gary Hamel/“Strategy or Revolution”/Harvard Business Review
Create a
Cause!
“Create a
‘cause,’ not a
‘business.’ ”
G.H.:
“People want to be part of
something larger than
themselves. They want to be
part of something they’re
really proud of, that they’ll
fight for, sacrifice for , trust.”
—Howard Schultz, Starbucks (IBD/09.05)
“the wildest
chimera of a
moonstruck
mind”
—The Federalist on TJ’s Louisiana Purchase
Think
Legacy!
“Management has a lot to do with
answers. Leadership is a function of
questions. And the first question for a
‘Who do
we intend to be?’
leader always is:
Not ‘What are we going to do?’ but
‘Who do we intend to be?’”
—Max De Pree, Herman Miller
“In 1933, Thomas J. Watson Sr. gave a
speech at the World’s
Fair, ‘World Peace through
We stood
for something,
right?”
World Trade.’
—Sam Palmisano
CEO Assignment2002 (Bermuda):
“Please leap forward to 2007, 2012, or
2022, and write a business history of
What will have been
said about your company
during your tenure?”
Bermuda.
“To win this race, Kerry needs to stop focusing on
Election Day and start thinking about his would-be
What does he
want his legacy to be?
presidency’s last day.
When sixth-graders in the year 2108 read about the
Kerry presidency, what does he want the
one or
two sentences that accompany his
photo to say?” —Kenneth Baer/Washington Post/092604
Ah, kids: “What is your vision for
the future?” “What have you
accomplished since your first book?”
“Close your eyes and imagine me
immediately doing something about
what you’ve just said. What would it
be?” “Do you feel you have an
obligation to ‘Make the world a better
place’?”
Find ’em!
Jack
didn’t have a
“vision”!
“The” Secret:
From
sweaters to …
Les Wexner:
people!
Respect ’em!
Amen!
“What creates trust, in
the end, is the leader’s
manifest respect for
the followers.”
— Jim O’Toole, Leading Change
“Don’t
belittle!”
—OD Consultant
“It was much later that I realized Dad’s secret. He
gained respect by giving it. He talked and listened to
the fourth-grade kids in Spring Valley who shined
shoes the same way he talked and listened to a bishop
He was
seriously interested
in who you were
and what you had
to say.”
or a college president.
—Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect
“I wasn’t bowled over by [David Boies]
intelligence. … What impressed me was
that when he asked a question, he waited
He not only
listened, he made me feel
like I was the only person in
the room.”
for an answer.
—Lawyer Kevin _____, on his first,
inadvertent meeting with David Boies, from Marshall
Goldsmith, “The One Skill That Separates,” Fast Company, 07.05
“We behaved as if we were
guests in their house. We
treated them not as a
defeated people, but as allies.
Our success became their
success.”
—“How One Soldier Brought Democracy to
Iraq: The Mayor of Ar Rutbah” (MAJ James Gavrilis/USA Special Forces)
Resilience
Simplicity
Authenticity
(O.O.D.A.)
(K.I.S.S.)
(No B.S.)
Ed Sims/Air New Zealand (“Airline to Middle Earth”)
Mentor ‘em
What I Learned
HWBjr: Excellence, Accountability, Initiative,
K.I.S.S., Leader Love
Dick: Empowerment, Entrepreneurship,
Challenge, Execution (Project > Paper),
Accountability, MBWA, K.I.S.S., Fanatic
Customer-centrism (Customer>Command,
Marines>Regiment),
Leader Love, Output, “Do”>“Be”
Nameless: “Tangible” vs “Palpable”
(Bureaucracy, Control, Tight Leashes,
Command-centric, Demoralization, Paper >
Project,
Product = Paper, K.I.C.S.)
What I Learned
Ben: Decency, Soft Power, Fanatic Customercentrism (“Do”>“Be”)
Walter: Fanatic Mission-centrism, Soft Power,
Relationship-management, Execution,
Accountability, Early to Bed …
Bob: Pos>Neg/Recognition, K.I.S.S., The Way of
the Demo (Execution), Hero-building, Missioncentrism, “Do”>“Be”
Bill: De-centralization, Recognition, Supportstaff Centrism, Measurement (K.I.S.S.), Soft
Power (Paint ’n Pride), Rapid Culture Change
Make It a
Grand
Adventure!
“Ninety percent of what
we call ‘management’
consists of making it
difficult for people to get
things done.”
– Peter Drucker
“If you have ten
thousand regulations
you destroy all respect
for law.”
—WSC
Quests!
“I don’t
know.”
Organizing Genius / Warren Bennis
and Patricia Ward Biederman
“Groups become great only when
everyone in them, leaders and
members alike, is free to do his or
her absolute best.”
“The best thing a leader can do for a
Great Group is to allow its
members to discover their
greatness.”
Leadership’s Mount Everest
“allow its
members to
discover their
greatness.”
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“free to do his or her
absolute best” …
“allow its members to
discover their
greatness.”
“The role of the Director
is to create a space
where the actor or
actress can become
more than they’ve ever
been before, more than
they’ve dreamed of
being.” —Robert Altman, Oscar acceptance
“We are a
‘life Success
Company”’
founder, RE/MAX
“ If your actions inspire
others to dream more,
learn more, do more and
become more, you are a
leader." —John Quincy Adams
“Never doubt that a small
group of committed
people can change the
world. Indeed it is
the only thing that ever
has.”
—Margaret Mead
“In the end, management
doesn’t change culture.
Management invites the
workforce itself to
change the culture.”
—Lou Gerstner
“In the end, management
doesn’t change culture.
Management invites the
workforce itself to
change the culture.”
—Lou Gerstner
Alt: Grand
Adventure
The Nub of Leadership:
Helping/Inviting Others
to “Discover Their
Greatness”
Tom Peters & Friends/10.04.05
The Context
“The Creative Age is
a wide-open
game.”
—Richard Florida, The Rise of the Creative Class
“A focus on cost-cutting and efficiency
has helped many organizations weather
the downturn, but this approach will
Only
the constant pursuit of
innovation can ensure longterm success.”
ultimately render them obsolete.
—Daniel Muzyka, Dean,
Sauder School of Business, Univ of British Columbia (FT/09.17.04)
“If you don’t like
change, you’re going
to like irrelevance
even less.”
—General Eric Shinseki,
Chief of Staff, U. S. Army
“It is not the strongest of
the species that survives,
nor the most intelligent, but
the one most
responsive to
change.”
—Charles Darwin
The
Invitation
"If your actions inspire
others to dream more,
learn more, do more
and become more, you
are a leader."
—John Quincy Adams
“I don't think we inspire people to
‘become more,’ I think we help them
discover who they really are. In a way,
we help them become who they
already are. Who they were created to
be. We don't take them BEYOND their
being, we help remove unnatural
obstacles that keep them
from being.” —Dustin/Comment/tp.com/09.05
Organizing Genius / Warren Bennis
and Patricia Ward Biederman
“Groups become great only when everyone in
is free to
do his or her absolute best.”
them, leaders and members alike,
“The best thing a leader can do for a Great Group is
allow its members to
discover their greatness.”
to
Leadership’s Mount Everest!
“allow its
members to
discover their
greatness.”
Item #1 … from
Tom Peters’ “Leadership50”:
1. Leadership Is a …
Mutual Discovery
Process.
Leaders-Teachers-Mentors Do Not “Transform People”!
Instead leaders-mentors-teachers (1) provide
a context which is
marked by (2) access to a luxuriant portfolio of
meaningful opportunities (projects) which (3) allow
people to fully express their innate curiosity and
(4) engage in a vigorous discovery voyage (alone and
in small teams, assisted by an extensive self-constructed network) by
which those people (5) go
to-create places they (and their
leaders-teachers-mentors) had never dreamed existed—and
then the leaders-teachers-mentors (6) applaud like hell,
stage “photo-ops,” and ring the church bells
100 times to commemorate the bravery of
their “followers’ ” explorations!
“In the end, management
doesn’t change culture.
Management invites the
workforce itself to
change the culture.”
—Lou Gerstner
Are you
Ready?
“Human creativity
is the ultimate
economic
resource.”
—Richard Florida,
The Rise of the Creative Class
Imagine …
“dream more, learn more, do more ,
become more”
“help them become who they already
are, who they were created to be”
“free to do his or her absolute best”
“allow members to discover
their greatness”
“allow people to fully express their innate
curiosity; to go to-create places they
had never dreamed existed”
“invite the workforce itself to change
the culture”
Go to the people
Live with them
Learn from them
Love them
Start with what they know
Build with what they have
But with the best leaders
When the work is done
The task accomplished
The people will say
“We have done this ourselves.”
Lao Tzu (700 BC)
End Alt:
Grand
Adventure
Trumpet an
Exhilarating
Story!
“Leaders don’t just make
products and make decisions.
Leaders make
meaning.”
– John Seely Brown
Best Story Wins!
“A key – perhaps the key – to
leadership is
the effective
communication
of a story.”
—Howard Gardner/Leading Minds:
An Anatomy of Leadership
Language Power!
“… the language we
speak determines how
we react to the world
around us …”
—Diane Ackerman/
An Alchemy of Mind
Wow!
Live Your
Story!
MBWA*
*HS/25+
“The first and greatest
imperative of command is
to be present in person.
Those who impose risk
must be seen to share it.”
—John Keegan, The Mask of Command
“Only Connect”
“I’m always stopping by our
stores— at least 25 a week. I’m also
in other places: Home Depot, Whole
Foods, Crate & Barrel. … I try to be
a sponge to pick up as much
as I can. …” —Howard Schultz
“I called 60 CEOs in the first week of
the year] to wish them happy New
Year. …” —Hank Paulson, CEO, Goldman Sachs
Source: Fortune, “Secrets of Greatness,” 0320
“To change minds effectively,
leaders make particular use
of two tools: the stories that
they tell and the lives that
they lead.” —Howard Gardner, Changing Minds
“It is necessary for the
President to be the
nation’s …
No. 1 actor.”
FDR
“You must
be
the change you wish
to see in the world.”
Gandhi
You = Your
calendar*
*Calendars NEVER lie!!
“Only Connect”
“I’m always stopping by our
stores— at least 25 a week. I’m also
in other places: Home Depot, Whole
Foods, Crate & Barrel. … I try to be
a sponge to pick up as much
as I can. …” —Howard Schultz
“I called 60 CEOs in the first week of
the year] to wish them happy New
Year. …” —Hank Paulson, CEO, Goldman Sachs
Source: Fortune, “Secrets of Greatness,” 0320
“I’m always stopping by our
at least 25
a week. I’m also in other
stores—
places: Home Depot, Whole Foods,
Crate & Barrel. … I try to be
a sponge to pick up as much
as I can. …” —Howard Schultz
Source: Fortune, “Secrets of Greatness,” 0320.2006
“Works 100% of the
time!” (Heads for the front-line
folks, asks them for input—and is
comfortable with them*)
*Didn’t hurt that he spoke Spanish
Source: CEO, security services company, Spain
Try It!
Sam’s Secret
#1!
“Fail faster.
Succeed
sooner.”
David Kelley/IDEO
“Success is the ability to
go from one failure to
another with no loss of
enthusiasm.”
—WSC
“Reward excellent
failures. Punish
mediocre successes.”
Phil Daniels, Sydney exec
Insist on
Speed!
“We don’t sell insurance
We sell
speed.”
anymore.
Peter Lewis, Progressive
“If things seem
under control,
you’re just not going
fast
enough.” —Mario Andretti
“Strategy meetings held
once or twice a year” to
“Strategy meetings
needed several times
a week”
Source: New York Times on Meg Whitman/eBay
Demand
Action!
“We have a
‘strategic’ plan. It’s
called ‘doing
things.’”
— Herb Kelleher
“The most successful
people are those who
are good at
plan B.”
—James Yorke, mathematician,
on chaos theory in The New Scientist
The Kotler Doctrine:
1965-1980: R.A.F.
(Ready.Aim.Fire.)
1980-1995: R.F.A.
(Ready.Fire!Aim.)
1995-????: F.F.F.
(Fire!Fire!Fire!)
A man approached JP Morgan, held up an envelope, and said,
“Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed formula for success, which
I will gladly sell you for $25,000.”
“Sir,” JP Morgan replied, “I do not know what is in the
envelope, however if you show me, and I like it, I
give you my word as a gentleman that I will pay you what you
ask.”
The man agreed to the terms, and handed over the envelope.
JP Morgan opened it, and extracted a single sheet of paper. He
gave it one look, a mere glance, then handed the piece of paper
back to the gent.
And paid him the
agreed-upon $25,000.
1. Every morning, write
a list of the things
that need to be done
that day.
2.
Do them.
Source: Hugh MacLeod/tompeters.com/NPR
“ ‘Strategy’? In retail,
‘execution’ is ‘the last
ninety-five percent.’ ”
—Former BigCo CEO/Retail
“Most anybody can ‘sell.’
Damn few can ‘close.’ ” —Former
BigCo CEO/Retail
“If Microsoft is good at anything, it’s
avoiding the trap of worrying about
criticism. Microsoft fails constantly.
They’re eviscerated in public for lousy
products. Yet they persist, through
version after version, until they get
something good enough. Then they
leverage the power they’ve gained in
other markets to enforce their standard.”
Seth Godin, Zooming
Relentless!*
*Churchill, Grant, Patton, Welch, Bossidy, Nardelli (GE execs),
UPS, FedEx, Microsoft/Gates-Ballmer, Eisner, Weill, eBay, NixonKissinger, Gerstner, Rice, Jordan, Armstrong
“This [adolescent] incident [of getting from point A to point B] is
notable not only because it underlines Grant’s fearless
horsemanship and his determination, but also it is the first known
example of a very important peculiarity of his character:
Grant had an extreme, almost
phobic dislike of turning back
and retracing his steps. If he set out for
somewhere, he would get there somehow, whatever the difficulties
that lay in his way. This idiosyncrasy would turn out to be one the
factors that made him such a formidable general. Grant would
always, always press on—turning back was not an option for him.”
—Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant
1 of 2,400
6:15A.M.
Cut the
Crap!
“Realism is
the heart of
execution.”
—Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/Execution:
The Discipline of Getting Things Done
“robust
dialogue”
—Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution:
The Discipline of Getting Things Done
“GE has set a standard
of candor. … There is no
puffery. … There isn’t an
ounce of denial in the
place.” —Kevin Sharer, CEO Amgen,
on the “GE mystique” (Fortune)
Eat
Change!
“We eat
change for
breakfast!
—Harry Quadracci, QuadGraphics
Put Women
in Charge!
“AS
LEADERS,
WOMEN
RULE:
New Studies find that
female managers outshine their male
counterparts in almost every measure”
Title, Special Report/BusinessWeek
Women’s Strengths Match New
Economy Imperatives: Link [rather than rank]
workers; favor interactive-collaborative leadership
style [empowerment beats top-down decision
making]; sustain fruitful collaborations; comfortable
with sharing information; see redistribution of power
as victory, not surrender; favor multi-dimensional
feedback; value technical & interpersonal skills,
individual & group contributions equally; readily
accept ambiguity; honor intuition as well as
pure “rationality”; inherently flexible; appreciate
cultural diversity. —Judy B. Rosener,
America’s Competitive Secret: Women Managers
Dispense
Enthusiasm!
BZ: “I am a …
Dispenser of
Enthusiasm!”
“Nothing is so
contagious as
enthusiasm.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Most important,
upped the
energy level at
he
Motorola.”
—Fortune on Ed Zander/08.05
“A man without a
smiling face must not
open a shop.”
—Chinese Proverb*
*Courtesy Tom Morris, The Art of Achievement
“If
you’re enthusiastic about
the things you’re working
on, people will come ask
you to do interesting
things.”
James Woolsey, former CIA director:
“Before you can inspire with
emotion, you must be
swamped with it yourself.
Before you can move their
tears, your own must flow. To
convince them, you must
yourself believe.” —Winston Churchill
Excellence.
Always.
Leader Job No.1
Paint
Portraits of
Excellence!
Cirque
du Soleil!
And the Winner is …
1. Audacity of Vision
2. Innovation/R&D/Design
3. Talent Acquisition & Development
4. Resultant “Experience”
5. Strategic Alliances
6. Operations
7. Financial Management
8. Overall/Sustaining Excellence
9. “Wow!”
10. Lovemark!
ExIn*: 1982-2002/Forbes.com
DJIA: $10,000 yields $85,000
EI: $10,000 yields $140,050
*Excellence Index/Basket of 32 publicly traded stocks
Excellence =
*Tom Watson sr/1 minute
Engaged.
In
Search of
Excellence
What is
all about?
What is In Search of Excellence all about:
People.
Emotion.
Engagement.
Empowerment.
Caring.
“Tell me, what is
it you plan to do
with your one
wild and
precious life?”
—Mary Oliver
Radiate
Passion!
“Never apologize
for showing feeling.
When you so, you
apologize for
the truth.”
—Disraeli
“The eloquent man is he
who is no beautiful
speaker, but who is
inwardly and
desperately drunk with a
certain belief.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Charles Handy on the “Alchemists”:
“Passion was what drove
these people, passion for
their product, passion for
their cause. If you care enough, you will find out
what you need to know. Or you will experiment and not worry if the
experiment goes wrong.
Passion
as the secret to
learning is an odd secret to propose, but I believe that it works at
all levels and at all ages. Sadly,
passion
is not a
word often heard in the elephant organizations, nor in
schools, where it can seem disruptive.”
Stay Hungry.
Stay Foolish.
Steve Jobs
Keep It
Simple!
Sir Richard’s Rules:
Follow your passions.
Keep it simple.
Get the best people to help you.
Re-create yourself.
Play.
Source: Fortune on Branson
JW’s “4Es”
Energy
Enthusiasm
Edge*
Execution
*Speed, RFA, Competitive
Avoid …
Moderation!
Kevin Roberts’ Credo
1. Ready. Fire! Aim.
2. If it ain’t broke ... Break it!
3. Hire crazies.
4. Ask dumb questions.
5. Pursue failure.
6. Lead, follow ... or get out of the way!
7. Spread confusion.
8. Ditch your office.
9. Read odd stuff.
10. Avoid moderation!
“One who does
less than he can
is a thief.”
—Gandhi
Free the
Lunatic
Within!
The greatest danger
for most of us
is not that our aim is
too high
and we miss it,
but that it is
too low
and we reach it.
Michelangelo
“You can’t behave in a
calm, rational manner.
You’ve got to be out
there on the lunatic
fringe.”
— Jack Welch
“I don’t know
if it’s ‘possible.’
I do know it’s
‘necessary.’”
TP/Chile:
ALT Ending
No Less Than
Excellence.
Ever.
Gaspworthy!
Remember
Lord Nelson!
“[Other]
admirals more
frightened of
losing than anxious
to win”
Nelson’s secret:
Leadership:
Alternate
Version #2
The Passion
Imperative: The
Leadership
50
I. The Basic
Premise.
1. Leadership Is a …
Mutual
Discovery
Process.
“Ninety percent of what
we call ‘management’
consists of making it
difficult for people to get
things done.”
– Peter Drucker
Quests!
“I don’t
know.”
Organizing Genius / Warren Bennis
and Patricia Ward Biederman
“Groups become great only when
everyone in them, leaders and
members alike, is free to do his or
her absolute best.”
“The best thing a leader can do for a
Great Group is to allow its
members to discover their
greatness.”
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“free to do his or her
absolute best” …
“allow its members to
discover their greatness.”
2. Leaders
DECENTRALIZE!
DECENTRAL-IZE!
2. Leaders
DePuySpine/J&J*
70/3
50+
game-changers!
*Still decentralized after all these years!
HP’s Big “Duh”!
Decentralize ($90B)
Undo “Matrix”
Accountability
Source: “HP Says Goodbye To Drama”/
BW/09.05/re Mark Hurd’s first 5 months
II. The
Leadership
Types.
3. Great Leaders Declaiming a Grand
Vision from the Mountaintop Are
Great Talent
Developers (Type I
Leadership) are the Bedrock
Important – but
of Organizations that Perform Over
the Long Haul.
“Leaders
‘do’ people.
Period.”
—Anon.
4. But Then Again, There
Are Times When This
“Visionary Stuff”
(Type II Leadership)
Actually Works!
“A leader is
a dealer
in hope.”
Napoleon
(+TP’s writing room pics)
5. Find & embrace
the
“Businesspeople”!
(Type III Leadership)
I.P.M.
(Inspired Profit Mechanic)
6. All Organizations
Need the Golden
Leadership
Triangle.
The Golden Leadership
Triangle: (1) Talent
Fanatic …
(2) Creator-Visionary …
(3) Inspired Profit
Mechanic.
7. Leadership
Mantra #1: IT
ALL
DEPENDS!
Reg = #1*
Jack = #1**
*National exemplar
**National exemplar
Renaissance Men
are … a snare,
a myth,
a delusion!
III. The
Leadership
Dance.
8. Leaders …
SHOW UP!
MBWA
9. Leaders …
LOVE the
MESS!
“I’m not comfortable
unless I’m
uncomfortable.”
—Jay
Chiat
10. Leaders
DO!
“We have a
‘strategic’ plan.
It’s called
doing things.”
— Herb Kelleher
11. Leaders
Re
-do.
“If Microsoft is good at anything, it’s
avoiding the trap of worrying about
criticism. Microsoft fails
constantly. They’re eviscerated in
public for lousy products. Yet they
persist, through version after
version, until they get something good
enough. Then they leverage the power
they’ve gained in other markets to
enforce their standard.” —Seth Godin, Zooming
“If it works,
it’s obsolete.”
—Marshall McLuhan
12. BUT … Leaders
Know When
to Wait.
Tex Schramm:
The
“too
hard” box!
13. Leaders Are …
Optimists.
Hackneyed but none the
LEADERS
SEE CUPS AS
“HALF FULL.”
less true:
Half-full Cups:
“Ronald
Reagan radiated an
almost transcendent
happiness.”
—Lou Cannon
14. BUT … Leaders
Have to Deliver, So They
Worry About “Throwing
the Baby Out with the
Bathwater.”
“Damned If You
Do, Damned If
You Don’t, Just
Plain Damned.”
Subtitle in the chapter, “Own Up to the Great Paradox: Success
Is the Product of Deep Grooves/ Deep Grooves Destroy
Adaptivity,” Liberation Management (1992)
15. Leaders
FOCUS!
“To
Don’t ”
List
“The one thing you need
to know about sustained
individual success:
Discover what you don’t
like doing and stop doing
it.” —Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to
Know
16. Leaders … Set
CLEAR
DESIGN SPECS.
“Really Important
Stuff”:
of
Roger’s Rule
Three!
IV. If It’s Not
Broken …
Break It!
17. Leaders …
FORGET!/
Leaders …
DESTROY!
Forget>“Learn”
“The problem is never how
to get new, innovative
thoughts into your mind,
but how to get the old
ones out.”
—Dee Hock
18. Leaders Do
Not … Mindlessly
Bulk Up.
“I am often asked by would-be entrepreneurs
seeking escape from life within huge corporate
structures, ‘How do I build a small firm for
Buy
a very large one
and just wait.”
myself?’ The answer seems obvious:
—Paul Ormerod, Why Most Things Fail:
Evolution, Extinction and Economics
“Not a single company that
qualified as having made a
sustained transformation ignited
its leap with a big acquisition or
merger. Moreover, comparison
companies—those that failed to make a leap or,
if they did, failed to sustain it—often tried to
make themselves great with a big acquisition
or merger. They failed to grasp the simple truth
that while you can buy your way to growth, you
cannot buy your way to greatness.” —Jim
Collins/Time/11.29.04
19. Leaders Make
[Lotsa] Mistakes –
and MAKE NO
BONES ABOUT IT!
Sam’s
Secret
#1!
20. Leaders Make/
Tolerate/Encourage …
BIG
MISTAKES!
“Reward excellent
failures.
Punish mediocre
successes.”
Phil Daniels, Sydney exec (and Jack)
V. Create.
21. Leaders Put
INNOVATION
First!
“A focus on cost-cutting and efficiency
has helped many organizations weather
the downturn, but this approach will
Only
the constant pursuit of
innovation can ensure
long-term success.”
ultimately render them obsolete.
—Daniel
Muzyka, Dean, Sauder School of Business, Univ of British Columbia
(FT/09.17.04)
22. Leaders
Love the
Top Line!
“Analysts said we don’t care about revenue, just
give us the bottom line. They preferred cost
cutting, as long as they could see two or three
years of EPS growth. I preached revenue and the
analysts’ eyes would glaze over. Now revenue is
‘in’ because so many got caught, and earnings
went to hell. They
said, ‘Oh my gosh,
you need revenues to grow
earnings over time.’ Well, Duh!”
—Dick Kovacevich, Wells Fargo
(in ABA Banking Journal)
C
*Chief
O*
Revenue
Officer
23. Leaders
Are Not
COPYCATS.
“To grow, companies need
to break out of a vicious
cycle of competitive
benchmarking and
imitation.” —W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne,
“Think for Yourself —Stop Copying a Rival,” Financial
Times/08.11.03
24. Leaders
Relentlessly Pursue
DRAMATIC
DIFFERENCE!
25. Leaders Bet
the Farm on
the New
Technology!
Power Tools
for Power
Solutions/
Strategies!
—TP
“Beware of the tyranny
of making Small Changes
to Small Things. Rather,
make Big Changes to
Big Things.”
—Roger Enrico, former Chairman, PepsiCo
The Golden Leadership
Quadrangle: (1) Talent
Fanatic … (2) CreatorVisionary … (3) Inspired
Profit Mechanic …
(4) Technology DreamerTrue Believer
26. Leaders … Make
Their Mark /
Leaders … Do Stuff
That Matters
“I never, ever thought of myself
I was
interested in creating
things I would be
proud of.”
as a businessman.
—Richard Branson
“Management has a lot to do with
answers. Leadership is a function of
questions. And the first question for a
‘Who do
we intend to be?’
leader always is:
Not ‘What are we going to do?’ but
‘Who do we intend to be?’”
—Max De Pree, Herman Miller
VI. Value
Added
27. Leaders Push Their
Organizations W-a-y Up
the Value-added/
Intellectual Capital
Chain
And the “M” Stands for … ?
“Systems
Integrator of
choice.”
Gerstner’s IBM:
(BW)
IBM Global Services:
$55B
28. Leaders Turn Every
“Department” into an
Innovation leader/Value-
adding
“PSF”!*
*Professional Service Firm
“ ‘Disintermediation’ is overrated. Those who
fear disintermediation should in fact be afraid
disintermediation
is just another way of
saying that you’ve
become irrelevant to your
customers.”
of irrelevance—
—John Battelle/Point/Advertising Age/07.05
Answer: PSF!
Department Head
to …
Managing Partner,
IS [HR, R&D, etc.] Inc.
29. Leaders Know that the
Value-added Revolution” rests
Emphasizing
Experiences!
upon:
One company’s answer:
C
*Chief e
O*
Xperience Officer
“We don’t have a good language to talk about
this kind of thing. In most people’s
vocabularies, design means veneer. … But to
me, nothing could be further from the
Design is
the fundamental soul
meaning of design.
of a man-made creation.”
Steve Jobs
30. Leaders Pursue
the “Big Two”
NEW MARKET
OPPORTUNITIES
Women!
1. Men and women are different.
2. Very different.
3. VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
4. Women & Men have a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y
nothing in common.
5. Women buy lotsa stuff.
6. WOMEN BUY A-L-L THE STUFF.
7. Women’s Market = Opportunity No. 1.
8. Men are (STILL) in charge.
9. MEN ARE … TOTALLY, HOPELESSLY
CLUELESS ABOUT WOMEN.
10. Women’s Market = Opportunity No. 1.
Good Thinking, Guys!
“Kodak Sharpens Digital
Focus On Its Best
Customers:
Women”
—Page 1 Headline/WSJ/0705
BoomersGeezers
2000-2010 Stats
18-44: -1%
55+: +21%
(55-64: +47%)
44-65: “New
Customer
Majority” *
*45% larger than 18-43; 60% larger by 2010
Source: Ageless Marketing, David Wolfe & Robert Snyder
VII. Talent.
31. When It Comes
TALENT
to
…
Leaders Always Go
Berserk!
BRAND =
TALENT.
“We believe companies can increase their market cap
50 percent in 3 years. Steve Macadam at Georgia-
changed 20 of his 40
box plant managers to
put more talented,
higher paid managers
in charge. He increased profitability from
Pacific
$25 million to $80 million in 2 years.”
—Ed Michaels, War for Talent
Our Mission
To develop and manage talent;
to apply that talent,
throughout the world,
for the benefit of clients;
to do so in partnership;
to do so with profit.
WPP
“HR doesn’t tend to hire
a lot of independent
thinkers or people who
stand up as moral
compasses.” —Garold Markle,
Shell Offshore HR Exec (FC/08.05)
DD$21M
32. Leaders
Know …WOMEN
RULE.*
*Duh.
“AS LEADERS, WOMEN
RULE: New Studies find
that female managers
outshine their male
counterparts in almost
every measure”
Title, Special Report, Business Week
????????
33. Leaders
Hire WEIRD
enough
weird people in
“Are there
the lab these days?”
V. Chmn., pharmaceutical house, to a lab director
34. Leaders Strongly
Urge All Employees
Follow the “BRAND
YOU” ADVENTURE
“If there is nothing
very special about
your work, no matter how
hard you apply yourself you won’t
get noticed, and that increasingly
means you won’t get paid much
either.” —Michael Goldhaber, Wired
Distinct …
or … Extinct
VIII.
Passion.
35. Leaders … “Sell”
PASSION!
“Create a
‘cause,’ not a
‘business.’ ”
G.H.:
“People want to be part of
something larger than
themselves. They want to be
part of something they’re
really proud of, that they’ll
fight for, sacrifice for , trust.”
—Howard Schultz, Starbucks (IBD/09.05)
“In the end, management
doesn’t change culture.
Management invites the
workforce itself to change
the culture.” —Lou Gerstner
36. Leaders Know:
ENTHUSIASM BEGETS
ENTHUSIASM!
ENERGY BEGETS
ENERGY!
“Nothing is so
contagious as
enthusiasm.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Most important,
he upped the
energy level
at Motorola.”
—Fortune on Ed Zander/08.05
37. Leaders
Focus on the
SOFT STUFF!
“Hard” Is “Soft.”
“Soft” Is “Hard.”
—In Search of Excellence
Message: Leadership is all
about love: Passion,
Enthusiasms, Appetite for Life,
Engagement, Commitment, Great
Causes & Determination to Make a
Damn Difference, Shared Adventures,
Bizarre Failures, Growth, Insatiable
Appetite for Change. (Otherwise, why bother?
Just read Dilbert. TP’s final words: CYNICISM SUCKS EGGS.)
IX. The
“Job” of
Leading.
38.
Leaders Know It’s
ALL SALES ALL
THE TIME.
If you don’t
LOVE SALES …
find another life.
TP:
(Don’t pretend you’re a “leader.”)
39.
Leaders Groove on
POLITICS.
If you don’t
LOVE POLITICS …
find another life.
TP:
(Don’t pretend you’re a “leader.”)
40. Leaders
Give …
RESPECT!
“What creates trust, in
the end, is the leader’s
manifest respect for the
followers.”
— Jim O’Toole, Leading Change
“It was much later that I realized Dad’s
secret. He gained respect by giving it.
He talked and listened to the fourthgrade kids in Spring Valley who shined
shoes the same way he talked and
listened to a bishop or a college
president. He was seriously
interested in who you were and
what you had to say.”
—Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect
41. Leadership
Is a …
Performance.
“It is necessary for the
President to be the
No. 1
actor.”
nation’s
FDR
42. Leaders …
GREAT
STORY!
Have a
“Leaders don’t just make products and make
Leaders make
meaning.”
decisions.
– John Seely Brown
“A key – perhaps the key –
to leadership is the
effective communication
of a story.
—Howard Gardner,
Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership
Leader Job #1
Paint
Portraits of
Excellence!
43. Leaders abide by the
word …
Excellence!
"If your actions inspire
others to dream more,
learn more, do more and
become more, you are a
leader." —John Quincy Adams
44. Leaders …
Are The
Brand
“You must
be
the
change you wish to see
in the world.”
—Gandhi
“You can’t lead a
cavalry charge if you
think you look funny
on a horse.”
—John Peers, President, Logical Machines
Corporation
X. Introspection.
45.
Leaders …
ENJOY
LEADING.
“Warren, I know you
want to ‘be’ president.
But do you want to
‘do’ president?”
46. Leaders
LAUGH!
47. Leaders …
KNOW
THEMSELVES.
Step #1:
Buy a
Mirror!
“The First step in a
‘dramatic’ ‘organizational
change program’ is
obvious—dramatic personal
change!”
—RG
XI. The End
Game.
48. Great
Leaders Play
Offense!
“[Other]
admirals more
frightened
of losing than
anxious to win”
Nelson’s secret:
49. Great
Live
on the Edge!
Leaders
Kevin Roberts’ Credo
1. Ready. Fire! Aim.
2. If it ain’t broke ... Break it!
3. Hire crazies.
4. Ask dumb questions.
5. Pursue failure.
6. Lead, follow ... or get out of the way!
7. Spread confusion.
8. Ditch your office.
9. Read odd stuff.
10. Avoid moderation!
50. Leaders Free
the Lunatic
Within!
The greatest danger
for most of us
is not that our aim is
too high
and we miss it,
but that it is
too low
and we reach it.
Michelangelo
“You can’t behave in a
calm, rational manner.
You’ve got to be out
there on the lunatic
fringe.”
— Jack Welch
51. Leaders
(and Management Gurus)
WHEN
TO LEAVE!
Know
“In classical times when Cicero
had finished speaking, the
people said, ‘How well he spoke,’
but when Demosthenes had
finished speaking, they said,
‘Let us march.’”
—Adlai Stevenson
Let us
march!
“I don’t know
if it’s ‘possible.’
I do know it’s
‘necessary.’”
TP/Chile:
VALUE
ADDED
#17
EXCELLENCE.
ALWAYS.
Lists.
The Irreducible209+
One Word+
The Cup Challenge
The Sales122
60TIBs
Tom-A-to,Tom-ah-to
The Irreducible209
A frustrated participant at a seminar for investment bankers in
Mauritius listened impatiently to my explanation of differences of
opinion among me, Mike Porter, Gary Hamel, Jim Collins, etc. Finally,
“What, if
anything,” he asked,
“do you believe ‘for
sure’?”
he’d had enough.
I mumbled something, but his query started
rumbling around in my mind. Three days later, wandering on a
Sunday in London, the idea of “the irreducibles” occurred to
me—and I started jotting down notes on stuff I do indeed believe “for
sure.” Before I knew it, a few days later, the list had grown to
209
items. Hence “The Irreducible209” that follows.
Tom Peters
1.
2.
3.
4.
Hare 1, Tortoise 0. (Hare-y times.)
Tempo. (O.O.D.A.)
MBWA.
Appreciation. (“Motivator” #1.)
(Can’t be faked. Good.)
5. Decency.
6. Hurry.
7. Time out.
8. One matters.
9. Big change. Short time. (Alt not work.)
10. Excellence. Always.
11. Passion. Energy. Hustle. Enthusiasm.
Exuberance. (Move mountains. No alt.)
12. You must care.
13. Emotion.
14. Hard is soft. (Soft is hard.)
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
Men. Women. Different. Contend. Connect.
Women. Buy. All. (RU listening?)
Quality. (“Mind-blowing.” Beyond 6-Sigma.)
Re-invent. Re-pot. (Required.)
Jaywalk.
Big change. Small # of people. (Always.)
Experiment. Now.
Failure. Normal.
Most failures, most success.
(Fail. Forward. Fast.)
24. “Reward excellent failures. Punish
mediocre successes.”
25. Women leaders. (Altered times.)
26. Extremism. (Good business. Bad politics.)
27. Innovation source. Only. Extreme irritation.
28. Smile.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
You must care.
Mentor. (Highest ROI.)
Best “roster” wins.
Wow. (Okay in biz.)
We all have customers. (Biz. Personal.)
All contacts = Experiences.
Cirque du Soleil. (Peerless.)
Leaders create space for growth.
Quests. (Only.)
High aspirations, “high” results.
(Self-fulfilling prophecy.)
39. Attitude 1, Skills 0. (Mostly.)
(Attitude 1, Skill 0.3?)
40. Sometimes: Skill 1, Attitude 0.1.
41. Must “love,” not “like.”
42. Wegmans.” (No excuses. “Mere” groceries.)
43. Less than your best. Cheating.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
Brand You. (No alt.)
Self-sufficiency. (Biggest LT turn-on.)
In the moment.
The moment wins.
Tomorrow = Never.
Action 1, Plan 0.1.
“Execution” can be a “system.”
Realism.
Own up. Move on.
Accountability.
Work hard > Work smart. (Mostly.)
Feedback. Necessary. Fast. (R.F.A. in
“RFA times.”)
56. Customers. Listen. Lead. (Paradox.)
57. “On stage.” Always. (GW, FDR, RG =
Supreme actors.)
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
Master statistical analysis.
Excellence = Set the table.
Legacy. (Will it have mattered?)
“Great.” (Why not?)
Radicals rule. (Think … Olympics.)
!!! = Good.
Red 1, Brown 0. (Red times.)
Talk. Listen. (“Big 2.” Master.)
Politics. (Normal-inevitable state
of affairs. Master.)
67. Student. Forever.
68. “Why?” (Question #1.)
69. Don’t belittle.
70. Respect.
71. All we have: this moment.
(“Moments matter most”?)
72. Now. (Procrastination. Death.)
73.
74.
75.
76.
Exercise.
Paint. (Leader. Portraits of Excellence.)
Best story wins.
“You must be the change you wish
to see in the world.”
77. Two “big ones.” Max. (Priorities.)
78. No “I” in Team. (“I” in Win.)
79. “I” in Win. (No “I” in Team.)
80. Different 1, Better 0. (Better = 0.1)
81. Imitation = Mistake. (Learn, from who?)
82. Choose/battle the “right” competitor.
83. Schools. Creativity. Entrepreneurship.
(Not.)
84. MBAs. Creativity. Entrepreneurship.
Leadership. (Not.)
85. Design. Under-rated. Wildly.
(Still.) (Everything.)
86.
87.
88.
89.
You = Calendar. (Calendar. Never. Lies.)
Laugh.
Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.)
Don’t fold your hands in front of your
chest. Ever. (Never.)
90. Grace. (“Works” in biz.)
91. Weird. Wins. (Weird times.)
92. Crazy times. Crazy orgs.
93. Internet. All.
94. Women. Boomers-Geezers. Market. All.
95. Passion.
(Repeat. So what?)
96. Energy.
(Repeat. So what?)
97. Hustle.
(Repeat. So what?)
98. Enthusiasm. (Repeat. So what?)
99. Exuberance. (Repeat. So what?)
100. Smile.
(Repeat. So what?)
101. Care.
(Repeat. So what?)
102. Simplicity. Redundancy. Resilience. Bloodymindedness. Visible optimism. (Success.)
103. Act. (Repeat. So what?)
104. Appreciate. (Repeat. So what?)
105. Fun. (Biz. Why not?)
106. Joy. (Biz. Why not?)
107. Sales = Life.
108. Marketing = Life.
109. Long-term. “Top line.” c.r.o.
110. Great company = Creates the most
individual success stories. (RE/MAX)
111. Talent first, performance byproduct.
112. Sustained Wow* 1, “Shareholder
value,” 0.2 (*Product, People.)
113. Commitment. by invitation only.
114. Creativity. by invitation only.
115. HR = #1. (Ought to.)
116. Face-to-face. (5K miles, 5 minutes.) 117.
Negotiation. Make all winners.
(Save face.)
118. Grace makes enemies friends.
119. Network.
120. Invest in relationships. (Think ROIR.
Return On Investment in Relationships.)
118. Relationship investment. Forethought.
Calendar item. Intensity.
119. Innovation. Easy. (Hang out
with weird.)
120. Weird = Win. (Weird times.)
121. “The bottleneck is at the top
of the bottle.”
122. Good Board = Weird Board.
(At least, surprising.)
123. No contention, no progress.
R.O.I.R.*
*Return On Investment In Relationships
124. “Crucial conversations.” “Crucial
confrontations.” (Study. Learn. Do.)
125. Honest feedback.
126. Gaspworthy. Yes.
127. “Insanely great.”
128. “Astonish me.”
129. “Make it immortal.”
130. “Will you remember it in 20 years?”
131. No small opportunities. (Reframe.)
132. One playmate, one playpen = Enough.
133. End run. Sensible.
134. Allies are there for the finding.
135. Find successes. Build on successes.
(Pos > Neg. Encourage > Fix.)
136. Somebody’s doing it today. Find ’em.
137. Someone is living 2016 in 2006.
(Find ’em. Study ’em.)
138. Don’t “benchmark.” “futuremark.”
139. “PMA.” It works. (Positive. Mental.
Attitude.)
140. There are no experts. (You are the expert.)
141. Life is short.
142. “Sustained success.” Fat chance.
Make today matter. (“Sustained.” Ha.)
143. Collaborate. (Networked world.)
144. Go solo. (Individual. Unit of
Intellectual Capital.)
145. There are no “perfect” plans. (Do. Wins.)
146. Plans motivate. (Right or wrong.
Sense of purpose.)
147. Never rest.
148. Get some sleep.
149. Winning = Embracing paradox.
150. Ambiguity = Opportunity.
151. Resilience.
152. Relentless-ness.
153. None. Above. Comeuppance.
No. “ultimate.” “business model.”
(GM. Sears. U.S. Steel. DEC.)
154. Be yourself. Period.
155. Never work with jerks. Including
customers. (Life. Too short.)
156. Under-promise, over-deliver.
157. Talent. (Powerful word.)
158. “Customer = Anyone whose actions
affect your results.”
159. Competition stinks. (Seek the soft
spots where you can dominate.)
160. K.I.S.S./Keep It Simple, Stupid.
161. Beauty. (Good biz word.)
162. “See the beauty in a hamburger bun.”
(Go. Ray.)
163.
164.
165.
166.
Own up. Quick. ( Denial. Cancer.)
Celebrate. Often.
78 people = 78 approaches. (Each. Unique.)
Weed. Ceaselessly. (Prune. Stupid.
Rules. Non-stop.)
167. Get out of the way. (You = The problem.)
168. Smile. Sunny. Optimism. (If it kills you.)
169. Flowers. (Cheery workplace.)
170. Enjoy. (Or get the hell.)
171. Be intolerant of “sour.” (1 = Major pollution)
172. No “quick trigger” on promotion.
(Too important.)
173. Evaluation = Lots of study-time.
174. Evaluation = “Life or death” to evaluee.
175. “360” evaluation. No fad.
176. Exit when you’re done. (Done.
Sooner than you think.)
177. Today. Now. My Project. Am. Is. I. Period.
178. “Beautiful” systems. (Good biz phrase.
Not oxymoron.)
179. Build on strengths > Fix weaknesses.
180. “To don’t” = “To do.” (“To don’t” >
“To do” ?)
181. Leaders “Do” People. (Period.)
182. Leaders enjoy leading.
183. Serious leadership training = Serious.
184. Priorities. Obvious. (Or else.)
185. 5 “Priorities” = 0 Priorities.
(3 “Priorities” = 0 Priorities?)
186. People. First. Last. Always.
187. It. Is. Always. The. People.
188. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.)
189. Don’t fold your hands in front of
your chest. Ever. (Never.)
190. Simplicity. Redundancy. Resilience.
Bloody-mindedness. Visible
optimism. (Success.) (Repeat.)
191. Employee Entrance = Guest
Entrance.
192. Put the customer … SECOND.
(Thanks, Hal.)
193. Flowers. (Or did I say that before?
No matter if I did.)
194. Big Mergers don’t work. Small
acquisitions can/do work—if you
don’t screw with their energy.
195. Instinctively “head for the front
line.” (In all contexts.)
196. Success = DDMMPR/"D-squared,
M-squared, PR” = DramDiff +
Money-Financial Acumen + Good
“Marketing” Instincts + Stellar People
+ Resilience (The “fab five”: What.
Every. Small. Biz. Needs.) (Big too.)
197. Core Mechanism (“Game-changing
Solutions”): PSF (Professional Service
Firm “model”) + Wow! Projects
(“Different” vs “Better”) + Brand You
(“Distinct” or “Extinct”)
198. 2011/2016 has already happened.
Find it.
199. Kids “know” kids. Oldies “know” oldies.
Women “know” women. (Staff accordingly.)
200. Everybody is my customer.
201. Cosset “vendors.”
202. I want to run a Housekeeping department.
(And you?)
203. The military doesn’t follow the “military
model.” (Initiative = Excellence.)
204. No such thing as “going to absurd lengths”
to serve the Customer. (HSM & Lefties.)
205. Forget the “customer.” All = “Clients.”
206. It takes decades to get over “sleights.”
(So don’t sleight.)
207. Don’t “dumb down.” Ever.
208.
209.
NO LESS THAN
EXCELLENCE.
EVER.
EXCELLENCE.
ALWAYS.
Work In Progress
XXX. One size fits. One. Only. (Evaluations. Period.)
XXX. Teaching. Individualized. Only. (6 billion people =
6 billion learning trajectories.) (Montessori.)
XXX. First impression. Matters. Shapes all that comes.
Hard to overcome. (Understatement.)
XXX. Jerks. Don’t work with. (Life = Too short.)
XXX. Manage [the hell out of] first impressions.
XXX. Last impression. Matters. Dominates memory.
Hard to overcome. (Understatement.)
XXX. Manage [the hell out of] last impressions.
XXX. Plain English.
XXX. K.I.S.S. (450/8.)
XXX. $798. $55,000,000,000. 3,000,000,000.
7AM-7PM. 6:15AM.
XXX. Donnelly Weatherstrip rules.
XXX. Managers do things right. Leaders do the
right thing. NOT.
ONE WORD+
ONE WORD+
Drill more wells
R.F.A.
Accountability
Realism
Decentralization
Execution
Action bias
Most mistakes wins
6:15am
Energy
Enthusiasm
Do>Plan
Act>Think
Behavior>Attitude
Passion
ONE WORD+
5 min/5,000 miles
Women
Decency
Grace
Innovate or Die
Re-imagine
Fight irrelevance
Just Do It
Care (You Must)
Flowers (Say It With)
I’m sorry
Thank You
Insanely Great
Silence
2-cent candy
ONE WORD+
Emotion
Intuition
Sell
O.O.D.A.
Integrity
Weird
Appreciate
Celebrate
Respect
Listen
Wander
Calendar rules
Calendar doesn’t lie
“To don’t
Max priorities = 3
ONE WORD+
Gasp-worthy
Insanely great
Different>better
Impact>longevity
Dramatic Difference
Only ones do what we do
Smile
$798
7-7-7
Design rules
Beautiful Systems
450/8
VP S.O.U.B.
Women buy all
Women lead better
ONE WORD+
MBWA
Why?
PSF
Wow!
! (red)
Buy a Mirror
Know thyself
Invite
Quest
Adventure
Talent
Brand You
Lovemark
Experience
Dreamketing
ONE WORD+
Boomers-geezers own all
2.6/21
25
25
3,000,000,000
(900,000,000)
26 minutes
43 hours
Perception Is All There Is
Enthusiasm: The Ultimate Virus
For Starbucks …
The Cup
Challenge*
Tom Peters/1107.2006
*Potential Quotes for Cups
Enthusiasm!
The Ultimate
Virus!
Re-imagine!
Re-do!
Re-vise!
Re-vo-lu-tion!
“Passion!”
“Energy!”
“Enthusiasm!”
“Passion! Energy! Enthusiasm!”
"Enthusiasm! Enthusiasm! Enthusiasm!"
"Enthusiasm Moves Mountains!"
"Nothing Matches Enthusiasm as a 'Motivator'!"
“Technicolor Times Demand Technicolor Actions”
“Technicolor Times Demand Technicolor People”
“Wow. Now.”
“Re-imagine!”
“Re-imagine! Re-do! Re-vise! Re-vo-lu-tion!”
Excellence.
Always.
“No Less
Than
Excellence.
Ever.”
No Excellence.
no excuse.
"Respect!"
“Leaders ‘Do’ People. Period.”
“Credibility. Asset No. 1.”
“Tell the Truth.”
“Truth Wins.”
“Challenge. Challenge. Challenge.”
“Two Big Goals. Tops.”
“Focus. Your Calendar Never Lies”
“Good Story. Good Leader.”
“Best Story Wins.”
“Live the Story.”
“Change the World. Accept Nothing Less.”
"Dream!"
“Dream. The Only Worthwhile Reality.”
“Beware Those Who Agree With You”
“Seek Dissidents. Nurture Dissidents. Cherish Dissidents”
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
try it. Try it. Try it
ry it. Try it. Try it. Tr
t. Try it. Try it. Try it
ry it. Try it. Try it. Tr
t. Try it. Try it. try it
ry it. Try it. try it. Tr
t. Try it. Try it. Try it
iMplementation
… The “last 98%”
Do it.
Now.
start.
Now.
Most.
Relentless.
wins.
“Excellence!”
“Demand Excellence!”
“Demand Excellence. The Greatest
Gift.”
“Excellence, Life’s Gold Standard”
“Stop Talking! Start Doing!”
“Execute. Execute. Execute.”
“‘Good Execution’ Beats ‘Good
Strategy’”
“Agility Trumps Size”
"Women make the best bosses!"
“Women Rule. Believe It.”
"You must care!"
“Listen.”
“Ask. ‘Why?’”
distinct.
Or …
Extinct.
2007.
Self-reliance.
No option.
2007.
Excellence.
No option.
Excellence.
Not optional.
it’s a …
“brand you”
world.
“‘Me Too’ =
‘Me Dead’”
“‘Different’ beats ‘Better.’”
“‘Distinct’ or ‘Extinct.’”
“Innovate or Die”
“‘Me Too’ = ‘Me Dead’”
“Talent Time!”
“Best Talent Wins.”
“Best Roster Wins.
“Moderation Fails in Immoderate Times”
“Moderation
Fails in
Immoderate
Times”
“freaks win in
freaky times.”
Seek Dissidents.
Nurture Dissidents.
Cherish Dissidents.
“best
talent
wins.”
women = best leaders.
Women = biggest
market.
Women = control
wealth.
Women = rule.
Roir/return on
investment in
relationships
Respect =
magic.
“thank
you” =
magic.
“thank you”
= magic
potion #1.
GE
(more or less)
:
The Sales122:
122 Ridiculously
Obvious Thoughts
About Selling Stuff
Tom Peters/0402.2006
This list was first prepared for GE Energy
sales & marketing people in January. It
started with a half-dozen items, and grew
like Topsy. Possibly, given its origins, it’s a
little tilted toward complex, engineeringbased sales. In any event, it makes a perfect
companion to “The Irreducibles209.” This,
too, is effectively a list of “irreducibles.”
Tom Peters
1. “Strategy” overrated, simply “doin’ stuff” underrated. See
Kelleher and Bossidy: “We have a ‘strategic plan,’ it’s called
doing things.”—Herb Kelleher. “Execution is a systematic
process of rigorously discussing hows and whats, tenaciously
following through, and ensuring accountability.” —Larry
Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting
Things Done. Action has its own logic—ask Genghis Khan,
Rommel, COL John Boyd, U.S. Grant, Patton, W.T. Sherman.
2. What are you personally great at? (Key word: “great.”) Play
to strengths! “Distinct or Extinct.” You should aim to be
“outrageously good”/B.I.W. at a niche area (or more).
3. Are you a “personality,” a de facto “brand” in the industry?
The Dr Phil of ...
4. Opportunism (with a little forethought) mostly wins.
(“Successful people are the ones who are good at Plan B.”)
5. Little starts can lead to big wins. Most true winners—think
search & Google—start as something small. Many big deals—
Disney & Pixar—could have been done as little-er deals if you’d
had the guts to jump before the value became obvious.
“Everyone lives
by selling
something.”
—Robert Louis Stevenson
6. Non-obvious targets have great potential. Among many
other things, everybody goes after the obvious ones. Also,
the “non-obvious” are often good Partners for technology
experiments.
7. The best relationships are often (usually?) not “top to
top”! (Often the best: hungry division GMs eager to make a
mark.)
8. IT’S RELATIONSHIPS, STUPID—DEEP AND FROM MULTIPLE
FUNCTIONS.
9. In any public-sector business, you must become an avid
student of “the politics,” the incentives and constraints,
mostly non-economic, facing all of the players. Politicians are
usually incredibly logical—if you (deeply!) understand the
matrix in which they exist.
10. Relationships from within our firm are as important—
often more important—as those from outside—again broad is
as important as deep. Allies—avid supporters!—within and
from non-obvious places may be more important than
relationships at the Client organization. Goal: an “insanely
unfair ‘market share’” of insiders’ time devoted to your
projects!
C(I)>C(X)
11. Interesting outsiders are essential to innovative proposal
and sales teams. An “exciting” sales-proposal team is as
important as a prestigious one.
12. Is the proposal-sales team weird enough—weirdos come
up with the most interesting, game-changer ideas. Period.
13. Lunch with at least one weirdo per month. (Goal: always
on the prowl for interesting new stuff.)
14. Gratuitous comment: Lunches with good friends are
typically a waste of (professional) time.
15. Don’t short-change (time, money, depth) the proposal
process. Miss one tiny nuance, one potential incentive that
“makes my day” for a key Client player—and watch the whole
gig be torpedoed.
16. “Sticking with it” sometimes pays, sometimes not—it
takes a lot of tries to forge the best path in. Sometimes you
never do, after a literal lifetime. (Ah, life.)
17. WOMEN ARE SIMPLY BETTER AT RELATIONSHIPS—don’t
get hung up—particularly in tech firms—on what industriescountries “women can’t do.” (Or some such bullshit.)
18. Work incessantly on your “story”—most economic value
springs from a good story (think Perrier)! In sensitive public
or quasi-public negotiations, a compelling story is of immense
value—politics is about the tension among competing stories.
(If you don’t believe me, ask Karl Rove or James Carville.)
(“Storytelling is the core of culture.” —Branded Nation: The
Marketing of Megachurch, College Inc., and Museumworld,
James Twitchell)
19. Call this 18A, or 18 repeat: Become a first-rate
Storyteller! (“A key – perhaps the key – to leadership is the
effective communication of a story.”—Howard Gardner,
Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership)
20. Risk Assessment & Risk Management is more about
stories than advanced math—i.e., brilliant scenario
construction.
21. Good listeners are good sales people. Period.
22. Lousy listeners are lousy sales people. Period.
23. GREAT LISTENERS ARE GREAT SALES PEOPLE. (Listening
“skills” are hard to learn and subject to immense effort in
pursuit of Mastery. A virtuoso “listener” is as rare as a
virtuoso cello player.) (“If you don’t listen, you don’t sell
anything.”—Carolyn Marland/MD/Guardian Group)
24. Things that are funny to me (American) are often-mostly not
funny to those in other cultures. (Humor is as fine-edged as it
gets, and rarely travels.)
25. You don’t know Jack Squat about other peoples’ cultures—
especially if you are a typically myopic American. (Like me.)
26. Are you a great interviewer? It’s a make or break skill.
(Think Barbara Walters’ skill at extracting unwanted truths from
pros in persona-protection ... in front of 10s of millions of
people.
27. Are you a great (not merely “good”) presenter? Mastering
presentation skills is a life’s work—with stupendous payoff.
28. Work like hell on the Big 2: LISTENING/INTERVIEWING,
PRESENTING. These are “the essence of [sales] life”—and
usually picked-up in an amateurish fashion. Mistake! (Become a
“professional student” of these two areas, achieve Mastery.)
29. Are you good at flowers? Think: FLOWER POWER! (see Harvey
Mackay’s “Mackay 66”—what you should know about a Client;
e.g., birthdays & anniversaries.) (My “flowers budget” is out of
control. Hooray for me.)
30. You can’t do it all—be clear at what you are good at, bad at,
indifferent at. Hubris sucks.
FLOWER
POWER
31. The point is not to “prove yourself.” (That’s ego-talk.) Let
the best person present to the Client—perhaps a “lower level”
geek. (“Control freaks” get their just desserts in the long haul—
or sooner.)
32. The numbers will more or less take care of themselves over
the long haul—if the relationship/s is/are solid gold.
33. The Gold Standard in selling: INDISPENSABLE to the Client.
No other goal is worthy.
34. Never stop growing-broadening-deepening the relationship.
The key to “indispensability” is to get the Client more and more
… and more … and then more … imbedded in “our” web. Hence
the so-called “selling process” is only the first step!
35. USE THE WORD “WE” … CONSTANTLY & RELIGIOUSLY!
(E.g.: “We”—the Client & me—“are going to change the world
with this service.”)
36. Don’t waste your time on jerks—it’ll rarely work out in the
mid- to long-term.
37. Genius is walking away from lousy “scores” (deals)—and
accepting the attendant heat. Big Business is the premier home
to Big Egos overpaying by a factor of 2 to 22 with billion$$$$ at
stake. (Think Jerry Levin and AOL Time Warner.)
“If you don’t
listen,
you don’t sell
anything.”
—Carolyn Marland/
Managing Director/
Guardian Group
38. You haven’t a clue as to how this situation will actually play
out—be prepared to move fast in a different direction.
39. Keep your word.
40. KEEP YOUR WORD.
41. Underpromise (i.e., don’t over-promise; i.e., cut yourself a
little slack) even if it costs you business—winning is a long-term
affair. Over-promising is Sign #1 of a lack of integrity. You will
pay the piper.
42. There is such a thing as a “good loss”—if you’ve tested
something new and developed good relationships. A half-dozen
honorable, ingenious losses over a two-year period can pave the
way for a Big Victory in a New Space in year 3.
43. It’s a competitive world out there. New, innovative products
are harder to sell than old stand-bys. Nonetheless, you will be a
long-term star to the extent that you are willing to push the
harder-to-sell-at-the-moment Innovative Products that cement
long-term Client success (Indispensability!) —even if it means a
#s hit this quarter. PART OF YOUR JOB: TAKE CLIENTS ON AN
ADVENTURE THAT PUTS THEM AHEAD OF THE GAME CALLED
(GAMECHANGING—hopefully) COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE!
“You can make more
friends in two months by
becoming interested in
other people than you can
in two years by trying to
get other people
interested in you.”
—Dale Carnegie
44. Think “legacy”—what the hell is all this really about for you
and the world? (“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one
wild and precious life?”
—Mary Oliver)
45. THERE ARE NO “MODERATES” IN THE HISTORY BOOKS!
46. Keep it simple! (Damn it!) No matter how “sophisticated” the
product. If you can’t explain it in a phrase, a page, or to your 14year-old ... you haven’t got it right yet.
47. Know more than the next guy. Homework pays. (of course
it’s obvious—but in my work it is too often honored in the
breach.)
48. Regardless of project size, winning or losing invariably
hinges on a raft of “little stuff.” Little stuff is and always has
been everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—or, “one man’s little stuff is
another man’s 7.6 Richter deal-breaker.”
49. In public settings in particular, face saving is all. When
something changes, allow the other guy to come out looking like
a winner, especially if he has lost. (Even if you must accept the
egg on your face—he will always remember you!)
50. Don’t hold grudges. (It is the ultimate in small mindedness—
and incredibly wasteful and ineffective. There’s always
tomorrow.)
51. IT’S ALWAYS “THE POLITICS”—wee private-sector deal or
giant public sector deal. (Every player, small or large, is angling
for something. Master the calculus of advantage.)
52. To beat the “turnover problem” in key Client posts amidst
long negotiations, invest outrageous amounts of time building a
wide & deep set of relationships with mid-level (& lower!!)
“plodding” “careerists.” The invisible careerists are the
bedrock upon which repeated success is built! (My “Capitol Hill
Axiom”: It’s the 24-year-old LA who in the end briefs the
Senator right before she goes to the Floor to vote.)
53. Speaking of “she”: Gender differences are Enormous—
dealing with a woman and dealing with a man are different
kettles of fish—you must become an A+ student of gender
differences. (E.g.: Men are typically more interested in the
short-term “score.” Women are more interested in the longterm consequences.)
54. “LITTLE PEOPLE” OFTEN HAVE BIG FRIENDS.
55. This is not war, damn it. All parties can win (or not lose,
anyway). And losing bidders can walk away from a deal with
increased respect for you and your team.
56. Never, ever dump on a competitor—the Tom Watson IBM
glory-days mantra.
57. Never forget the “Law of Cousins!” In developing nations
in particular, power brokers at all levels are at least cousins!
Consideration for a second cousin can pay off big time.
58. Speaking of “favors,” jail sucks.
59. Work hard beats work smart. (Mostly.)
60. REPEAT: HE/SHE WHO HAS THE MOST-BEST
RELATIONSHIPS WINS. RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE ESSENCE OF
THE WORK OF THE SALESPERSON. THE HARD ... AND LONG ...
WORK OF THE SALESPERSON.
61. Mano v mano “hardball” is seldom the answer—end runs
based and patient multi-level relationship building via deeperwider networks win.
62. If the deal is wired from below, truly wired, than the socalled “big negotiations” are essentially irrelevant.
63. If every quarter is a “little better” than the prior quarter—
then you are not taking any serious risks.
64. Phones beat email.
“Nothing is so
contagious as
enthusiasm.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
65. A THREE-MINUTE CALL TODAY CAN AVOID A GAME-LOSER
OF A FIASCO NEXT MONTH. There was always a time when a
little thing could have been addressed that headed off a
subsequent big thing. As to avoiding that call, didn’t someone
say, “Pride goeth before the fall”?
66. Be hyper-organized about relationship management—you
are in the anthropology business. Study the great pols! Brilliant
NRM (network relationship management) is not accidental! It is
not catch-as-catch can. (Football analogies are cute—but deep
political understanding pays the private-school tuition.)
67. Obsess on ROIR (Return On Investment In Relationships).
68. “THANK YOU” NOTES: World’s highest-return investment!!
69. The way to anyone’s heart: Doing a nice thing for their kid.
(But, gawd, does this take a gentle touch.)
70. Scoring off other people is stupid. Winners are always in the
business of creating the maximum # of winners—among
adversaries at least as much as among “partners.”
71. Your colleagues’ successes are your successes. Period.
(Trust me, my greatest personal success—financially as well as
artistically—has been creating a bigger pond in which everyone
wins, even if my “market share” is down.)
72. Lend a helping hand, especially when you don’t have the
time. E.g. share relationships—the more you give away the
more you get in return (just like they say in church).
73. Listen up: “It was much later that I realized Dad’s
secret. He gained respect by giving it. He talked and listened
to the fourth-grade kids in Spring Valley who shined shoes
the same way he talked and listened to a bishop or a college
president. He was seriously interested in who you were and
what you had to say.” —Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect.
(I.e., Respect is Cool.)
74. Mentoring is a thrill—and the practical payoff is
enormous. The best mentors have the whole world working
its buns off for them!
75. Hire for enthusiasm. Promote for enthusiasm. Cherish
enthusiasm. REMOVE NON-ENTHUSIASTS—THEY ARE
CANCERS. (“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.”—
Samuel Taylor Coleridge. “A man without a smiling face
must not open a shop.”—Chinese Proverb.)
76. IT’S ALWAYS YOUR PROBLEM—you sold it to them.
77. It’s never over: While there may be an excellent service
activity in your company, the “relationship” belongs to You!
Hence the “aftersales” “moments of truth” are at least as—if
not more than*--important to the Continuing Relationship as
the sale “transaction” itself. (*I vote for “more than.”) You’ll
get your biggest “points” with the Client for being an effective
after-the-fact go-between with your company.
78. Don’t get too hung up on “systems integration”—first &
foremost, the individual bits have got to work.
79. For God’s sake don’t over promise on “systems
integration”—it’s nigh on impossible to deliver.
80. On the other hand … winners clamber Up the Value-added
Ladder, and offer ever so much more than “mere” product. ALL
SUCCESSFUL SALES PEOPLE ARE IN THE “SOLUTIONS
BUSINESS”—no matter how jargony that may sound.
81. “Systems” / “Solutions” selling means grappling directly
with “culture change” in Client organizations. (“The business of
selling is not just about matching viable solutions to the
customers that require them. It’s equally about managing the
change process the customer will need to go through to
implement the solution and achieve the value promised by the
solution”—Jeff Thull, The Prime Solution: Close the Value Gap,
Increase Margins, and Win the Complex Sale)
82. Shit happens. That’s what they pay you for.
83. This is not a “GE” or “Ben & Jerry’s” sale—it is a Joe
Jones/Jane Jones sale. YOU ARE THE “BRAND” THE CLIENT
BUYS—especially over the long haul.
84. Duh: You make money, the company makes money—on
repeat business.
85. Master—yes, you—the “PR” Game. “Word of Mouth” is not
accidental! You want Word of Mouth? Make it happen!
86. GOAL #1: MAKE YOUR CLIENT A HERO—YOU ARE NOT THERE
TO GET CREDIT. (“Taking credit” is for egomaniacs. And losers.)
87. “Decent margins,” over the mid- to long-term, are a product
of better relationships, not better “negotiating skill.” (Mostly.)
“You can’t behave
in a calm, rational
manner. You’ve got
to be out there on
the lunatic fringe.”
—Jack Welch
88. In the immortal words of ex-GE Vice Chairman Larry
Bossidy, more or less, “Realism rocks.” (“Bullshit artist” and
“great salesperson,” contrary to conventional wisdom, are
Diametric Opposites. “Truthteller” and Great Salesperson is
more like it.)
89. Be the first to tell the Client bad news (e.g., slipped
delivery); his intelligence sources will tell him fast—you want to
be there first with your story and to enhance your rep as
Truthteller!
90. Work like hell to get a reputation as a valued industry
expert, to become an industry resource.
91. Work the Trade Association angle for all its worth—it may
take a decade to pay off—e.g., when you become an officer or
are on an important panel or testify Before Congress.
92. PAY YOUR DUES IN THE CLIENT ORG AND IN YOUR OWN
ORG!
93. It’s all bloody tactics.
94. You must ... LOVE .... the product! (Period.)
95. YOU MUST LOVE THE PRODUCT!
96. Don’t over-schedule. “Running late” is inexcusable at any
level of seniority; it is the ultimate mark of self-importance
mixed with contempt.
97. Women are better salespeople. (See Addendum.)
98. Women alone understand Women.
99. Actually, Women by and large understand Men better than
Men understand Men.
100.Women purchasers buy Stories and recommendations.
101. Women take longer to become Loyal purchasers, but then
stay Loyal.
102. Men buy Stats.
103. Men decide fast, but are fickle.
104. Men & Women are … VERY, VERY … Different.
105. Women buy most things. Consumer. Increasingly,
professional goods and services.
106. Women’s Market is Opportunity #1.
107. Boomers. Many, many. Lots & lots & lots of … $$$.
108. Boomers-Geezers are very different purchasers than those
in other categories.
Women Rock … as Salespersons (From Item #97.)
And the answers are?
“TAKE THIS QUICK QUIZ: Who manages more things at
once? Who puts more effort into their appearance?
Who usually takes care of the details? Who finds it
easier to meet new people? Who asks more questions
in a conversation? Who is a better listener? Who has
more interest in communication skills? Who is more
inclined to get involved? Who encourages harmony and
agreement? Who has better intuition? Who works
with a longer ‘to do’ list? Who enjoys a recap to the
day’s events? Who is better at keeping in touch with
others?”
Source: Selling Is a Woman’s Game: 15 Powerful Reasons Why
Women Can Outsell Men, Nicki Joy & Susan Kane-Benson
109. It takes time to get to know people. (DUH.)
110. The very idea of “efficiency” in relationship
development is ... STUPID.
111. MBWA (still) rules.
112. “Preparing the soil” is the “first 98 percent.” (Or
more.)
113. WORK THE PHONES!
114. Rule 5K-5M: 5K miles for a 5-Minute meeting often
makes sense. (Yes, often.) (Even with constrained travel
budgets.) (Thanks, super-agent Mark McCormack.)
115. Become a student! Study great salespeople!
(Including Presidents.) (“Natural” is a little bit true—but
then Naturals are always the ones who study hardest—
e.g., Jerry Rice.)
116. Become a student! Yes, you can study Relationship
Building. So, study …
117. Beware complexifiers and complicators. (Truly
“smart people” ... Simplify things.)
118. The smartest guy in the room rarely wins—alas,
he usually is aware he’s the smartest guy. (And
needn’t waste his time on that “soft relationship
crap.”)
119. Be kind. It works.
120. Be especially kind when there are screw-ups.
(There’s plenty of time later to Play the Great
Accountability Game.)
121. Presidents never tire of being treated like
Presidents.
122.
Luck matters.
Good luck!
Tom’s
60TIBs*
*TIB = This I Believe
Sixty for Sixty: Tom’s 60TIBs
The architect Bill Caudill was a contrarian. He pioneered the
idea of working intimately with clients to create spaces that
met their needs; this flew in the face of conventional wisdom,
which held that the architect was pure artist, barely
deigning to make client contact. Caudill’s approach was
wildly successful—so much so that today it’s become
conventional wisdom.
Over the years Bill jotted notes on this and that, and began to
organize them for his children. The title of his musings: This I
Believe. After Caudill’s death, his colleagues collected the
notes and published them. That is, The TIBs of Bill Caudill.
A sixtieth birthday is a monumental occasion, and I chose,
among other things, to give myself a present to mark the/my
date in November 2002. I sat on a hill overlooking my farm
in Vermont, and scribbled down 60 thoughts, one for each
year, that seemed to capture my professional and, to
some extent, my personal journey. Those thoughts—Tom’s
60TIBs—herewith.
1. TECHNICOLOR RULES!
(Passion Moves Mountains!)
2. Audacity Matters!
3. Revolution Now!
4. Question Authority! (& Hire
Disrespectful People.)
5. Disorganization Wins! (LOVE
THE MESS!)
6. Think 3M: Markets Matter Most. ONLY EXTREME
COMPETITION STAVES OFF STALENESS. (You can
take the boy out of Silicon Valley, but you can’t take
Silicon Valley out of the boy!)
7. Three Hearty Cheers for Weirdos. (Bill Gates, Steve
Jobs, Larry Ellison, Scott McNealy, Craig Venter
et al.)
8. Message 2003: Technology Change (Info-sciences,
Biosciences) Is in Its Infancy! (WE AIN’T SEEN
NOTHIN’ YET!)
9. Everything Is Up For Grabs! Volatility Is Thy Name!
(Forever & Ever. Amen.) RE-INVENT … OR DIE!
10. Big Sucks. (Mostly.) (VERY Mostly.)
11. “Permanence” Is a Snare & a Delusion.
(Forget “Built to Last.” It’s Yesterday’s
Idea.)
12. Kaizen” (Continuous Improvement) Is …
Dangerous.
13. DESTRUCTION RULES!
14. Forget It! (“Learning” = Easy. “Forgetting” =
Nigh on Impossible.)
15. Innovation Is Easy: Hang Out with Freaks.
(Employees, Board Members, Customers,
Suppliers, Alliance Partners, Consultants.)
16. Boring Begets Boring. (Cool Begets Cool.)
17. Think “Portfolio.” (We’re All V.C.s.)
18. Perception Is All There Is. (“Insiders” …
ALWAYS … overestimate the Radicalism of
What They’re Up To.)
19. Action … ALWAYS … Takes Precedence.
Think: R.F!A./Ready. Fire! Aim. (REWARD
SUCCESS. REWARD FAILURE. PUNISH …
INACTION.)
20. He Who Makes & Tests the Quickest &
Coolest Prototypes Reigns!
21. Haste Makes Waste. (SO GO WASTE!)
22. Screw-ups are … the … Mark of Excellence.
(“Do It Right the First Time” Is a Very Stupid
Idea.)
23. Play Hard! Play Now! (Cherish Play!)
24. TALENT TIME! (He/She Who Has the Best
“Roster” Rules!)
25. Re-do Education. Totally. (FOSTER
CREATIVITY … NOT UNIFORMITY.) (THE
NOISIEST CLASSROOM WINS.)
26. Diversity’s Hour Is Now!
27. SHE … Is the Best Leader!
28. MARKETING MANTRA: Embrace the “BIG THREE”
Demographics. (1) SHE … is the Customer. (For
everything.) (2) Rapidly Aging Boomers Have …
ALL THE MONEY. (3) Green … Matters.
(TRILLIONS OF $$$$$ Are at Stake.) (NOBODY …
Gets It.) (Mere “Programs” Will Not Suffice.)
29. Re-boot Healthcare. (UNDERSTATEMENT.)
30. WHAT ARE WE SELLING? “Experiences” &
“Solutions” > “Quality” & “Satisfaction.” (The
Traditional Value-added Equation Is Being Set on
Its Ear.)
31. DESIGN = New Seat of the Soul.
32. Branding Is for … EVERYONE. He Who Has
the … BEST STORY … Takes Home the
Marbles.
33. DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE = Only Difference.
34. WORDS/Language Matters … a Lot. (E.g.:
Three Hearty Cheers for “Wow”!)
35. WHAT MATTERS IS STUFF THAT MATTERS.
(Query #1: “Are You Proud of It?”)
36. eALL. (IS/IT: Half-way = No Way.)
37. DREAM … Big! DREAM … Enormous.
DREAM … Gargantuan. (These Are XXXL
Times.)
38. THINK MIKE! (Michelangelo: “The greatest
danger for most of us is not that our aim is
too high and we miss it, but that it is too low
and we reach it.”)
39. There Is Only … ONE BIG ISSUE. Crossfunctional Communication.
40. Stop Doing Dumb Shit. (SYSTEMATIZE THE
PROCESS OF “UN-DUMBING.”)
41. Beautiful Systems Are … BEAUTIFUL.
42. The … WHITE-COLLAR REVOLUTION … Will
Devour Everything in Its Path.
43. Take Charge of Your Destiny! BrandYou
Moment! DISTINCT … OR EXTINCT!
44. “Powerlessness” Is a State of Mind! Think:
King. Gandhi. De Gaulle.
45. Pursue Adventure … in Every Task.
46. EXCELLENCE … Is a State of Mind.
(Excellence Takes a Minute.) (No Bull.)
47. SHOW UP! (If You Care, You’re There.)
48. YOUR CALENDAR KNOWS ALL. (You =
Calendar.) (Mind Your “TO DON’T” List.)
49. LIFE IS SALES. (The Rest Is Details.)
50. Boss Mantra #1: “I DON’T KNOW.” (“I Don’t
Know” = Permission to Explore.)
51. Management Role 1: GET OUT OF THE WAY.
(Clear the Way.) (“Manager” = Hurdle
Removal Professional.)
52. Epitaph from Hell: “He Woulda Done Some
Truly Cool Stuff … But His Boss Wouldn’t
Let Him.”
53. Change Takes However Long You Think It
Takes. (Eschew … “Incrementalism.”)
54. Respect! (Rule 1: Don’t Belittle!)
55. “Thank You” Trumps All!
56. Integrity Matters! Integrity = Credibility.
(Dennis K. Is a Jerk.)
57. SOFT IS HARD. HARD IS SOFT. (Numbers
Are Soft. People Are Not.)
58. Try Sunny! (Sunny Begets Sunny.
Gloomy Begets Gloomy.)
59. DISPENSE ENTHUSIASM!
60. FUN …Is Not a 4-Letter Word. So, too …
JOY. (And … GRACE.)
Tom Peters’
to-mA-to
to-mah-to
New Delhi. Thirteen September 2004. I awoke,
jetlagged and sweaty, at 3A.M. I’d had a
nightmare. Stark realism. I was, as usual,
accused of overstatement and a few (or more)
too many exclamation marks (!!!!!). Only this
time I’d acceded to “They.” The “They” who
believe in “The Plan” and “Built to Last” and
“Continuous Improvement” and “Quiet,
Humble Leaders.” No! No! I had failed, in my
dream, to live up to my Fervent Beliefs! This
must not pass! In a sweat, fearful that the time
would not come ‘round again, I turned on the
light, picked up a pad of paper, and began to
scribble frantically. Herewith the result.
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say … my (Tom) language is extreme.
I say … the times are extreme.
They say I’m extreme.
I say I’m a realist.
They say I demand too much.
I say they accept mediocrity & continuous improvement
too readily.
They say “We can’t handle this much change.”
I say “Your job and career are in jeopardy; what other
options do you have?”
They say Brand You is not for everyone.
I say the alternative is unemployment.
They say “What’s wrong with a ‘good product’?”
I say Wal*Mart or China or both are about to eat your
lunch. Why can’t you provide instead a Fabulous
Experience?
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Take a deep breath. Be calm.”
I say “Tell it to Wal*Mart. Tell it to China. Tell it
to India. Tell it to Dell. Tell it to Microsoft.”
They say the Web is a “useful tool.”
I say the Web changes everything. Now.
They say “We need an Initiative.”
I say “We need a Dream. And Dreamers.”
They say Great Design is “nice.”
I say Great Design is “necessary.”
They say I “overplay” the “women’s thing.”
I say the share of Women in Senior Leadership
Positions is a Waste and a Disgrace and a
Strategic Marketing Error.
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say the Women’s Market Opportunity I harp on is “doubtless
important.”
I say 9 out of 10, make that 99 out of 100, companies aren’t
within striking distance of accurately estimating the potential
of the Women’s Market … let alone exploiting it.
They say the boomer-geezer market is also “doubtless important.”
I say the boomer-geezer market amounts to a Redefining
Moment.
They say we need a “project” to exploit the women-boomer-geezer market.
I say we need Total Strategic Realignment to exploit the
Women-Boomer-Geezer Opportunity.
They say “Wow” is “typical Tom.”
I say “WOW” is a Minimum Survival Requirement.
They say “effective governance” is important.
I say bold-brash Boards that are representative of the market
served—more than a token woman or two and an empty seat
for the “forthcoming Hispanic”—are an Imperative. Now.
They say
“Better.”
I say
“Different!”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Plan it.”
I say “DO IT.”
They say “We need more steady, loyal employees.”
I say “WE NEED MORE FREAKS WHO ROUTINELY TELL
THOSE ‘IN CHARGE’ TO TAKE A FLYING LEAP …
BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.”
They say “We need Good People.”
I say “We need Quirky Talent.”
They say “We like people who, with steely determination, say,
“I can make it better.’”
I say “I love people who, with a certain maniacal gleam
in their eye, perhaps even a giggle, say, ‘I can turn
the world upside down. Watch me!’”
They say “We must speed things up.”
I say “We must Radically change the Corporate
Metabolism until Insane Urgency becomes
a Sacrament.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say, “Sure, we need ‘Change.’”
I say we need “REVOLUTION NOW.”
They say (acknowledge), “Okay, we need revolution.”
I say,
“REVOLUTION.”
They say “fast follower.”
I say “battered and bruised leader.”
They say “Conglomerate & Imitate!”
I say “Create & Innovate!”
They say “Market share.”
I say “Market CREATION.”
They say “Improve & Maintain.”
I say “DESTROY & RE-IMAGINE.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “We like words such as ‘calm’ … ‘certainty’ … ‘is.’”
I say “I like words/phrases such as ‘turbulent’
‘opportunity’ … ‘might be’.”
They vote for Republicans and Democrats.
I vote for Independents and Libertarians.
They say “Normal.”
I say “Weird.”
They say “Happy balance.”
I say “Creative Tension.”
They say they favor a “team” that works & lives in “harmony.”
I say “give me a raucous brawl among the most
creative people imaginable.”
They say “Peace, brother.”
I say “Bruise my feelings. Flatten my ego.
SAVE MY JOB.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Vanilla.”
I say “Cherry Garcia.”
They say “Basic Black.”
I say “TECHNICOLOR RULES!”
They say “Branding is for the likes of Nike.”
I say “Branding is for Everyone & Anyone with the
Passion & Tenacity to foist their Wonderful & Weird
Point of View on the world … and the New World’s
(read: Web’s) power allows-encourages such “silly”
(until recently) visions-of-ubiquity to become reality,
perhaps overnight.”
They say we need “happy customers.”
I say “Give me pushy, needy, nasty, provocative
customers who will drag me down Innovation
Boulevard.”
They say they want to partner with “best of breed.”
I say “Give me Coolest of Breed.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say we need “supply chain harmony.”
I say we need “supply chain Innovation.”
They say “We seek Harvard MBAs.”
I say I seek Certificate-free “PhDs” from the School
of Hard Knocks.
They say they want recruits with a “spotless records.”
I say “the Spots are what matter most.”
They say “Integrity is important.”
I say “Tell the Unvarnished Truth, All the Time …
or take a Long Hike.”
They read Jim Collins and grok on “quiet, humble leaders.”
I say “Give me the Bold, the Brash, the Brassy, the
Egocentric Dreamers who, like Steve Jobs,
‘Dent the Universe.’”
They say
“Improve.”
I say
“Re-imagine!”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say they need a “vision” born of McKinsey.
I say we need a “Grandiose Dream” born of a Passionate
& Intemperate Belief that the world can be a different,
better place.
They say healthcare, our biggest industry, is “a mess.”
I say our hospitals, which kill over 100,000 patients a
year, are part of a system that is “a disgrace.”
They say “obesity is a problem” … “lose some weight.”
I say Re-imagine the entire healthcare system …
NOW … to focus on Prevention & Wellness.
They say “no child left behind.”
I say “education” is leaving ALL our children behind,
as it is totally mis-aligned to deal with tomorrow’s
(this afternoon’s) uncertain, ambiguous, creativitydriven economy.
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say, “Of course we believe in marketing.”
I say “Is the CMO [Chief Marketing Officer] on the Board
of Directors?”
They say “Of course we believe in marketing.”
I say “Has your customer data base won numerous major industry awards?”
They say “Of course we believe in marketing.”
I say “Is your Web site Sooooo Cool, Sooooo Fresh, Sooooo
Friendly to Use that it gives you goose pimples just to e-visit,
even though you’ve seen it 1000 times?”
They say “Of course we believe in marketing.”
I say “How many in-depth customer visits did the CEO make
last month?”
They say “Yes, the ‘Women’s thing’ is important.”
I say “Do women hold at least 1/3rd of your Board seats?”
They say “We’re coming around on the design bit.”
I say “Is, as at Braun, your Chief Design Officer on the Board
of Directors?”
Tom’ Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Of course we think the ‘experiences thing’ is
important.”
I say “Is there an ‘EVP Experiences’?”
They say “Of course innovation is important.”
I say “Is your percentage of revenue devoted to R&D
at least 1.5 (2.0? 2.5?) times the industry average?”
They say “Of course we believe in IS/IT.”
I say “Is the CIO on the Board of Directors?” (Only 5% of
Fortune500 CIOs are on the Board. One example:
Wal*Mart.)
They say “Of course we believe in IS/IT.”
I say “How many members of your Board are under 35
years old?”
They say “We believe in having a ‘flat organization.’”
I say “Is your headquarters in a Tower?”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say we need to “bring effectiveness to the supply chain.”
I say we need an IS/IT/Best Sourcing revolution based
on nothing less than an Entirely Original Vision of what
organizations are and how they interact.
They say “Globalization is a bumpy road.”
I say India and China and Asia in general are within two
decades of running the show: Get ready or get
trounced.
They say “defense” and “consolidation” are musts for a global
game.
I say encourage Offense, nurture a Generation (or 10) of
Entrepreneurs, cherish Creativity & Risk-taking from
primary school onwards … and don’t expect to be
saved by a bunch of bulky, retro behemoth commanded
by a phalanx of Old White Guys who think 30 minutes a
day on the corporate treadmill and 27 holes on the
links are a fit defense against Revolution.
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Get an MBA.”
I say “Get an MFA.”
They say “If it can’t be precisely measured then it isn’t real.” (And I
suppose if it can be measured it is real? Think Enron? Adelphia?
WorldCom?)
I say “If it can be precisely measured it isn’t real.” (Think
Age of Intangibles & Relationships.) (Think: “He knew
the price of everything and the value of nothing.”)
They say “Rationality is the Bedrock of Modern Society.”
I say “Irrationality [irrational exuberance?] is the Mother
of all True Entrepreneurial Pilgrimages.”
They say “Order is the necessary precursor to measured,
sustainable success.”
I say “Dis-order is the precursor to Opportunistic Sorties,
Market Creation, Quantum Leaps, and Entrepreneurial
Adventure.
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “To get anywhere, you have to know exactly where the
hell you’re headed.”
I say “If you know precisely where you’re headed and
exactly how you’re gonna get there, then you clearly
suffer from Advanced Shrivelus Imaginationus.”
(This disease is fatal.)
They say “Employees need Well-defined Structure.”
I say “Talent should be encouraged to embark on Quests
to the Unknown.”
They say “I’m here to maximize shareholder value.”
I say “I’m here to inflame each & every member of my
Awesome Staff to embark with Vigor & Determination
& Passion & Enthusiasm on a Quest of Monumental
Consequence.” (And if I come even close to succeeding,
it will, in fact, dramatically up the odds of Thriving
Amidst Today’s Chaos—and creating untold shareholder
value in the process.)
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “men.”
I say “WOMEN.”
They say Diversity is a “good thing.”
I say Diversity is a Fresh Breath of Creative Air … Absolutely
Necessary for Economic Salvation in perilous times.
They say “Wait your turn, honor those who have marched these corridors
before you.”
I say Get Off Your Butt & Go for the Gold … TODAY … or sign
the transfer papers willing your job in perpetuity to a
Chinese or Indian who Gives a Shit and Gets Up
(VERY) Early and works Saturdays & Sundays.
They say “offshoring” is a “blight.”
I say the Earth proved not to be the center of the Solar
System … and the USA is not the epicenter-in-perpetuity
of the Earth … and that we had best learn … NOW … to
prosper and take pleasure in a dynamic, exciting, creative,
multi-polar economic environment. (Damn it.)
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “It’s a fright.”
I say “It’s a Helluva Ride.”
They say it’s “daunting.”
I say it’s “a bronco-bustin’ day at the rodeo.”
They say “Life is a marathon; husband your strength.”
I say “Life is a sprint. Begin planning your World-beating
Me Inc. start-up … TODAY.”
They say lifetime employment was a boon.
I say lifetime employment was Indentured Servitude,
modern-day Slavery.
They say “safety net.”
I say “I am my safety net; give me some version of the
‘Ownership Society.’”
They say “zero defects.”
I say “A day without a screwup or two is a day pissed
away.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Think about it.”
I say “Try it.”
They say “Plan it.”
I say “Test it.”
They say “continuous improvement.”
I say “Bold Leaps.”
They say “Keep on Improvin’.”
I say “Keep on Leapin’.”
They say “Built to last.”
I say “Built to Soar. We’re all dead in the long run …
live your Insane Fantasy. Devil take the hindmost.”
They (Jim Collins) say “Walgreens is Cool.”
I say “I love Larry Ellison.” (Oracle rules … at least
for the next ten minutes.)
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “Play the odds.”
I say “Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre
successes.” (Thanks, Phil Daniels.)
They say “Eighty-hour weeks will kill you.”
I say “Work 35-hour weeks, and the Chinese will
kill you.”
They say “Install cost controls with teeth.”
I say “Ha. Ha. Ha. Blow Up the existing enterprise and
start with a Clean Sheet of Paper.”
They say “Install cost controls with teeth.”
I say “Grow the Top Line.”
They say “Radical change takes a decade.”
I say “Radical change takes a Minute.” (See AA.)
They say “Times are changing.”
I say “Everything has already changed. Tomorrow is the
First Day of Your Revolution … or you’re Toast.”
Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
They say “We can’t all be Anita Roddick or Maxine Clark or Stan
Shih or Les Wexner or Jerry Yang.”
I say “Why not?”
They say “We can’t all be Revolutionaries.”
I say “Why not?”
They say “We can’t all be a Brand.”
I say “Why not?”
They say “Beware the Hype.”
I say “Been to China lately? Visited Infosys in
Bangalore lately?”
They say this is just a Rant.
I say this is just Reality.
They say “The man is not nice.”
I say “The times are not forgiving.”
EXCELLE
ALWAYS