In one of the best loved children’s books of all time, Charlotte the spider immortalized Wilber the pig by spinning words like “that’s some pig” in her web. Really? A spider that could spell and spin words in a web? Yup. Charlotte was a that’s-some-spider spider while Wilbur was just an ordinary pet pig. But I suppose a pig saving a spider wouldn’t have much charm and appeal to the preschoolers who love the story.
Now, when it comes to bulls, “that’s some bull” is the true and earned description of Bushwacker—the greatest bucking bull of all time. Bushwacker is the king of bulls. He bucked off a record 42 riders in a row while compiling a current lifetime record of 67-3. The average time before the rider eats dirt is 3.3 seconds. That means Bushwacker earns about $500,000 per year for working less than one minute. (Remind you of Washington D.C.?)
So how did Bushwacker become a that’s-some-bull bull? He worked at it! Strength training, aerobics, nutrition, and bucking practice are all part of a that’s-some-bull bull’s regimen. Want to become a that’s-some-leader leader? Work at it! Will working at it make you a better leader? Leadership icon Warren Bennis thinks it will:
“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born—that there is a genetic factor to leadership.
This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not.
That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.”
Warren G. Bennis
“Leaders are made” means they work at becoming better leaders.
If you want a 67-3 leadership record, you will have to work for it. I suppose that’s why most leaders are 50-50 at best. I wish I had realized this a lot earlier in my career. I could have avoided a lot of mistakes and my company, Hard Lessons, could have a different name.
By the way, Bushwacker’s owner, Julio Moreno, describes Bushwacker’s retirement as passing the time in 15 irrigated-clover acres with about 20 girl friends to keep him company. Hmmm. Sounds better than a 55+ retirement village in Florida.
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© Copyright 2014 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
They are all enjoyable? Yes.
They are all big business? Yes.
They have all been around a long time? Yes.
They all have fans? Yes. (Old westerns, the Braves, and Diet Coke—never Pepsi—for me.)
Okay, there is one more important thing: Fay Vincent was an executive leader in all three industries—CEO of Columbia Pictures, commissioner of Major League Baseball, and executive VP at Coca-Cola.
The February 4th WSJ had an article by Fay Vincent titled “Ten Tips for New Executives.” It is full of leadership wisdom that applies to new executives, old executives, or anybody at any level in leadership.
For example:
#3 Leadership is a full-time job and the duty clock is never off.
#10 Never do or say anything that you would be unhappy to see…on a newspaper front page. (Would your grandmother approve is another good criterion.)
And, always “tell the truth.”
I could ramble on about all of these, but please do yourself a favor, get a copy of the 2/4 WSJ and read the article (page A9) or google Ten Tips For New Executives and click the “online.wsj.com” link. You’ll be glad you did.
By the way, don’t just read it, follow this great advice from an experienced and successful executive. You won’t regret it.
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© Copyright 2014 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company.
It is the #1 network television show. It is fighting terrorists, fighting crime, fighting traitors, fighting everything…on steroids.
There is Gibbs—the world’s smartest crime fighter—who is ALWAYS right. (Ever worked for someone like that?) There is (was, now gone) Ziva, the lovely ex-Israeli agent who can take out Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee and Steven Seagal (even when he was young and menacing)—all at the same time without breaking a sweat. There is Abby—everyone’s lovable favorite, even with her tattoos and loud metal rock music. McGee is the “tech geek” and “Ducky” is the medical geek and trivia repository.
Then, there is DiNozzo—the jerk. He is completely self-absorbed and self-centered. He is rude, a snoop (searching his coworker’s desks, etc.), an over-the-line teaser who loves to humiliate everyone— especially McGee (but never Gibbs). He steals food, brags incessantly, is condescending to everyone (except Gibbs), gossips, and loves to make everyone look like a fool. He is just the kind of guy you love to work with, right?
On TV, it works. Gibbs and the others put up with DiNozzo because…well, because it is TV. In the real world, DiNozzo would poison the chemistry of the team, hurt productivity and effectiveness, and make most everyone dread coming to work. In the end, the best and brightest wouldn’t come to work; they would move on.
Generally you can’t reform a jerk; you can only fire them. You can wear yourself out trying, but in the end…. Google has a “no jerk” policy and by the way, ranks #1 on Fortune’s Best Places To Work list. The best and brightest stay at Google. Maybe that is one of the reasons Google is now #4 on the most valuable companies list and will soon pass Microsoft and Exxon, trailing only King Apple.
The question is: would you fire DiNozzo? I would. Let me know what you would do.
[By the way, when you do fire DiNozzo, don’t do it with a post it note, do it in person.]
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© Copyright 2014 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
According to comedian Ron White, you can’t fix stupid. He has made a lot of money with that as his trademark line.
In Cold Play’s 2005 mega-hit, Fix You, the line is “I will try to fix you.” The song doesn’t say whether “I” was successful or not—an important point to remember.
In Disney’s $500M success, Wreck It Ralph, one of the main characters is Fix-It Felix, Jr., whose role is to—you guessed it—fix things. At one point in the movie, Fix-It Felix…. (you’ll have to watch it).
Without a doubt, I have a fix-it nature. And worse, my ego has too often convinced me that I can fix-it most anything. Dottie (my wife) has reminded me more than once that I can’t fix-it everything and sometimes I shouldn’t even try. It is really hard for me to stand by and not fix-it or die trying. However, she is right, I can’t fix-it everything. Neither can you.
As a leader, you probably can’t fix-it people who are lazy, or gossips, or serial complainers, or certified jerks (more on jerks in my next post). Further, you will exhaust and frustrate yourself trying.
So what should you do? Most of the time: fire them. And I only say “most of the time” to give myself a little wiggle room. You and everybody else will be better off without them. Morale will be better. Productivity will be better. Retention will be better. Creativity will be better. Everything will be better.
So what are you waiting for? Quit trying to fix-it what can’t be fixed. Sorry to rush off, but I have to go fix-it….
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© Copyright 2014 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
John, Maintenance Supervisor: Our machine downtime has increased again. We are tracking it every day, but it just doesn’t seem to get better. The machine shop manager is really ticked off and blaming us for missing his production targets.
Jerry, Manufacturing Manager: What do you mean by “tracking it every day”?
John: We talk to every machine operator on every shift to get an exact record of how much the machine was down for repair. I’ve always heard that you get what you measure, but measuring downtime isn’t helping.
Jerry: Do you track how often you are doing the required preventative maintenance on each machine?
John: We log it in when we do it, but frankly, we are spending so much time repairing machines that we run behind on maintenance.
Jerry: How often do you get the oil on your car changed?
John: Every 5000 miles—exactly what the specs require. I don’t want to blow an engine because old oil isn’t doing its job.
Jerry: Why don’t you try taking care of the machines the same way you care for your car. Lubricate when you are supposed to. Calibrate when you are supposed to. Sharpen drill bits when you are supposed to. Would that make a difference in machine downtime?
John: I’m sure it would help.
Jerry: Let’s do this. For the next month, don’t track downtime at all and don’t bring me any downtime reports. Instead keep track of maintenance actions and bring me a report on that. Then after a month or two, we’ll take a look at downtime to see if it is getting better.
Two months later, John: The machine shop manager called to let me know that his machines are working much better and downtime is down. He is really happy.
Jerry: John, a hard lesson we all have to learn is that “you get what you measure only if you measure the right things.” You don’t track downtime on your car; you track oil change intervals. Nobody ever loses weight by weighing everyday. You lose weight by tracking exercise and calorie intake. You don’t reduce debt by keeping track of your debt; you reduce debt by keeping track of your spending. If you want to get the weeds out of your yard, you can’t do it by counting the weeds. You do it by applying weed killer at the proper time, or digging them up by hand. Tell your team that I am really pleased with their effort the last couple of months; just keep tracking maintenance and downtime will take care of itself.
Is there something in your life or organization you want to change? Change what you measure and track if you really want different results.
Do you have any “you get what you measure” stories? Share them in the comment section.
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© Copyright 2014 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
A new year is only six days away. What are you shooting for in 2014?
One of my favorite challenges in scripture comes from Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:26 (NASB): “I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.” In other words, “I live with purpose.” So, in your personal life, family life, business, church, whatever, run with aim; shoot for something! One thing is certain—if you don’t shoot for something, you hit will hit nothing.
Here are a few suggestions that may help you hit the target in 2014:
#1 Have no more than three or four personal goals for the year. Choose things that are doable and will really make a difference.
#2 Choose one goal that is primary—an “if-I-only-get one-thing-done” goal, this is it. Make sure you reach this goal!
#3 Don’t let past failures keep you from trying again.
“Living in the past is an enemy of the future.” (Erwin McManus)
Forget “what lies behind and [reach] forward to what lies ahead….” (Philippians 3:13 NASB)
#4 Plan in detail for January through March. It is important to get off to a good start. In late March, plan for April through June, and so on. The greatest motivation for continuing will be progress.
“Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.” (Coach Tom Landry)
It won’t just happen. You need a plan.
#5 Make sure you have an accountability mechanism. Post your plan on the refrigerator or give it to a friend who won’t say “don’t worry about it” if you begin to slip.
Leadership author John Maxwell challenges us with: “You don’t have to be great to start; but you have to start to be great.” 2014 is as good a time as any to start. Why wait?
Best wishes for a great 2014. I’m pulling for you to hit the mark—dead center!
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© Copyright 2014 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
A lot of you will be hitting the road…or airport…in the next week to visit friends and family for a hopefully “merry” Christmas. Part of getting ready is packing. If you are going north, you will pack up a parka; if south, maybe even a swimsuit. One challenge of Christmas travel is packing so all the bows and tags arrive still attached to the correct package. However, the biggest challenge of Christmas travel may be what to leave behind. So while you are packing some bags, you may need to unpack some others, especially the heaviest bag of all—the bag of unforgiveness.
There are a lot of reasons to get rid of this heavy bag. If you are a Christian, it is a spiritual imperative: Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 NASB
Apart from the spiritual dimension, there are still many great and practical reasons to forgive those who have hurt you. Stanford University has studied the impact of forgiveness on your health—both physical and emotional. According to Dr. Fred Luskin, director of the Stanford Forgiveness Project, forgiveness “boosts the immune system, lowers high blood pressure, reduces anxiety and depression, and improves sleep patterns” (from Brain Power by Gelb and Howell).
In their book, HeartMath Solution, Doc Children and Howard Martin explain, “Forgiving releases you from the punishment of a self-made prison in which you’re both the inmate and the jailer” (cited in Brain Power by Gelb and Howell).
Few people had less reason to forgive than Nelson Mandela. He was tortured, slandered, imprisoned, and victimized by apartheid almost all of his life. Yet when leaving prison, he decided to forgive because he knew “if I didn’t, I would still be a prisoner.” He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life in a prison of his own making.
Anne Beiler, founder of the Auntie Annie’s pretzel empire and a victim of sexual abuse by her pastor, learned that she needed to “forgive because I can’t forget.”
Forgiveness is a gift to yourself; it is about you putting down those life-sapping, heavy bags and getting out of a self-made prison. So while you are busy getting ready to give gifts to others, give one to yourself. It will make for a great 2014 and a much merrier Christmas in 2013.
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© Copyright 2013 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
December is here. Let the celebration begin! It is a great time for relaxing with family, friends, and coworkers at a slower pace. But…January is coming. I don’t want to spoil Christmas by suggesting that you focus on January. On the other hand, I don’t want you to spoil January by completely ignoring it in December.
So how about this: wind down—enjoy the season—but don’t come to a stop. A few suggestions:
If you don’t like any of my suggestions, make your own list. But whatever you do, wind down, but don’t stop!
[If you are in retail, “wind down in December” surely sounds like a joke—this is prime time for you. Maybe January becomes your wind down time, or May, or…whatever. Everyone needs a wind down time, so pick one and take advantage of it.]
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© Copyright 2013 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
“I hate my job. I thought working here was going to be great, but my attitude gets worse every day that goes by.
“I am trained to be an accountant. You know, make ledger entries, draw double lines at the end of the month, explain variances, and help people understand their budgets. But all I do is check other people’s work and grind out reports. A robot could do it.
“The company is making decent money, but none of it ever flows downhill. I don’t expect to make as much as the CFO, or even close, but a little extra every now and then would sure be appreciated.
“Too many of the people around me don’t do an honest day’s work. They have been here a long time and feel like they are entitled to the job no matter what. Us newbies are doing more than our share.
“My supervisor is a jerk. He doesn’t care about us individually—except for his golf buddies—and everything is a last minute crisis with him.
“There are a lot of things we could do more effectively and more efficiently, but new ideas aren’t really encouraged. We could actually do with less people, but our boss is always complaining about how understaffed we are.”
Sound familiar? There are two ways to look at this: #1, this employee is a chronic complainer who will never be happy no matter what; #2, this employee is working in a toxic environment, but would be a great employee if led well.
Either #1 or #2 could be true. If you are the leader, it’s your job to know which it is. And if you are the problem, fix yourself first!
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© Copyright 2013 by Dick Wells, The Hard Lessons Company
“ ‘Brutal honesty’ is supposed to be a good thing. Lots of bosses pride themselves on it. But gentle honesty is better.”
This is the opening line in yesterday’s Wally Bock blog. (Wally publishes everyday at Three Star Leadership.)
Wally finishes his post with: “You want a team member to leave a conversation about behavior or performance thinking about what will change, not how you treated them.”
Though he is primarily discussing a workplace situation, everything he says applies equally well at home, with friends, wherever.
One of his best bits of advice is don’t use adjectives. I discuss that in depth in chapter 9 of my book, 16 Stones.
It will be worth your time to read his entire post at http://blog.threestarleadership.com/2013/11/11/gentle-honesty.aspx
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