blackbook executive leadership

The Little

Black Bookof ExecutiveSecrets

NIBM N AT I O N A L I N S T I T U T E O F B U S I N E S S M A N A G E M E N T

SPECIAL REPORT N337

EDITOR

Alane Keller

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Todd Lebo

PUBLISHER

Philip W. Clark

©2001, National Institute of Business Management, 1750 OldMeadow Road, Suite 302, McLean, VA 22102-4315. Phone: (800) 762-4924. All rights reserved. No part of this book may bereproduced in any form or by any means without written permis-sion from the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

“This publication is designed to provide accurate and authorita-tive information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is soldwith the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in ren-dering legal, accounting or other professional service. If legaladvice or other expert assistance is required, the services of acompetent professional person should be sought.”—From aDeclaration of Principles jointly adopted by a committee of theAmerican Bar Association and a committee of publishers andassociations.

Part One: Secrets of Success

What is the difference between good managers and successful managers?

Good managers fulfill the company goals.Successful managers fulfill their own goals,a subset of which are the company goals.

Good managers accept assignments andbring them to completion on time andwithin budget. Successful managers putthemselves in position to be given assign-ments that directly relate to the company’sbottom line, then complete them on timeand within budget.

Good managers accept praise. Successfulmanagers are known to and appreciated bythe CEO.

Success comes to those who understand thesubtle difference between doing what is hand-ed to them and using what is handed to themto advance their own priorities. The strategieson the following pages will illustrate how youcan draw more success from every situationyou encounter.

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The Little Black Book of Executive Secrets / 54 / National Institute of Business Management

Win over a new boss ...

Take these steps to earn a new boss’s trust:Make his agenda your agenda. When a new

boss arrives, he’s going to be looking to seewho’s on board and who’s resistant to change.As you explain your job, offer him guidanceon why some projects deserve more of yourattention than others, but don’t try to forceyour agenda on him. Odds are, the boss wantsto score some quick, high-visibility victories.Indulge him for the first few weeks and soonhe’ll turn his attention elsewhere, trustingyou to manage your own priorities.

Give answers. A new boss has lots of ques-tions and wants short, specific answers. Ifyou editorialize or babble, she may discountyou and look elsewhere for information.Make sure the first sentence out of yourmouth addresses the question head-on. Ifyou cannot deliver a yes/no or fact-filledanswer, acknowledge the importance of thequestion and promise to find out right away.

Don’t gossip. Stick to work-related facts, atleast for the first few months. As your boss’sfaith in your discretion grows, he may beginto ask for your opinions about your co-work-

A Corporation of One

Never forget: your primary loyalty is not toyour boss or your company but to your owncareer. When your work life and personalfinances are stable, your dependents’ livescan be stable—if you call yourself a bread-winner, that’s what it’s all about.

The good news is that loyalty to yourcareer and loyalty to your boss and compa-ny usually coincide. But when you’re forcedto choose, remember that you work for acorporation of one.

“You will like yourself better when you have the approval of

your conscience.”

Orison Swett Marden


ers. Resist the temptation to tell all. If you’reasked whether Ellen should be given leader-ship of a new project, don’t say that she hasbeen scatterbrained lately because she’sgoing through a divorce. Say that you thinkshe’s handling all she can at the moment.

Increase trust with a long-term boss

Not only will you move up faster if your bosstrusts you, you’ll get better assignmentswith less supervision along the way. Here arethree ways to earn more trust:

Learn the questions to know the answers.Challenge yourself to answer your boss’squestions in the most factual, concise man-ner possible. That means anticipating whatthe questions will be and staying on top ofthe answers. For example, if you know yourboss is concerned about weekly sales, beready to answer “870 orders, up 6%” whenshe asks. Your preparation is evidence thatyou share your boss’s concerns. (If your bossthrows you an unexpected question, don’them and haw. Say you’ll research the answerand get right back to her—then add it toyour list of topics to stay familiar with.)

Keep a secret. Show discretion when aboss reveals confidential matters. Don’t tella soul, not even friends outside of work.Enough said.

Be a spy. Bosses love employees who serveas their eyes and ears. Information such as“the CEO’s in a bad mood today” or “I over-heard that consultant speak highly of you”gives your boss an edge. Caution: Speak onlyof work-related matters until you’reabsolutely sure of your boss’s trust, and eventhen reveal personal information about co-workers only when necessary.

Example: Your boss says that his rival hasbeen under-performing lately and that nowmight be the time to try to absorb the rival’sdepartment. If you’re aware that the rival’schild is hospitalized, let your boss know—otherwise, others who also know may seeyour boss’s power play as mean-spirited.

“The very key to our success has been ourability, foremost among nations, to preserve

our lasting values by making change work forus rather than against us.”

Ronald Reagan


Changes at the top?Seek out the trusted lieutenant

If a new CEO or senior executive takes overyour company and vows to “shake thingsup,” don’t fret. While it’s wise to plan forupheaval by quietly job-hunting, also usethe internal turmoil to your advantage.Here’s how:

Identify the new leader’s most trustedaide. This No. 2 person can influence whostays and who goes. Get to know this lieu-tenant by introducing yourself and offeringto help during the transition. Say, “I’d like tohelp you and your boss have a positiveimpact here.” Pounce on any tasks, exceedexpectations and earn points.

“Never fight too often with one enemy or you will teach him your art of war.”

Napoleon Bonaparte

Need a creative spark?

For a fresh look at your business, spend timewith new employees. Walk them throughprocedures and encourage their questions.Adopting a beginner’s perspective can leadyou to make connections and shed assump-tions that limit your creativity.

“Creativity is like a muscle—it has to be stretched and exercised regularly

to keep it fit and functioning.”

Gloria Hoffman and Pauline Graivier

Provide skill coaching in private

If you’re teaching someone—below you orabove you—a new skill, do it in private.Teaching works best when the learner doesn’tfeel self-conscious. If the office is watching, itcan make the individual nervous. Hold one-on-one coaching sessions behind closeddoors, and prohibit drop-in visitors. Thisgives the learner a chance to practice andmake mistakes in a supportive environment.

“Learning new things won’t help the personwho isn’t using what he already knows.”

Anonymous


Re-directinga difficult work relationship

Be open to the idea that the solution to a dif-ficult relationship may be you. You maywant to change someone at work. Most of usdo. But changing others is a lot harder thanchanging yourself.

Carefully observe the person with whomyou’re having trouble. Can you find a patternof when trouble erupts? Note exactly whatyou are doing at those times. Does yourbehavior seem to make that person feelthreatened? Put-upon? Sarcastic?

Put aside your frustration with thatresponse. Keeping your work goal in mind,think of other ways you could approach theperson than with your usual behavior.Through trial and error, you may well dis-cover a better way to work with that person.

“The most important thing in communicationis to hear what isn’t being said.”

Peter Drucker

Don’t react to putdowns

If a co-worker says something mildly insult-ing or tries to cut you down, ignore it or walkaway. Don’t descend into the mud by tryingto “top” the zinger with an even more caus-tic comeback. If the comment is deeplyoffensive, say so. But otherwise rise abovethe urge to react. In most cases, the safestand smartest response is to keep yourmouth shut.

“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective

as a rightly timed pause.”

Mark Twain


Turn runaway stress into power

Average managers manage stress, but smartmanagers eliminate it. If you deal with thecore causes of your stress rather than mere-ly treating its symptoms, you can save your-self from fighting a constant battle of nerves.Start with these two steps to eliminate stressin your life:

Impose “pre-deadlines.” Racing to tietogether loose ends before a deadline isinherently stressful. Instead, impose yourown pre-deadline that falls safely before theactual deadline. If you need to finish a reportby Friday, insist on a Wednesday due dateand stick to your schedule.

Get more sleep. One of the easiest ways torelieve stress is to experiment with yoursleeping patterns. Commit to getting onemore hour of sleep every night for twoweeks, and watch the stress melt away.

“Most stress is caused by people who overestimate the

importance of their problems.”

Michael LeBoeuf, Ph.D.

Never rush out of a meeting

When a meeting ends, you may be temptedto rush back to your desk. Don’t, or you willmiss the debriefing that tends to occur aftera formal meeting ends. Your colleagues mayprivately agree to modify or disregard actionplans they made earlier. Play it safe andlinger until most attendees have headedtheir separate ways.

“Control your own time. Don’t let it be done for you. If you are working

off the in-box that is fed you, you are probablyworking on the priority of others.”

Donald Rumsfeld

Doing a big favor? Keep it to yourself

If a boss or co-worker asks you to do a rea-sonable favor for her, do it. Then accept hergratitude and don’t tell a soul what you did.

If you brag, it looks cheap. You risk ruiningthe good will you’ve built up by your actions.If you do favors for others quietly, it increasesthe odds that they’ll find ways to repay you.

“Happiness lies in good health and a bad memory.”Ingrid Bergman


Say ‘no’ and make it stick

When colleagues and staff ask you forfavors, you may dread saying no. Agreeing tothe favors not only undermines your ownagenda, it makes you a target of morerequests.

Next time, just say no. Practice this in yourpersonal life with unsolicited salespeople,the person trying to pressure you to becomePTA chair, and the relative who wants to bor-row money. It gets easier with practice. If aco-worker persists, stand by your no andoffer an alternative. Example: “I can’t dothat, but I can suggest a few other options.”If they still nag you, give a “no and here’swhy” statement, such as: “Again, theanswer’s no. The reason is ...”

“I had a life with options but frequently lived as if I had none. The sad result of my not

having exercised my choices is that my memoryof myself is not of the woman I believe I am.”

Liv Ullmann

Keep your ego in check

Maybe you’re nice enough. But why do col-leagues seem to avoid you in the cafeteria or“forget” to invite you to parties?

A common culprit: ego. Beware of theserapport-ruining behaviors:

Playing “Topper.” When someone tells afun anecdote, don’t rush to top it. Example:Joe discusses his kid’s soccer game. You pipeup to brag about how your kid scored thewinning goal last weekend.

Lecturing. A co-worker shares his strugglestrying to master a new software program.You should nod and empathize, but insteadyou interrupt to give unsolicited advice. Evenif you’re an expert and you’re itching tochime in, wait until someone asks for help.

Taking yourself too seriously. A good-natured colleague gently jokes about a mistakeyou made. Don’t take offense or defend your-self. Laugh along. Acknowledging that you arehuman allows everyone else to be human, too.

“It is important for our friends to believe thatwe are unreservedly frank with them,

and important to friendship that we are not.”

Mignon McLaughlin


Explain your errors—briefly

You blundered. Now you want to apologize.Don’t overdo it. If you launch into a blow-by-blow account of why you screwed up, you’llcome across as overly defensive or incom-petent. Instead, give a two-sentence apolo-gy. Example: “I’m sorry for not followingthrough. I know what went wrong and itwon’t happen again.” Unless you’re asked forthe gory details, leave ‘em out.

“Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.”

Sophia Loren

How to snag the right mentor

You’ve identified an executive who wouldmake a great mentor. Now your challenge isto build a relationship with that person.

Whatever you do, don’t come out and ask,“Will you be my mentor?” That makes it easyfor busy people to say no.

Instead, ask for advice on one issue you’refacing. Then assess the feedback. If you likewhat you hear, say, “That really helps. Can I

come to you again?” Let the relationshipevolve naturally.

“Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too much.”

John Wayne

Rebuff unfair criticism

Criticism is hard enough to hear when youdeserve it. But when you receive scaldingfeedback you know is unwarranted, youmust speak up without sounding defensive.Here’s how:

Criticize yourself—on the right grounds.Respond to inaccurate criticism by substi-tuting accurate criticism. That redirects thefocus to relevant issues while saving youfrom picking a fight.

Example: Your boss thinks you drew thewrong conclusion by using faulty data,when in fact you used the right data but did-n’t clearly state the time frame for your pro-jections. You’re convinced your conclusionis valid. So you say, “My timing was off. I’mdisappointed in myself for not making itclear that I was presenting a long-range con-


clusion.” By initiating your own criticism,you get rid of fuzzy or misguided ideas.

Position yourself as part of the solution.If you’re blamed for someone else’s mis-takes, don’t point fingers. Instead, propose away you can now begin to have responsibil-ity and solve the problem.

Example: The CEO drops by to criticizeyou for your unit’s soaring expenses. (Intruth, your boss wastes oodles of money.)Ask the CEO, “As much as I’d love to enactcost-saving steps, I don’t have that authority.Will you give me that authority by letting mechair a committee to cut expenses over thenext year?”

“When it comes to critics, remember that nobody will ever

get ahead of you as long as he is kicking you in the seat of the pants.”

Tony Randall

Giving advice? Not so fast!

Your employee comes to you with a prob-lem, and you’re ready to dish out advice.Wait. First lay the groundwork so that yourinput sinks in. Follow these three steps: 1. Ask. Probe to find out more about the

problem. Ask two or three questions toclarify your assumptions, learn what theemployee thinks or collect more facts.

2. Support. Give a one-sentence pat on theback. Examples: “You’ve done everythingright so far” or “You’re going to persevereand survive this.”

3. Advise. Now that you’ve probed and sup-ported, offer insight. By bonding withemployees first, you ensure they’re readyto accept your advice.

“Sometimes I think that the main obstacle to empathy is our persistent belief

that everybody is exactly like us.”

John Powell, S.J.


Rid yourself of labels

Your colleagues label everyone from the“bean counters” to the “paper pushers.”Don’t join in. Refer to each department byname (“accounting,” “human resources”)without the cute moniker. You never knowwho’s going to take offense.

“Human beings, like plants, grow in the soil of acceptance, not

in the atmosphere of rejection.”

John Powell, S.J.

Move up with modesty

The more success you find, the more mod-est you should appear. Share credit for a jobwell done. Say that you’re going “to try hard-er next time to produce even better results.”

This shows you’re not too full of yourself.When it’s clear you’re a hot property, speakwell of the results, not your own performance.

“Get someone else to blow your horn and thesound will carry twice as far.”

Will Rogers

Use the ‘3 C’ model to build successful teams

When assembling a team, ask the group toselect a Commander, Collaborator andCommunicator from among their ranks.

The Commander acts as leader. The Collaborator is in charge of fostering

teamwork. The Communicator is the team spokes-

person throughout your organization.

“The first responsibility of a leader is to definereality. The last is to say thank you. In between

the leader is a servant.”

Max Dupree

Rescue a meeting

Many meetings turn into a time-wastinghell. If you’re running the meeting, watch forthese threats and be ready to act graciouslybut firmly—most attendees will be gratefuland everyone will respect time more:

Hogging. One person monopolizes theproceedings.


Bogging. The group dwells on one subject,especially in the first half-hour.

Fogging. One person evades topics orbecomes vague or defensive.

Frogging. The group leaps around aim-lessly, stopping briefly to discuss one subjectand then jumping to the next.

Flogging. Participants fling personalattacks at each other.

Source: Managing Teams by Lawrence Holpp

(McGraw-Hill, 1999).

“Give me a stock clerk who wants to workand I will give you a person who will make his-

tory. Give me a person who does not want towork and I will give you a stock clerk.”

J.C. Penney

Drop hints to keep audience tuned in

If you’re giving a presentation that lastslonger than 10 minutes, you’re probablygoing to lose everyone’s attention after thefirst 10 seconds—unless you actively engagethem. Try these 2 strategies:

Build suspense. Early in the speech, posea mystery that you promise to solve.Example: Point out how certain customers’behavior doesn’t make sense, but hint thatyou’ve found the explanation.

Mention listeners by name. Pepper yourpresentation with praise for individuals inthe audience. This keeps everyone listeningto hear whom you’ll recognize next.

“People will pay more to be entertained than educated.”

Johnny Carson


Make people listen to your message

Compel others to listen to you by starting offwith these attention-grabbers:

“I’ve got good news.”“You’re going to like what I’m about to

say.”“You may want to sit down for this.”“When you asked me for this information,

I never thought I’d find out so much.”“This is complicated, so here’s the short,

sweet version.”“I’m going to summarize this for you in

less than 20 words.”

“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and

just as hard to sleep after.”

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Coping with a seriously ill employee

Leading your team through the illness ofone member is one of the greatest testsyou’ll face. Keep these tips in mind:

Don’t walk on eggshells. Don’t becomehypersensitive; simply aim for normalbehavior. There’s nothing wrong with theusual greeting of “How are you?” But itwould be rude to hound the person for adetailed response. And don’t comment onthe employee’s appearance.

Avoid Aunt Sophie Syndrome. When anemployee tells you that she has a serious ill-ness, you may immediately recall someoneyou know who had a similar condition. Everysituation is different, and the outcome forAunt Sophie may be very different from whatthis person faces. Don’t diagnose, and don’tproject your experience onto this situation.

Remember that you’re being watched. Ifone employee in your department is ill, thewhole department is affected. Decide whatthe department response will be and state itclearly.

Consider the precedent-setting nature ofyour decisions. Don’t offer star performersoptions that you won’t offer others.


Be aware of your image. Employees willwatch you closely to see how you respond toa seriously ill worker. Balance your compas-sion with making sure the job gets done.

As time passes, turn up your listeningskills to understand what your employeesare facing.

Don’t assume anything. Take a lessonfrom a company vice president who tellsthis story: “The first thing I said when myinternal audit manager told me she had can-cer was, ‘Forget about work.’ I wanted tomake it clear I was more concerned with herfighting this thing than with any considera-tions about work. But I soon realized thatshe wanted to dwell on work. That was herway of coping.”

“In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.”

Paul Harvey

The right ways to check references

One of the most tedious parts of the hiringprocess is checking a candidate’s references,but neglecting this step is an invitation totrouble for months or years to come.Neutralize the references’ fear of lawsuitsand get the truth about your potential hirewith these questions:

“Is X eligible to be rehired?” If not, “Is thisbecause your company has a general policyon rehiring employees or is there anotherreason?”

“Would you enthusiastically recommendX?”

“How would you compare X’s work habitswith those of her co-workers?”

“Did X function better at your companyworking alone or as part of a team?”

“What, if anything, distinguishes X fromothers who do the same type of job?”

“What can we expect from X if she worksfor our company?”

One reference-checking ploy. As youknow, a candidate’s former employer rarelyreveals all the details about the individual’spast performance. Try this trick:

28 / National Institute of Business Management

Call the references’ direct lines on theweekends (or whenever you think they won’tanswer). Leave the following message ontheir voice mail: “Bill Smith is applying for[position] at our firm. Your name has beengiven to me as a reference. Please call meback if this person was outstanding.”

A former employer who has strong posi-tive feelings about a candidate will surelycall. But if only two or three references out of10 promptly return your call, it could be ared flag. Note of caution: This method maynot be reliable if you use it during a typicalvacation period, such as August or lateDecember. And it’s also chancy with only afew references.

“Remember, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.”

Howard Ruff

Part Two: Eight Who Dare to Succeed

Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks

Successful managers learn from everyencounter with a problem employee, anoverdue project, a budget that makes nosense. Then, when the workday goes hay-wire, successful managers turn all those les-sons into action that analyzes and organizesthe chaos into achievable tasks. Finally, themost successful managers solve the under-lying problems that brought the chaos on.

Following are the hard-knocks lessons thateight highly successful managers want tocommunicate to NIBM’s readers. The les-sons are yours for inspiration as you makeyour own dreams come true.

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Ask for help

In his eight years as an emergency room(ER) physician, Arky Ciancutti, M.D., man-aged crises with aplomb.

NIBM: What’s the biggest obstacle that pre-vents managers from moving up the ladder?

Ciancutti: They may resist asking for helpfrom the right people. And that isolatesthem. In the ER, I had to be able to hear anurse tell me that she thought I was about tomake a bad decision. ER nurses often knowmore than the doctor. That nurse is my sub-ordinate, so I had to ask for help and get it ina way that did not diminish my authority.

NIBM: How did you do that? Ciancutti: I’d wait for a calm moment and

say to the nurse, “You’re an expert at this.There are times you know things that arecritical to patient care, and I need your help.I’d welcome that information.” If you saysomething like that, employees ask ques-tions and volunteer more.

NIBM: But doesn’t that make you lookweak?

Ciancutti: You’ll be weak if you do not askfor help. It’s harder for a manager to earnrespect than it is for an employee to earnrespect. Employees don’t have the authoritybaggage.

NIBM: What if you prefer not to ask forhelp?

Ciancutti: Get over it! Listen, there are twoways to rise to the top—a negative way anda positive way. The negative way is to findout where the wars are, guess which side youwant to be on and fight. The positive way isto eliminate the war, to get people to helpyou.

“Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their

personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”

Sam Walton


Shine, shine, shine

As a technology director at Corning Inc.,Lina Echeverria runs a group of 45 glassresearchers, including 25 Ph.D. scientists,for this $5 billion company.

NIBM: If you’re brilliant but bashful, howcan you get ahead? Should you assume thatyour great ideas will speak for themselvesand get you promoted?

Echeverria: No! You must let the worldknow you’re the best. Participate in profes-sional societies, present your work internal-ly to senior executives, publish articles injournals. And get your boss involved. I tellmy employees, “I’m your PR agent.”

NIBM: What do you think is the smartestway a creative employee can impress theboss?

Echeverria: Performance, performance,performance are the three rules of movingup. A consistent performance not onlyproves your value, but it gives you a marginof error for those times when you don’tdeliver.

NIBM: How do you handle pressure fromabove, like when the boss gives you anunreasonably tough deadline?

Echeverria: You rely on your past per-formance to develop the credibility to sayopenly, “Yes, this is doable” or “There’s noway we can do this.” I’ve been in bothplaces. You don’t want to try to fool anybody.You just draw upon your experience.

“If you believe in unlimited quality and act inall your business dealings with total integrity,

the rest will take care of itself.”

Frank Perdue


Play to your strengths

In the 25 years since she joined Ford MotorCo., Janine Bay has climbed the ladder tobecome director of vehicle personalizationfor the automotive consumer-services group.From her office in Ford’s Dearborn, Mich.,headquarters, she manages 177 employees,including 70 in Europe and 12 in Asia.

NIBM: How did you earn so many promo-tions?

Bay: I had an executive coach a while backwho helped me. Now usually, a coach mightinterview you and then focus on what youneed to change or what you don’t do quiteright. But my coach forced me to focus onwhat I did well and why my strengths wereimportant to Ford Motor Co.

NIBM: What are your strengths?Bay: My coach found I had strong people

skills, I was fairly entrepreneurial and fairlyinnovative. Twenty years ago, these skillswouldn’t be as important at Ford. Now theyare. Once you know your strong suits, youcan then seek out jobs that capitalize onthem. Play to your strengths and you’ll getpromotions.

NIBM: What happens if your strengthsdon’t jibe with your company’s needs?

Bay: That’s a good question. I rememberwhen I went to my boss and discussed thestrengths that my coach helped me identify.He said, “Wow. There’s always been some-thing about you that troubled me. I couldnever figure out what it was.” I allowed forthe pregnant pause. He finally added, “Mystrength is discipline. If I put discipline andinnovation on opposite ends of a scale, yourend [innovation] is what we need now.”What a man to admit that!

“True education makes for inequality: theinequality of individuality, the inequality

of success, the glorious inequality of talent, of genius.

Felix E. Schelling


The Hard Truth by “Z”

Each month in NIBM’s monthly WORKING

SMART, “Z” offers insights into what it reallytakes to get ahead. This 25-year veteran ofthe corporate battlefield has climbed theranks to head a $100 million informationservices company.

The Hard Truth, #1. Stop Cringing. Myneighbor got a mangy old dog, Jake, from ashelter. The poor thing had been abused.Now Jake cringes whenever anyone walks inthe room. The dog looks up, sees someonecoming and expects to be hit.

Some employees are like that, carryingthemselves like victims. When you look atthem, they look away. When you ask a simplequestion, they start apologizing, not answer-ing. If you talk business, they fall all overthemselves with embarrassment becausethey didn’t contribute more, make moreprogress, give more evidence, whatever.

If you recognize yourself, get a grip!If you think you’re worthless, you’ll con-

vince yourself your strengths are reallyweaknesses. You’ll sabotage yourself at everyturn.

Riddled with doubt? Keep it to yourself. When you arrive at the office, pretend

you’re putting on a mask. Assume the role ofa confident, can-do kind of person. Early on,a boss told me to straighten my back anddrop my shoulders. He said, “Dammit, looklike you have something important to say.”He was right. I practiced in the mirror, likedwhat I saw and began faking it. Whenever Ifelt a shred of doubt, I’d tuck in my belly andsee myself as Gen. George Patton!

“Positive thinking is the key to success inbusiness, education, pro football, anything thatyou can mention … I go out there thinking that

I’m going to complete every pass.”

Ron Jaworski


The Hard Truth, #2. Make yourself layoff-proof. In our lunchroom, the topic of layoffscomes up a lot. My employees have a “thatcould be me” look in their eyes.

I want them a little worried.I want workers who think of ways to make

themselves valuable. By contributing to thebottom line, they not only safeguard theirjobs but rack up influence and promotions.

Think how you spend your time. Do youbellyache about your employer’s failings andfret about how ‘the idiots at the top’ are mak-ing mistakes? Or do you master new tech-nologies, study for a degree or invent aprocess that can save your employermoney?

If you’re whining about what you can’tcontrol, you’re probably in line for a pinkslip. But if you’re taking responsibility, you’llprobably come out on top.

Stay put and prosper. Say you love yourjob and would hate to leave. That alonewon’t protect you from losing it. But creatinga track record of success will make it harderfor someone like me to let you go.

Convince me you’re layoff-proof. First, astonish me. Produce dramatic

results. A slight gain will not grab my atten-tion. Announce a bold objective, smile in theface of my skepticism and then get it done.My sales manager set a production goal thatI viewed as pure bluster. Three months later,he exceeded it. This guy’s not leaving mypayroll, that’s for sure.

Second, be quick and decisive. Like mostCEOs, I can’t always afford to be patient.Think in terms of proving your value everyquarter, not putting in a year’s effort only tocome up with a modest gain that wasn’tworth the wait.

Finally, don’t be needy. Express confi-dence by taking risks. Speak out. If you’reshot down, come back fighting. The moreyou convey “I don’t need this job,” the moreI’m going to hang onto you.

“To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering

and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in, and scramble through

as well as we can.”

Sydney Smith


Share your dreams

As founder, chairman, CEO and president ofStorage USA Inc., the country’s second-largest self-storage company with $250 mil-lion in revenue, Dean Jernigan understandshow to create a team. Jernigan, 55, likes tosurround himself with folks who showdesire and can-do attitude.

NIBM: What are some rare traits that onlytrue leaders possess?

Jernigan: Finding someone with a realcan-do attitude is hard. There are enoughpeople out there who tell us why we can’t dothings. But it’s a rare employee who acceptsa challenge even if I don’t think he canaccomplish it. They adopt a glass-is-half-fullphilosophy and wind up exceeding my highexpectations. Those people go very far.

NIBM: Lots of ambitious, talented employ-ees want to reach the top. Why do so manylose their way?

Jernigan: Because they’re not thinking bigenough. If your vision is to be the office-sup-ply store in your town that sells the mostpaper clips, you can reach that vision. But so

what? You won’t be that successful. When westarted this company in 1985, we named itStorage USA even though we only had onestorage facility. People laughed at us forchoosing such a grand name. Now we’regrowing internationally. So even I didn’tthink big enough!

NIBM: What other barriers block careeradvancement?

Jernigan: Poor communication skills. Ifyou’re involved in lots of communicationbreakdowns, that’s a bad sign even if youthink they’re not your fault. You could prob-ably have prevented at least some of thosebreakdowns if you communicated well.

NIBM: What’s a great way for one of yourmanagers to impress you in a quick conver-sation?

Jernigan: Talk in terms of “we” and “our”to emphasize we’re a team. I deplore the useof “I” or “me.” I’m always correcting peoplehere who forget that and say “I” or “me.”

“Dreams are powerful reflections of youractual growth potential.”

Denis Waitley and Reni L. Witt


Go the extra mile

The are only 29 openings for head coach ofan NBA team. Butch Carter filled one ofthose jobs for three years, boosting theToronto Raptors from 16 wins to 45 wins.

Carter, co-author of Born to Believe withhis brother Cris Carter, a wide receiver forthe NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, understandsthe petty politics that characterize the tur-bulent working world.

NIBM: How did you move from player tocoach?

Carter: As an assistant coach with theMilwaukee Bucks, I worked with anotherassistant coach, Lee Rose. He taught me howto promote myself to become head coach.He said the best way to get there is to getsomeone else to promote you so you don’thave to. When we were on the road, he said,“I’ll talk great about you and you talk greatabout me.” I admired him, so I agreed. Hissupport really helped me.

NIBM: Lots of able folks aspire to be topdog. What separates the best from the rest?

Carter: A lot of people have a dream butdon’t want to participate in making it hap-pen. They don’t want to go to company par-ties. They don’t want to go the extra mile toensure their projects are done right. Andthey don’t manage others’ perceptions.

NIBM: What do you mean by managingperceptions?

Carter: As a coach, I always arrived atwork one hour earlier than everyone elseand left one hour after the last person left.Sometimes a colleague would leave andthen call back in a half-hour or even comeby again to see if I was still there. They want-ed to think they were working harder thanme, but I wouldn’t let them. As a result, theyperceived me as a really hard worker, assomeone totally dedicated. Then they wouldtell others how hard I work, and I earned agood reputation.

“The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win.”

Bobby Knight


Associate with the best

Alan Shugart, 70, founded SeagateTechnology in 1979, building the companyinto the world’s largest independent manu-facturer of disk drives and related compo-nents. When he left the firm in 1998 as itschairman and CEO, it had grown to 110,000employees.

Before launching Seagate, Shugartclimbed the corporate ladder for 18 years atIBM and four years at Memorex.

NIBM: How did you exert leadership over110,000 employees?

Shugart: Part of being a leader is makingsure everyone knows you’re a leader. Somemanagers forget that. They just hide in theiroffices and don’t get out in front of theiremployees. You have to take charge and setan example of what you want done and howyou want people to act.

NIBM: Is it hard not to let all that power goto your head?

Shugart: The best leaders are proud buthumble. I learned that lesson when I was 12years old. I came home from a softball game

and told my mother all the great things I didfor the team. I went on and on. Finally shesaid, “That’s great. I just wish someone elsehad told me.” Here we are, 58 years later, andI’ve never forgotten that.

NIBM: How do you decide whom to pro-mote among many good employees?

Shugart: I learned this exercise at IBM.You list all your employees. Then you say toyourself, “I’m going to quit and start a newcompany. Who’s the first of my employeesthat I’m going to take with me?” It doesn’tmatter what kind of company you start. Thekey is to base your decision on character,not technical ability. You can always teachsomeone who’s smart to master a new skillor understand a new business. Certainnames will jump out at you. They’re the onesyou promote.

NIBM: How about deciding whom to hirewhen you have plenty of strong candidates?

Shugart: Seagate’s HR people would getupset at me when I said this. But I’d tell them,“Hiring is easy. Just ask yourself two ques-tions: Are they smart and do you like them?”


NIBM: How about the question of workethic?

Shugart: That’s important, but you alsowant to hire people who have balance.Remember, all work and no play makes Jacka dull boy. My mother added to that. Shesaid, “All play and no work makes Jackunemployed.”

“If people are coming to work excited … if they’re making mistakes

freely and fearlessly … if they’re having fun … if they’re concentrating on doing

things, rather than preparing reports and going to meetings—then

somewhere you have a leader.”

Robert Townsend

Seize the day

Philip Crosby, a corporate vice presidentwith ITT Corp. for 14 years, quit his job in1979—the same year his now-classic man-agement book, Quality Is Free: The Art ofMaking Quality Certain, appeared. Helaunched a consulting business in 1979 that,in 10 years, grew to 300 employees and $80million in revenue.

NIBM: What do you think separates meremanagers from true leaders?

Crosby: Leaders have an agenda. Theydon’t need to have all the answers, butthey’re not afraid to say what they’re goingto do or what they want to achieve. They alsotake the time to build relationships withtheir staff. That does not mean they becomebest friends with their employees, but theydo show interest in them as fully dimension-al people and they help them to becomemore successful. A mediocre manager, bycontrast, doesn’t go that extra mile.

NIBM: How about knowledge level—areleaders smarter than everyone else?


Crosby: They certainly are more worldly.They have the ability to think about morethan just their own narrow area. They realizethat there are 5 billion people out there, thatwe’re in a world economy where it’s impor-tant to move beyond narrow boundaries ofunderstanding. They think on many levels,taking into account all sorts of factors thatothers might miss.

NIBM: Most managers would surely agreethat it helps to be a broad thinker. But inpractice, how can someone become moreworldly?

Crosby: Read more and be curious. ReadThe Economist—a magazine that gives agreat worldwide view. There might be some-one in another part of the world dealingwith the very same problems that you’re fac-ing, whether it’s staffing or managingchange or whatever.

NIBM: What do you see as the No. 1 mistakethat otherwise competent managers tend tomake?

Crosby: They get so wrapped up in whattop management is doing that they fail to

think about their own employees. They for-get who they’re doing business for. Insteadof thinking about improving their operationor listening to their employees or customers,they dwell on every move that senior man-agement makes and they think, “How doesthis affect me?”

NIBM: You were a rising executive at ITTCorp. How did you beat out rivals for promo-tions?

Crosby: At first, I had a tough time movingahead. But then I decided that I was going tobe useful and reliable. So I went toToastmasters and studied speaking tobecome more useful. Almost everyone elsemade lousy presentations, so I figured thiswas a way I could stand out. It worked.When I was a quality engineer, I got sent to aconference. When I returned, I was asked togive a presentation to higher-ups on what I’dlearned, and I summed up everything sothat they could understand easily.Afterward, they were just thrilled and theygave me more responsibility. They said,“Where did this guy come from?”

blackbook executive leadership

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