John Hersey Leadership Blog

We just found and read a wonderful piece. During these challenging times we all need to take it upon ourselves to do the work, learn the habits, practice leadership, and stand out from the boring, ordinary crowd of wanna-be leaders, without someone telling us what to do and how to do it. Perry Marshall, author of the article below, hit a nerve and a home run with this piece. Thanks to our friend and mentor, Tom Antion for sharing.

In engineering school my professor, Dr. Soukup, was a stoic, military-general kind of guy. Every week he would give us homework. One week his assignment was especially maddening. Turns out it was impossible to solve with ‘textbook’ formulas. You had to use a special computer program to solve it. But he never said anything about that. It took consultations with several other students and another professor to solve. So when I finally showed up for class, homework in hand, I was mad.

I chewed him out in front of everybody. “You gave us this problem and didn’t tell us ANYTHING about how to solve it. Not a single clue. We were whistling dixie in the dark and had to waste a bunch of OTHER peoples’ time just to figure this out.” An eruption of chuckles from the other students. (Most people wouldn’t have the guts to challenge Dr. Soukup publicly in class. He was the department chairman and had a well- earned hard-ass reputation.)

I was so brave.

I felt so vindicated.

Dr. Soukup was undisturbed by my angst. I only got an icy stare. He felt no moral obligation to pave the way for our homework success and I received no sympathy.

‘What’s the matter with this guy anyway? Doesn’t he know when you grade students for an assignment you’re supposed to tell them how to solve the problem first?’

How naive. Pretty much every problem I’ve ever had to solve in business has been like Dr. Soukup’s class.

There’s something you’ve gotta figure out; somewhere there is a way to figure it out. The person who’s asked you to figure it out did not hand out handy-dandy formulas in advance.

There’s a deadline.

It may require consultation with other students and professors to solve.

May require a special computer program you don’t know about.

The problem may in fact be unsolvable and requires an entirely different approach.

That’s life in the jungle, my friend.

Which is why traditionally educated people often struggle mightily in the entrepreneurial world. They expect exact answers and well- defined assignments, but what they get is Dr. Soukup. Which is also why many of the most successful entrepreneurs I know never went to college.

If Dr. Soukup had said, “Here’s an assignment and it’s going to take a special trick to solve this problem but I’m not going to tell you what it is” I would have taken that as a summons to action and probably dug into it with verve. I enjoy a challenge and I know you do too.

So my message to you today is: –>Whatever marketing problem you’re trying to solve today requires a trick or some kind of special touch. It may very well be a ‘textbook’ answer or formula. Might not be all that exotic or complicated. But… nobody is handing you a book before the test.

The good news is: Business is an OPEN BOOK test where nobody tells you which book you might happen to need today.

All you know is: The more things you’ve seen and the more books you have at your fingertips, the faster you can solve the problem, run through the maze, ring the bell and get the cheese.

Oh, and one more thing: Listen up. Hearken unto me, for what I sayeth to you today mattereth.

In school, homework is never optional, is it? You do it. You turn it in. It gets graded. If you don’t, you fail. No serious student considers homework assignments to be optional.

Yet in the entrepreneurial world I’m amazed at how many homework assignments I give out, that people somehow think are optional. Where did they ever get that idea?

If I tell you your homework assignment is to split test four different ads by next Friday, then doggonit, split test your ads.

If the homework assignment is to put live chat on your site and talk to 20 visitors before next week… then get chattin’!

If the homework assignment is to call 20 customers on the phone and do a survey, then…start dialin’!

Why do people blindly follow professors for years – or obediently work as a cubicle drone for some soulless insurance conglomerate – yet will not do the requisite assignments for their own success?

If you’ve ever asked yourself that same question, let me give you a new way to think about it.

In the Dilbert Cube and the classroom, they give you 100% of the answers in advance and they expect you to do 100% of what they tell you to do.

If you do it correctly, you get a grade of 100%. A-Plus. You’re so special. You’re the Star Estudiante! Everyone rise and give a hand for you !

In the entrepreneurial world, you get maybe 30% of the answers in advance. And because you assume from the outset that only one third of the things you try are going to work, you need to do 300% of what you’re told to do.

Oh yeah, and nobody’s gonna clap for you either. (Plus Anna Quindlen may shame you for not voting for the tax increase ‘cuz all those shiftless drones need you to fund their medical care.)

But remember: It only has to work once. If it does, you make your million dollars.

So just multiply everything times three and don’t expect more than one third of the answers to be handed to you on a silver platter. Then, having a super-successful business will seem easy compared to getting an MBA. Certainly a lot easier than law school or med school.

Deal? Get to it. Perry Marshall http://www.PerryMarshall.com

John& Bev

Our friend Wayne Tall passed away recently. It was sudden and swift, just the way he wanted it. Beverly and I just returned from his memorial service. Actually, it was more of a celebration than a service. It was a party at one of his favorite restaurants.

Several people told amusing stories about Wayne. He would have enjoyed this. It made me think. Wayne was an extraordinary man.

He adored, admired and totally respected his wife, also a “Bev”.

He loved his children and was a devoted grandfather.

He was an engineer in every sense of the word. He was building an airplane in his garage. He applied his engineering background and wood working skills to create and build wondrous presents for his grand daughter.

Wayne 1, Boulder 0

He was a 4-wheeler, always the first to suggest the group take the steep, dangerous climb, despite being 10-20 years older than the others.

He was a connoisseur of food and wine. He didn’t just like to prepare and consume great food, like me, he analyzed it, dissected it and took great joy in discussing flavors and tastes and which side of the hill the grapes were grown for a particular vintage. He could choose the perfect wine or beer to follow a hike, 4-wheel adventure or a five course dinner.

I don’t think Wayne would mind if I suggested that he was also an extraordinary Contagious Leader. He was involved in activities for which he had great passion. Once involved, he took a stand, never being fearful of expressing a strong point of view, making a significant difference, always setting and accomplishing goals, improving his skills and acknowledging others.

At his celebration one of his friends reminisced about a time when he and his wife had hiked one of the truly great mountains in America. Following the hike they sat at the base of this majestic mountain, watching the sunset while enjoying a beer and glass of wine. They thought of Wayne as they turned the bottle of beer on its side and read the label, which said: “Life is short, don’t sip.”

How many of us, leaders and aspiring leaders, are sipping, being careful not to take in too much, being cautious, ever so suspicious, not extending ourselves, not enjoying the full measure of every moment, every opportunity, every challenge?

Not Wayne Tall, not our friend!

John & Bev

During our keynote leadership presentations we have been asking our audiences what they have done in the past twelve months to get better at being a better leader. This is not a question about what their company has done for them, but what they have done. Observing what happens when we ask the question is far more interesting and telling than hearing the answer.

Audiences actually start to squirm in their seats. They look down to the floor, avoiding eye contact out of fear that we’ll actually call on them.

You see, the biggest leadership challenge in most organizations is that way too many people are waiting for someone else to do it—lead. We complain that the top brass don’t step up; the top brass complain that the middle managers are too weak, while the folks that actually implement the work wonder if anyone is ever going to lead.

As business continues to experience the challenges of a flattening world and a pressured U.S. economy, taking responsibility for our own development will be more and more important. Long gone are the days when our company solely takes on the challenge of making individuals better at being better leaders. The fact is that organizations will increasingly look to the individual and ask “How are you investing in yourself?”

So start investing in yourself! How about:

• Join Toastmaster and develop your public speaking and leadership skills through practice and feedback in local clubs www.toastmasters.com .

• Take on the internet. We recently hired a coach, Tom Antion at http://www.greatinternetmarketing.com . It is not easy but we are making great progress in an area that we need to develop if we are not going to be left behind as leaders.

• Research and subscribe to blogs in your area of business expertise to get current points of view and resources.

• Read, read, read…take a speed reading course and read your heart out, reference your newly acquired knowledge in conversations, recommend books, share quotes.

• Don’t have time to read? Subscribe to www.dearreader.com

Join the free business book club. Every week day you will receive a 5 minute read from current business books…one book a week.

Getting better at being a better leader is something each of us must begin to own up to. It’s a process. Start today and everyday do something that will make you a wee bit better.

John

Paul Potts -- Captivates the Opera World

Paul Potts is a mobile phone salesman who had a dream to sing opera. He is a shy and humble man who is short on confidence standing on a big stage about to exhibit is voice. The judges, one being the opinionated Simon Cowell for Britain’s Got Talent, would decide if Paul’s got it. Paul is risking the dream to do
what he always thought he was put on this earth to do. He has pushed through his fear and found enough gumption to go for it.

Experience Paul and you decide. Was it worth it for him to push through his fear and possibly risk his dream? Would you have done it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_5W4t_CBzg&feature=related

Bev