long/482 tom peters’ excellence. always. massmutual/leaders conference 2006 washington/29july

LONG/482

Tom Peters’

EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.

MassMutual/Leaders Conference 2006Washington/29July

Slides* at …

tompeters.com

*also “final” and “long #1”

“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 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, he’d had enough. “What, if anything,” he asked,

“do you believe ‘for sure’?” 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

The Irreducible209+/

Sales122

EXCELLENCE. THE

BASICS.

This is not about …

“customer centrism”“integrated marketing”

etc.etc.etc.

It is about …

It is about …

sellin’ a whole lotta stuff and having customers go bananas

with love to the point that they tell every damn friend they have and then start buttonholing strangers on trains and planes

and busses.

The “Age of”

Yikes!

THREE BILLION NEW CAPITALISTS

—Clyde Prestowitz

“There is no job that

is America’s God-given

right anymore.”

—Carly Fiorina/HP/January2004

“Deutsche Bank Moves Half of Its Back-office Jobs to India”/

headline/FT/0327 (500 of 900

Research)

EXCELLENCE. THE

GENERAL’S STORY. (AND

THE ADMIRAL’S)

“If you don’t like change,

you’re going to like irrelevance even less.” —General Eric

Shinseki, Chief of Staff. U. S. Army

Nelson’s secret:

“[Other] admirals more frightened of losing than

anxious to win”

EXCELLENCE. THE

MANDATE.

“It is not the strongest of the

species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most

responsive to change.” —Charles Darwin

“The most successful

people are those who

are good at plan B.”

—James Yorke, mathematician, on chaos theory in The New Scientist

EXCELLENCE. STARTERS.

Radio City Music HallSeptember 2005

Franchise Lost!

TP: “How many of you [600] really

crave a new Chevy?”

NYC/IIR/061205

P.P.E.E.R.R.E.

People.Product.

Execution.Enthusiasm.Relentless.Re-invent.Excellence.

People.Product.

Execution.Enthusiasm.

Relentless.Re-invent.Excellence.

EXCELLENCE. THE WORD.

Synonyms

PurityTranscendence

VirtueEleganceMajesty

Antonyms

Mediocrity

EXCELLENCE.

GAMECHANGER.

Excellence1982: The Bedrock “Eight Basics”

1. A Bias for Action2. Close to the Customer3. Autonomy and Entrepreneurship4. Productivity Through People5. Hands On, Value-Driven6. Stick to the Knitting7. Simple Form, Lean Staff8. Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties”

ExIn*: 1982-2002/Forbes.com

DJIA: $10,000 yields $85,000 EI: $10,000 yields $140,050

*Forbes/Excellence Index /Basket of 32 publicly traded stocks

Them-UsTom Peters/0624.2006

“Them” “Us”

Strategy EXECUTIONPlanning ActionMarketing Selling/SalesMarkets CustomersCustomers ClientsMicro-segmentation Big Stuff (Women, Boomers)Cost minimization Revenue maximizationSynergy/“Efficiencies” Decentralization“Strategic supplier Pioneering supplierProcess ProjectEffectiveness ExcellenceMen WomenLeadership Management + LeadershipStandardization Exceptionalism (53 = 53)Big clients COOL clientsPrestigious Board INTERESTING Board

“Them” “Us”Big Mid-sizeGrowth by merger Organic growthBuy market share Create NEW marketsEfficient, streamlined Value-creating “PSF” “department” Certainty-predictability Ambiguity-opportunityFearful of losing Aggressive pursuit of winningPlan PrototypeCareful evaluation Another prototypeRevised plan Another prototypePeople/Employees TalentEffective HR department Rockin’ Talent Development Center of ExcellenceBenchmark against the Benchmark against the “best”-“industry leader” “coolest”

“Them” “Us”

Benchmark “Future”markOrderly career progression “Up or Out” (PDQ)Head HeartIQ EQ“Professional” PassionateStoic, humble leaders Noisy, emotional “characters” in chargeHire for Resume Hire for intangiblesMeasured-thoughtful Relentless, pig-headed approach determinationTeamwork comes first Teamwork and disruptive individuals equal billingListen to customers Lead customersCustomer “involvement” Intimate-Seamless customer inter-twining

“Them” “Us”MBM (Management MBWA by memo)MBA MFAShareholder Value Great people-product rule comes first Work smart Work hardBuilt to last Built to Rock the WorldReward successes Reward (EXCELLENT) failuresQuality first! Design 1TQuality first Innovation 1THigh-quality Jaw-dropping Experience transactionCVs demo consistent CVs feature Magic Moments performanceGood grades Cool stuff Operational excellence World-rocking INNOVATION

“Them” “Us”Brand LovemarkBest analysis wins Best STORY wins“Beyond politics” Politics-is-life, the rest is detailsOutsource Bestsource“Motivate” Send on QUESTS“Motivate” InviteMeasured language HOT languageProduct-Service Gamechanging SOLUTION, Thrilling EXPERIENCE, DREAM come true, LOVEMARKPastel Technicolor Better Different“Mission success” “Mission EXCELLENCE”Very good EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.

good words.Bad words.

Words that may NOT be used in my presence:

“Motivate”

“Market”

Words that may NOT be used in my presence: “Motivate” … “Market” … “MBA” … “Plan”

(mostly) … “Worker” … “Job” … “Task” … “Exceeds

expectations” … “HR” … “Employee evaluation” … “Man”

(mostly) … “Shareholder Value”

Words that MAY be used in my presence: “Invite” (v. “Motivate”) … “Sell” (v. “Market”) … “People” (we’d like to serve) (v. “Market segment”) … “Client” (v.

“Customer”) “OJT/MFA” (v. “MBA”) … “Act”/ “Execute” (v. “Plan”) … “Talent” (v. “Worker”) …

“Quest”/“Adventure-in-EXCELLENCE” (v. “Job”) … “Wow Project” (v. “Task”) … “Rockin’ (profit-makin’)

PSF” (v. “Department”) … “Theater” (v. “Office”) … “Breathtaking Experience” (v. “Transaction” that “Exceeds

expectations”) … “Talent Fanatics Inc” (v. “HR”) … “Brand You adventure” (v “Career development”)

“Annual Report development session” … (v.

“Employee evaluation”) … “Woman” (v. “Man”) …

Words that MAY be used in my presence: … “Wow!” (v. “Nice”) … “Bloody-minded”

(v. “Committed”) … “Thank you! (v. “____”) … “Attack”/Innovate (v. “defend”/Entrench)

… “Great stuff. Great people. ‘Do it’ fanatics.” (v. “shareholder value”) …

“EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.” (v. “Good work”)

(v. “shareholder value”)

Radically Thrilling Language!

“Radically Thrilling.”

—BMW Z4 (ad)

EXCELLENCE.

ALWAYS.

“Why in the world did you go to Siberia?”

The Peters Principles: Enthusiasm.

Emotion. Excellence. Energy. Excitement. Service. Growth.

Creativity. Imagination. Vitality. Joy. Surprise. Independence. Spirit. Community. Limitless human potential. Diversity. Profit. Innovation. Design.

Quality. Entrepreneurialism. Wow.

Business* ** (*at its best): An emotional, vital, innovative, joyful,

creative, entrepreneurial endeavor that elicits

maximum concerted human potential in the

wholehearted service of others.***

**Excellence. Always.***Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Communities, Owners, Temporary partners

Business: The Ultimate Creative

Endeavor.

Business: The Ultimate Personal

Development-Growth

Experience.

Business: The Ultimate

Transcendent Service

Opportunity.

EXCELLENCE.

YOU & ME.

“Work on me

first.” —Kerry Patterson,

Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler/Crucial Conversations

“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

/October2003

“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

“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.

EXCELLENCE.

INNOVATE. OR. DIE.

Sluggish + Obese + Unimaginative + More

Sluggish + More Obese + More Unimaginative + Even More Sluggish + Even More

Obese + Even More Unimaginative = Nissan + Renault + GM = Innovative Challenger for Toyota????

“I am often asked by would-be entrepreneurs seeking escape from life within huge corporate structures, ‘How do I build a small firm for myself?’ The

answer seems obvious: Buy a very large one and just wait.”

—Paul Ormerod, Why Most Things Fail: Evolution, Extinction and Economics

More than $$$$

#1 R&D spending,

last 25 years?

Market Share, Anyone?

— 240 industries: Market- share leader is ROA leader 29% of the time

— Profit /ROA leaders: “aggressively weed out customers who generate low returns”

Source: Donald V. Potter, Wall Street Journal

What “We” Know “For Sure” About Innovation

Big mergers [by & large] don’t workScale is over-rated

Strategic planning is the last refuge of scoundrelsFocus groups are counter-productive“Built to last” is a chimera (stupid)

Success kills“Forgetting” is impossible

Re-imagine is a charming idea“Orderly innovation process” is an oxymoronic phrase

(= Believed only by morons with ox-like brains)“Tipping points” are easy to identify … long after they will do you any good

“Facts” aren’tAll information making it to the top is filtered

to the point of danger and hilarity“Success stories” are the illusions of egomaniacs (and “gurus”)

If you believe the memoirs of CEOs you should be institutionalized“Herd behavior” (XYZ is “hot”) is ubiquitous

… and amusing“Top teams” are “Dittoheads”

CEOs have little effect on performance“Expert” prediction is rarely better than rolling the dice

EXCELLENCE.

WANTING.

This is not a “mature

category.”

This is an “undistinguishe

d category.”

EXCELLENCE. DRAMATIC.

DIFFERENCE.DOABLE.

$415/SqFt/Wal*Mart$798/SqFt/Whole

Foods

7X. 730A-800P.

F12A.**’93-’03/10 yr annual return: CB: 29%; WM: 17%;

HD: 16%. Mkt Cap: 48% p.a.

“It’s simple, really, Tom. Hire for s,

and, above all, promote for s.”

—Starbucks middle manager/field

#1/100

“Best Companies to

Work for”/2005

Wegmans

EXCELLENCE.

#1T.

Donnelly’s Weatherstrip

Service

Weymouth MA

EXCELLENCE.

#1T.

Cirque du Soleil!

And the Winner is …

1. Audacity of Vision2. Innovation/R&D/Design3. Talent Acquisition & Development4. Resultant “Experience”5. Strategic Alliances6. Operations7. Financial Management8. Overall/Sustaining Excellence9. “Wow!”10. Lovemark!

Tattoo Brand: What % of users would tattoo the brand name on their

body?

Top 10 “Tattoo Brands”*

Harley .… 18.9%Disney .... 14.8

Coke …. 7.7Google .... 6.6Pepsi .... 6.1Rolex …. 5.6Nike …. 4.6

Adidas …. 3.1Absolut …. 2.6

Nintendo …. 1.5

*BRANDsense: Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, and Sound, Martin Lindstrom

Synonyms

PurityTranscendence


Antonyms

Mediocrity

“A man without a smiling face must

not open a shop.” —Chinese Proverb

EXCELLENCE. NO EXCUSES.

Summary:

WallopWal*Mart16*

*Or: Why it’s so absurdly easy to beat a GIANT Company

The “Small Guys” Guide: Wallop Wal*Mart16

*Niche-aimed. (Never, ever “all things for all people,” a “mini-Wal*Mart.)

*Never attack the monsters head on! (Instead steal niche business and lukewarm customers.)

*“Dramatically Different” (La Difference ... within our

community, our industry regionally, etc … is as obvious as the end of one’s nose!) (THIS IS WHERE MOST MIDGETS COME UP SHORT.)

*Compete on value/experience/intimacy, not price. (You ain’t gonna beat the behemoths on cost-price in 9.99 out of 10 cases.)

*Emotional bond with Clients, Vendors. (BEAT THE BIGGIES ON EMOTION/CONNECTION!!)


*Hands-on, emotional leadership. (“We are a great & cool & intimate & joyful & dramatically different team working to transform our Clients lives via Consistently Incredible Experiences!”)

*A community star! (“Sell” local-ness per se. Sell the hell out of it!)

*An incredible experience, from the first to last moment—and then in the follow-up! (“These guys are cool! They ‘get’ me! They love me!”)

*DESIGN DRIVEN! (“Design” is a premier weapon-in-pursuit-of-the sublime for small-ish enterprises, including the professional services.)


*Employer of choice. (A very cool, well-paid place to work/learning and growth experience in at least the short term … marked by notably progressive policies.) (THIS IS EMINENTLY DO-ABLE!!)

*Sophisticated use of information technology. (Small-“ish” is no excuse for “small aims”/execution in IS/IT!)

*Web-power! (The Web can make very small very big … if the product-service is super-cool and one purposefully masters buzz/viral marketing.)

*Innovative! (Must keep renewing and expanding and revising and re-imagining “the promise” to employees, the customer, the community.)


*Brand-Lovemark* (*Kevin Roberts) Maniacs! (“Branding” is not just for big folks with big budgets. And modest size is actually a Big Advantage in becoming a local-regional-niche “lovemark.”)

*Focus on women-as-clients. (Most don’t. How stupid.)

*Excellence! (A small player …

per me … has no right or reason to exist unless they are in Relentless Pursuit of Excellence. One earns the right—one damn day and client experience at a time!—to beat the Big Guys in your chosen niche!)

What I’ve Learned about

“Small Business”

Tom Peters26June2006

Passion for PRODUCT.OBSESSION With Product.

LOVE The Product.Aim To Be “ONLY ONES WHO DO WHAT WE DO.”

Keep ADDIN’ Stuff.Invest “UNWISELY” in R&D.

Reside Permanently In The DISCOMFORT Zone.“Unhealthy” PARANOIA Is A Good Thing.

Add Clients That PUSH-PULL.SELL. SELL. SELL. SELL.

Go For Broke: CUSTOMER CONTACT PEOPLE.PERFECTION: Customer Contact People.

Hire for ATTITUDE.INVITE On An Adventure. GREAT CFO/Biz Guy-Gal. NASTY CFO/Biz Guy-Gal.

QUADRANGULAR LEADERSHIP: Visionary-Talent Fanatic-Project Manager-I.P.M. (I.P.M. = Inspired Profit

Mechanic)

More @ Moore

GREAT Logo.DESIGN!

“OVERDO” Marketing Materials.WOMEN Roar. WOMEN Rule. WOMEN Buy.

Diversity = $$$$$$Be RELENTLESS. Cut And RUN.

Product Includes-Features the PACKAGING.Define Your DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE (R.P.O.V.8)

Best STORY Wins.DRESS For Success.

First Goal: AMUSE Yourself.Know YOURSELF.

DON’T Do Stuff You Hate. “Over-invest” In RELATIONSHIPS.

(R.O.I.R.: Return On Investment in Relationships)

SYSTEMATICALLY “Manage” Relationships.“Work” The SUPPORT PEOPLE In Client Orgs.

BLOG As If Your Life Depended On It.SOPHISTICATED Use Of Infotech.

RESPONSE To Problems.Make ’Em PAY.

CLOSE The Sale. Invest BIGTIME In PR.

Media FRIENDLY.Live-To-SCHMOOZE.

Fun/Laughter = $$$$ MBWA: Stay In Touch.

“You Must Be The Change You Wish To See In The World”/GANDHI

5K For 5M.Your CALENDAR Never Lies.

OUT: Pastels. IN: Technicolor

JUST SAY “NO” TO C.E.O.: CIO/Chief Innovation Officer. CSO/Chief Sales Officer.

CWO/Chief Wow Officer

EXCELLENCE Is Very Cool. “MICRO-MANAGE” Your Reputation.Wear Your Integrity On Your SLEEVE.

KEEP Your Promises.EXECUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“A Man Without A Smiling Face MUST NOT Open His Shop.”

RECOGNITION! Work HARD, Not Smart.

“Insanely Great.” THE STANDARD.

Tom/2006/Q97-Q100

Study more.Renew more.Tailor more.Offer more.Listen more.Market more.Practice more.

Challenge more.Socialize more.

Smile more.Follow-up more.

Plan execution more.Cost control more.

“A man without a smiling face

must not open a shop.” —Chinese Proverb

“It’s always

showtime.”

—David D’Alessandro, Career Warfare

EXCELLENCE.

PITIFUL.

“Idiot” is too kind a

word.

“That’s a very diverse* team.”

—Patrick Cescau, CEO, Unilever**

*1 of 14 Board of Directors members is a woman (not an exec); 2 of 7 Exec Team members are … Indians. (Source: FT/24-25 June.)

**Approximately 85% of Unilever’s products are purchased by … women.

“That’s a

VERY diverse team.”

—Patrick Cescau, CEO, Unilever* **

*1 of 14 Board of Directors members is a woman (not an exec); 2 of 7 Exec Team members are … Indians. (Source: FT/24-25 June.)

**Approximately 85% of Unilever’s products are purchased by … women.

85%vs.

7%

(1 of 14)

“That’s a

VERY sick man.”

—Tom Peters

EXCELLENCE.

PITIFUL.

????????

6/44

EXCELLENCE.

FOUND.

“To be a leader in consumer

products, it’s critical to have

leaders who represent the population we

serve.” —Steve Reinemund/PepsiCo

EXCELLENCE.

AARGH.

Good Thinking, Guys!

“Kodak Sharpens Digital Focus

On Its Best Customers:

Women”

—Page 1 Headline/WSJ/0705

EXCELLENCE.

OPPORTUNITY.

“Women are the

majority market”

—Fara Warner/The Power of the Purse

USA/F.Stats: Short ’n (Very) Sweet

>50% of stock ownership, $13T total wealth (2X in 15 years)

>$7T consumer & biz spending (>50% GDP; > Japan GDP); >80% consumer spdg (Consumer = 70% all spdg)

57% BA degrees (2002); = ed & social strata, no wage gap

60% Internet users; >50% primary users of electronic equipment

>50% biz trips

WimBiz: Employees > F500; 10M+: 33% all US Biz

Pay from 62% in 1980 to 80% today; equal if education, social status, etc are equal

60% work; 46M (divorced, widowed, never married)

Source: Fara Warner, The Power of the Purse

The Perfect Answer

Jill and Jack buy slacks in black…

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.

“Women don’t buy

brands. They join them.”

EVEolution

2.6 vs. 21

10. Women’s Market =

Opportunity No. 1.

Fara Warner

Damn it.

Cases!McDonald’s (“mom-centered” to “majority consumer”;

not via kids)

Home Depot (“Do it [everything!] Herself”)

P&G (more than “house cleaner”)

DeBeers (“right-hand rings”/$4B)

AXA FinancialKodak (women = “emotional centers of the household”)

Nike (> jock endorsements; new def sports; majority consumer)

AvonBratz (young girls want “friends,” not a blond stereotype)

Source: Fara Warner/The Power of the Purse

Faith, Lys, Marti, Fara …

Targeting the New Professional Woman:

How to Market and Sell to Today’s 57 Million

Working Women.

—Gerry Myers

EXCELLENCE.

OPPORTUNITY.

Add It Up!

Doing it right (“Men buy things that other men will buy for women. I buy things that women want.”—successful jeweler/F)

Greater workforce/global participation rate (“bigger contributor to GDP growth than technology, China, India”)

Higher wages (more seniority, promotions—even if not to CEO)

Women-owned businesses (answer to the Glass Ceiling)

EXCELLENCE.

OPPORTUNITY.

2000-2010 Stats

18-44: -1%

55+: +21%(55-64: +47% )

44-65: “New Customer Majority” *

*45% larger than 18-43; 60% larger by 2010Source: Ageless Marketing, David Wolfe & Robert Snyder

“The New Customer Majority is the only adult

market with realistic prospects for significant

sales growth in dozens of product lines for thousands of companies.” —David Wolfe & Robert Snyder,

Ageless Marketing

“Baby-boomer Women: The Sweetest of

Sweet Spots for Marketers” —David Wolfe and

Robert Snyder, Ageless Marketing

“WOMAN of the Year: She’s the most powerful

consumer in America. And as she starts to turn sixty

this month, the affluent baby boomer is doing what she’s always done—redefining

herself.” —Joan Hamilton, Town & Country, JAN06

“Sixty Is the New Thirty”

—Cover/AARP/11.03

EXCELLENCE.

OPPORTUNITY.

Women.Women business owners.

Boomers-Geezers.Single-adults (Urban)

Fastest growing demographic:

Single-person Households (>50% in

London, Stockholm, etc)

Source: Richard Scase

% of homes purchased by single women: 1981, 10%;

2005, 20%

% of homes purchased by single men: 1981, 10%;

2005, 9%

Source: USA Today/02.15.06

EXCELLENCE.

OPPORTUNITY.

Women.Women business owners.

Boomers-Geezers.Single-adults (Urban)

The Irreducible20

9

73. Exercise.74. Paint. (Leader. Portraits of Excellence.)75. Best story wins.76. “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.)

EXCELLENCE.

VALUE ADDED.

MasterCard Advisors

I. LAN Installation Co. (3%)

II. Geek Squad. (30%.)

III. Acquired by BestBuy.

IV. Flagship of BestBuy Wholesale “Solutions” Strategy Makeover.

EXCELLENCE. NO OPTION.

“ ‘Disintermediation’ is overrated. Those who fear disintermediation should in fact be afraid of

irrelevance—disintermediation is just another way

of saying that … you’ve become

irrelevant to your

customers.”

—John Battelle/Point/Advertising Age/07.05

Department Head

to …

Managing

Partner, IS [HR, R&D, etc.] Inc.

Answer:

PSF

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)

The “PSF35”: Thirty-Five

Professional Service Firm Marks of Excellence

The PSF35: The Work & The Legacy

1. CRYSTAL CLEAR POINT OF VIEW (E very Practice Group: “If you can’t explain your position in eight words or less, you don’t have a position”—Seth Godin)2. DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE (“We are the only ones who do what we do”—Jerry Garcia)3. Stretch Is Routine (“Never bite off less than you can chew”—anon.)4. Eye-Appetite for Game-changer Projects (Excellence at Assembling “Best Team”—Fast) 5. “Playful” Clients (Adventurous folks who unfailingly Aim to Change the World)6. Small “Uneconomic” Clients with Big Aims7. Life Is Too Short to Work with Jerks (Fire lousy clients)8. OBSESSED WITH LEGACY (Practice Group and Individual: “Dent the Universe”—Steve Jobs)9. Fire-on-the-spot Anyone Who Says, “Law/Architecture/Consulting/ I-banking/ Accounting/PR/Etc. has become a ‘commodity’ ”10. Consistent with #9 above … DO NOT SHY AWAY FROM THE WORD (IDEA) “RADICAL”

Point of

View!

R.POV8**Remarkable Point Of View/8 Words or less/“If you can’t state your

position in eight words or less you don’t have a position.”—SG

The PSF35: The People & The Leadership

18. TALENT FANATICS (“Best-Coolest place to work”) (PERIOD)19. EYE FOR THE PECULIAR (Hiring: Go beyond “same old, same old”) 20. Early Opportunities (vs. “Wait your turn”) 21. Up or Out (Based on “Legacy”/Mentoring as much as “Billings”/“Rainmaking”)22. Slide the Old Aside/Make Room for Youth (Find oldsters new roles?)23. TALENT IS OBSESSED WITH RENEWAL FROM DAY #1 TO DAY #“R” [R = Retirement]24. Office/Practice Leaders Evaluated Primarily on Mentoring-Team Building Skills25. A “PROPRIETARY” TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS (GE)26. Team Leadership Skills Valued Early27. Partner with B.I.W. [Best In World] Outsiders as Needed and to Infuse Different Views

The PSF35: The Firm & The Brand

28. EAT-SLEEP-BREATHE-OOZE INTEGRITY (“My life is my message”—Gandhi)29. Excellence+ in EXECUTION … 100.00% of the Time (No such thing as a “small sins”/World Series Ring to the Batboy!) 30. “Drop everything”/“Swarm” to Support a Harried-On The Verge Team31. SPEND AS AGGRESSIVELY ON R&D AS A TECH FIRM OR CIRQUE DU SOLEIL32. A PROPRIETARY METHODOLOGY (FBR, McKinsey, Chiat Day, IDEO, old EDS)33. Web (Technology) Obsession34. BRAND/“LOVEMARK” MANIACS (Organize Around a Point of View Worth BROADCASTING: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”—Gandhi)35. PASSION! ENTHUSIASM! (Passion & Enthusiasm have as much a place at the Head Table in a “PSF” as in a widgets factory: “You can’t behave in a calm, rational manner. You’ve got to be out there on the lunatic fringe”—Jack Welch)

The PSF35: The Firm & The Brand

28. EAT-SLEEP-BREATHE-OOZE INTEGRITY (“My life is my message”—Gandhi)

29. Excellence+ in EXECUTION … 100.00% of the Time30. “Drop everything”/“Swarm” to Support a Harried-On The Verge Team

31. SPEND ON R&D LIKE A TECH FIRM.32. A PROPRIETARY METHODOLOGY (FBR, McKinsey, Chiat Day, IDEO, old EDS)

33. BRAND MANIACS (Organize Around a Point of View Worth BROADCASTING)

34. PASSION! ENTHUSIASM!

35. EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.

EXCELLENCE.

UP THE LADDER.

The Value-added Ladder/Stuff ‘n’ Things

Goods Raw Materials

The Value-added Ladder/Stuff & Transactions

ServicesGoods

Raw Materials

The Value-added Ladder/Opportunity-seeking

Gamechanging Solutions

ServicesGoods

Raw Materials

Answer:

PSF

The Irreducible20

9

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.

EXCELLENCE. UBIQUITOUS.

Trapper: <$20 per beaver pelt.

Source: WSJ

WDCP*: $150 to remove

“problem beaver”; $750-$1,000 for flood-control piping … so that beavers can

stay.

* “Wildlife Damage-control Professional”

Source: WSJ

EXCELLENCE.

EXPERIENCE IT.

“Experiences are as distinct

from services as services are from

goods.” —Joe Pine & Jim Gilmore, The Experience Economy:

Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage

“The [Starbucks] Fix” Is on …

“We have identified a

‘third place.’ And I

really believe that sets us apart. The third place is that place that’s not work or home. It’s the place our customers

come for refuge.”

Nancy Orsolini, District Manager

Experience: “Rebel Lifestyle!”

“What we sell is the ability for a 43-year-old accountant to dress in

black leather, ride through small towns and have people be

afraid of him.”Harley exec, quoted in Results-Based Leadership

EXCELLENCE.

UP THE LADDER.

The Value-added Ladder/Memorable Connection

Spellbinding Experiences

Gamechanging SolutionsServicesGoods

Raw Materials

EXCELLENCE.

DREAM IT.

DREAM: “A dream is a complete moment in the life

of a client. Important experiences that tempt the client to commit substantial resources. The essence of

the desires of the consumer. The opportunity to help

clients become what they want to be.”

—Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni

EXCELLENCE.

UP THE LADDER.

The Value-added Ladder/Emotion

Dreams Come True

Spellbinding Experiences Gamechanging Solutions

ServicesGoods

Raw Materials

Furniture vs. Dreams

“We do not sell ‘furniture’ at

Domain. We sell dreams. This is

accomplished by addressing the half-formed needs in our

customers’ heads. By uncovering these needs, we, in essence, fill in the blanks. We

convert ‘needs’ into ‘dreams.’ Sales are the

inevitable result.” — Judy George,

Domain Home Fashions

EXCELLENCE.

LOVE IT.

Kevin Roberts:

Lovemarks!

Tattoo Brand: What % of users would tattoo the brand name on their

body?

Top 10 “Tattoo Brands”*

Harley .… 18.9%Disney .... 14.8

Coke …. 7.7Google .... 6.6Pepsi .... 6.1Rolex …. 5.6Nike …. 4.6

Adidas …. 3.1Absolut …. 2.6

Nintendo …. 1.5

*BRANDsense: Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, and Sound, Martin Lindstrom

EXCELLENCE. THE STORY.

“Storytelling

is the core of culture.”

—Branded Nation: The Marketing of Megachurch, College Inc., and Museumworld, James Twitchell

Market Power = Story Power

EXCELLENCE.

LEADING.

CXO**Chief eXperience Officer

CDM*

*Chief Dream Merchant

CFO*

*Chief Festivals Officer

CCO*

*Chief Conversations Officer

CSO*

*Chief Seduction Officer

CL O*

*Chief Lovemark Officer

CPI**Chief Portal Impresario

CWO**Chief WOW Officer

CSTO*

*Chief Storytelling Officer

CRO*

*Chief Revenue Officer

EXCELLENCE.

BONUS.

Flower Power!

London circa 1976: “You can’t build a ‘real

economy’ on services, finance, advertising,

etc.”

London circa 2006:

deliberately aims to be the “capital of the 21st

century”

The Irreducible20

9

163. Own up. Quick. ( Denial. Cancer.)

164. Celebrate. Often.165. 78 people = 78 approaches. (Each. Unique.)166. 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.)

EXCELLENCE.

BEDROCK.

“Management has a lot to do with answers. Leadership is a function of questions. And the

first question for a leader always

is: ‘Who do we intend to be?’ Not ‘What are we going to do?’

but ‘Who do we intend to be?’” —Max De Pree, Herman Miller

EXCELLENCE.

PASSION.

“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.”

—Samuel Taylor Coleridge

EXCELLENCE.

BEDROCK.

Brand =

Talent.

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

CQO*

*Chief quest-meister

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

“Leaders

‘do’ people.

Period.” —Anon.

Les Wexner: From sweaters to …

people!

“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

PARC’s Bob Taylor:

“Connoisseur

of Talent”

EXCELLENCE. BY

INVITATION.

“In the end, management doesn’t

change culture. Management

invites

the workforce itself to change the culture.”

—Lou Gerstner

“Most important, leaders can conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations … and

unite them in pursuit of objectives worthy of their best efforts.” —John Gardner, No Easy Victories (from Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader)

EXCELLENCE. WOMEN.

RULE.

LEADERSHIP

SKILLS.

Women’s Negotiating Strengths

*Ability to put themselves in their counterparties’ shoes*Comprehensive, attentive and detailed communication style*Empathy that facilitates trust-building*Curious and attentive listening*Less competitive attitude*Strong sense of fairness and ability to persuade*Proactive risk manager*Collaborative decision-making

Source: Horacio Falcao, Cover story/May 2006, World Business, “Say It Like a Woman: Why the 21st-century negotiator will need the female touch”

“AS LEADERS, WOMEN

RULE: New Studies find that

female managers outshine their male counterparts in almost every measure”

Title, Special Report/BusinessWeek

Women

Dominate Economic Growth.

“Forget China, India and the

Internet: Economic Growth Is Driven

by Women.” —Headline, Economist,

April 15, 2006, Leader, page 14

“Forget China, India and the Internet: Economic Growth Is Driven

by Women.” [Headline.] “Even today in the modern, developed world, surveys show that parents still prefer to have

a boy rather than a girl. One longstanding reason boys have been seen as a greater blessing has been that they are expected to become better economic providers for their

parents’ old age. Yet it is time for parents to think again. Girls may now be a better investment.” “Girls get better grades in

school than boys, and in most developed countries more women than men go to university. Women will thus be better equipped for the new jobs of the 21st century, in which brains count a lot

more than brawn. … And women are more likely to provide sound advice on investing their parents’ nest—e.g.: surveys

show that women consistently achieve higher financial returns than men do. Furthermore, the increase in female employment in the rich world has been the main driving force of growth in

the last couple of decades. Those women have contributed more to global GDP growth than have either new technology or the

new giants, India and China.” Source: Economist, April 15, Leader, page 14

Continuing on page 73: “A Guide to Womenomics: The Future of the World Economy Lies

Increasingly in Female Hands.” (Headline.) More stats: Around the globe since 1980, women have filled “two

new jobs for everyone taken by a man.” “Women are becoming more important in the global marketplace not just as workers, but also as consumers, entrepreneurs, managers and investors.” Re consumption, Goldman Sachs in Tokyo has developed an index of 115 companies poised to benefit from women’s increased purchasing power; over the past decade the value of shares in “Goldman’s basket has risen by 96%, against the Tokyo stockmarket’s rise of 13%.” A couple of final assertions: (1) It is now agreed that “the single best investment that can be made in the developing world” is

educating girls. (2) Also, surprisingly, nations with the highest female laborforce participation rates, such as Sweden and the

U.S., have the highest fertility rates; and those with the lowest participation rates, such as Italy and Germany, have

the lowest fertility rates.

Source: Economist, April 15, page 73

“Goldman Sachs in Tokyo has developed an index of 115

companies poised to benefit from women’s increased purchasing

power; over the past decade the value of shares in Goldman’s

basket has risen by 96%, against the Tokyo stockmarket’s rise of

13%.” —Economist, April 15

Women

Dominate Economic Growth.

Impact! Add It Up!

Primary markets/Everything (“Men

buy things that other men will buy for women. I buy things that women want.”—successful jeweler/F. “Women are the majority market” —Fara Warner/The Power of the Purse. Women as Purchasing Officers, CIOs, etc.)

Greater global workforce participation rate (“bigger contributor to GDP

growth than technology, China, India”—Economist)

Higher wages (more seniority, promotions—even if not

to CEO; greater pay equity—even if not equal)

Business “decision makers” (more

seniority, promotions—even if not to CEO)

Women-owned businesses (answer to

the Glass Ceiling—10.6M in USA; recipients of “micro-lending”—developing world)

EXCELLENCE. INDIVIDUAL.BRAND YOU.

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)

12January2006

Happy 300 th, Brand You!

Health

Wash your hands.Apply #50 sunscreen.

Banish trans fatBanish high fructose corn syrup.

Exercise “30-7.”Breathe.

Stockpile for H5N1.* (*not Tamiflu!)

Avoid hospitalization.Take charge of your health.

Quality!Prevention!Wellness!

Chronic care!

Childhood obesity!H5N1!

Childhood Obesity > Terrorism

Bust fat

docs!

“Sanitary revolution”: mortality in major

cities down

55% between

1850 and 1915Source: Tom Farley & Deborah Cohen, Prescription for a Healthy Nation

“If God spoke to me by saying, ‘Mark, you’re down to your last three words: What would you want to say to

your fellow humans that would make the most positive impact?’ It would be a close call between Love Thy

Neighbor and Wash Your Hands . A close third would be Move,

Move, Move.” —Mark Pettus, M.D., The Savvy Patient

“The most important thing you can do to keep

from getting sick is to wash your hands. ” —CDC/National Center for Infectious Diseases

EXCELLENCE.

BEDROCK.

X.Step #1:Buy a Mirror!

“The First step in a ‘dramatic’

‘organizational change program’ is obvious—

dramatic personal change!” —RG

“Work on me

first.” —Kerry Patterson,

Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler/Crucial Conversations

“You must

be the

change you wish to see in the

world.”Gandhi

“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

EXCELLENCE.

REVENUE.MATTERS.

MOST.

“Analysts … 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

EXCELLENCE.

SALES.

This is not about …

“customer centrism”“integrated marketing”

etc.etc.etc.

It is about …

… sellin’ a whole lotta stuff and having customers go bananas

with love to the point that they tell every damn friend they have and then start buttonholing strangers on trains and planes

and busses.

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. (Cross-cultural Effectiveness.) Career Creation. (Brand

You life-lifestyle.) Wellness. (Life.)

*B.Schools (“M.I.A.” or at most “B.I.A.”—barely in action)

. “Everyone lives by selling

something.”

– Robert Louis Stevenson

SellSellSell

“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

TP.27 … on Selling

(Short) (Personal)

Out-prepare!! (huge time commitment!)Learn the “culture”Practice!Care-EmpathyListen-Empathetic listening (SC)“Listen”-Body languageK.I.S.S. (1-page summary. 1 = 1.)Enthusiasm-ENERGY-“Authenticity”!!OBVIOUS belief in productSelling: Solution-Success-Experience-Dream come true-Love-Dramatic DifferenceSelling: Better STORY! (“Best story wins”)Selling: Yourself! (Brand you)“Obvious” Wow!No exaggeration!Spell out commitments!SIMPLE timelineSell “inside”-First! Thorough!Relationships-“Way down”!!Time!!!! (E.g., build trust)Ooze integrityIntroduce to rest of team, esp. “mechanics”SBWA (5K for 5M)Remember: Close!Gotta-make-a-profit (be ready to walk away!)“Good loss”Don’t dis competitors!!Make her-him-target SUCCESSFUL (in a personal way)

C(I)>C(X)

“It’s always showtime.”


motivational stuff

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt

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

Paul Arden, Whatever You Think Think the Opposite

“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 best piece of advice ever given was by the art director of Harper’s Bazaar, Alexey Brodovitch, to the

young Richard Avedon, destined to become one of the world’s great photographers. The advice was

simple: ‘ASTONISH ME.’ Bear these words in mind, and whatever you do

will be creative.”

Source: Paul Arden, Whatever You Think Think the Opposite

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 (of all varieties): 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.

POWER WORDS!

“I’m sorry.”

Sorting Out a Problem/ Misunderstanding with an e-mail:

Don’t delay! It’s the effort that counts (Long>Short)Get personal (“authentic”—yuck)FLAT OUT APOLOGIZE (no equivocality)Take more blame than you “deserve”

Stating the Obvious: MORE POWER WORDS/IDEAS

Thank You!

MBWA**5,000 miles for a 5-minute face-to

-face meeting (courtesy super-agent Mark McCormick)

Say it with …

FLOWERS

POWER IDEAS!

You must care.—General Melvin Zais

The Irreducible20

9

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.

EXCELLENCE.

4/40.

De-cent-ral-iz-a-tion!

Ex-e-cu-

tion!

“We have a ‘strategic plan.’ It’s

called doing things.” — Herb Kelleher

“Execution is the job of

the business leader.” —Larry Bossidy & Ram

Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

“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

“We made mistakes, of course. Most of them were omissions we didn’t think of when we

initially wrote the software. We fixed them by doing it over and over, again and again. We

do the same today. While our competitors are still sucking their thumbs trying to make the design perfect, we’re already on prototype

version No. 5. By the time our rivals are ready with wires and screws, we are on version

No. 10. It gets back to planning versus acting: We act from day one; others plan how to plan—

for months.” —Bloomberg by Bloomberg

“This is so simple it sounds stupid, but it is amazing how few oil people really

understand that you only find oil if you drill wells. You may

think you’re finding it when you’re drawing maps and

studying logs, but you have to drill.”

Source: The Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian O & G wildcatter

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

“Never forget implementation

boys. In our work it’s what I call the ‘missing 98

percent’ of the client puzzle.” —Al

McDonald

Ac-count-a-bil-ity!

“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)

6:15A.M.

????????

Work Hard > Work Smart

EXCELLENCE.

LEADING.

Leadership23

Leadership23

1. Enthusiasm. Energy. Exuberance.2. Action. Execution.3. Tempo. Metabolism.4. Relentless.5. Master of Plan B.6. Accountability.7. Meritocracy.8. Leaders “do” people. Mentor. (“Success creation business.”)9. Women. Diversity.10. Integrity. Credibility. Humanity. Grace.11. Realism.12. Cause. Adventures. Quests.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.”)

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.

DETERMINATION.

The “D-File”:DETERMINATION

DE-TERM-IN-A-TION

Or: The “B-File” …BLOODYMINDEDNESS

BLOOD-Y-MIND-ED-

NESS

Bloodyminded: Unreasonably

stubborn

Source: The Random House Dictionary of the English Language

6:15A.M.

“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

“One of my superstitions had always been when I started to go anywhere or to do anything, not to turn back, or stop, until the thing intended was

accomplished.” —Grant

Source LEE KENNETT’s SHERMAN

“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

“It’s always

showtime.”


“Whenever anything is being accomplished, I

have learned, it is being done by a monomaniac

with a mission.” —Peter Drucker

"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.

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 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.”

“I’m looking for insane

commitment.”

—Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit

“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

HTSH: 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 who join and savor the fray by giving one

hundred percent of themselves to their dreams! Not by those timid souls who

remain glued to the sidelines, stifled by tradition, and fearful 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 to a Bishop Tutu exhibit

“You want ‘checklists.’ I instead offer you a ‘guaranteed’

‘formula’: Passion.

Enthusiasm. Bloody-mindedness [as contrasted

with mere ‘determination’]. Relentlessness. A demonic need to make ‘it’

happen.” —TP

“You say ‘But there are ‘naysayers.’ I say: “Get a life.” I

offer an-the answer: Passion.


with mere ‘determination’ … ‘commitment’ …

‘purposefulness’]. Relentlessness. A demonic need to make ‘it’

happen.” —TP

“You say ‘But there are ‘naysayers.’ I say: “Get a life. If it’s important there are always

Naysayers.” I say: Passion.


with mere ‘determination’]. Relentlessness. A demonic need to make ‘it’

happen.” —TP

“My only goal is to have no goals. The goal, every time, is that film, that very moment.” —Bernardo Bertolucci

“Nothing is so

contagious asenthusiasm.”


Nelson.Grant.

Churchill.

Geronimo!

“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 ____, What a Ride!!!’ ”

—Mavis Leyrer (feisty OCTOGENARIAN, living in Seattle)

EXCELLENCE: MANAGEMENT VERSUS (??) LEADERSHIP

RIGHT

THINGS.THINGS RIGHT.

Not!“Leadership is doing the right

things. Management is

doing things right.” —WB et al.

So What???????

MANAGERS “do things right”

LEADERS “do the right things”

The Twain SHALL Meet!

Leadership: Invite Associates/Colleagues/Talent to join

a Gaspworthy Adventure in EXCELLENCE which will provide

matchless Personal and Professional Growth and be of Dramatically Different Service

to selected Clients

Management: Do it!

LEADERSHIP (Eternal!): Invigorate a sizeable # of

people to Aspire to Excellence in pursuit of a Common

(Noble) Goal that revolves around service-of-exceptional-

value to Clients

“Leadership” v. “Management”

“In [President Bush’s] belief that America needed to respond

resolutely to the dangers of terrorism, tyranny and

proliferation, he was mainly right. His chief failures stem

from incompetent execution.” —The Economist/05.13.2006

DRUCKER’S GREAT CONTRIBUTION: management

per se as a/the principal determinant of institutional

effectiveness

“Never forget implementation boys. In our work it’s what I

call the ‘missing 98 percent’ of the client puzzle.” —Al McDonald, former Managing

Director, McKinsey & Co, to a project team that included TP

“This is so simple it sounds stupid, but it is amazing how few oil people really

understand that you only find oil if you drill wells. You may

think you’re finding it when you’re drawing maps and

studying logs, but you have to drill.”


You only find oil if

you drill wells.


“The most successful

people are those who

are good at plan B.”

—James Yorke, mathematician, on chaos theory in The New Scientist

“We made mistakes. Most of them were omissions we didn’t think of when we initially wrote the software. We fixed them by doing it

over and over, again and again. We do the same today: While our competitors are still

sucking their thumbs trying to make the design perfect, we’re already on prototype

version No. 5. By the time our rivals are ready with wires and screws, we are on

version No. 10. It gets back to planning versus acting: We

act from day one; others plan how to plan—for months.”

—Bloomberg by Bloomberg

“If things seem under control, you’re just not

going fast enough.” —Mario Andretti

Nelson’s secret:

“[Other] admirals more frightened of losing than

anxious to win”

“A year from now you may wish

You had started today.”

—Karen Lamb

EXCELLENCE.

STRETCH.

The greatest dangerfor most of us

is not that our aim istoo high

and we miss it,but that it is

too lowand we reach it.

Michelangelo

EXCELLENCE.

KABOOM.

“Beware of the tyranny of making

Small Changes to Small

Things. Rather,

make Big Changes

to Big Things.”

—Roger Enrico, former Chairman, PepsiCo

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/05.2005

EXCELLENCE.

TRANSCENDENCE.THRILLS.

Radically Thrilling Language!

“Radically Thrilling.”

—BMW Z4 (ad)

CTO**Chief Thrills Officer

Synonyms

PurityTranscendence


Antonyms

Mediocrity

CTO**Chief Transcendence Officer

EXCELLENCE. WOW. NOW.

“It’s always

showtime.”


CWO**Chief WOW Officer

C!O*Chief ! Officer

EXCELLE ALWAYS.

“It’s always

showtime.”


The Irreducible209+/Sales122/60TIBs

Tom Peters/0607.2006

The Irreducible20

9

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, he’d had enough. “What, if anything,” he asked,

“do you believe ‘for sure’?” 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. Hare 1, Tortoise 0. (Hare-y times.)2. Tempo. (O.O.D.A.)3. MBWA.4. 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. Men. Women. Different. Contend. Connect.16. Women. Buy. All. (RU listening?)17. Quality. (“Mind-blowing.” Beyond 6-Sigma.)18. Re-invent. Re-pot. (Required.)19. Jaywalk.20. Big change. Small # of people. (Always.)21. Experiment. Now.22. Failure. Normal. 23. 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. You must care.30. Mentor. (Highest ROI.)31. Best “roster” wins.32. Wow. (Okay in biz.)33. We all have customers. (Biz. Personal.)34. All contacts = Experiences.35. Cirque du Soleil. (Peerless.)36. Leaders create space for growth.37. Quests. (Only.)38. 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. Wegman’s.” (No excuses. “Mere” groceries.)43. Less than your best. Cheating.

44. Brand You. (No alt.)45. Self-sufficiency. (Biggest LT turn-on.)46. In the moment.47. The moment wins.48. Tomorrow = Never. 49. Action 1, Plan 0.1.50. “Execution” can be a “system.”51. Realism.52. Own up. Move on.53. Accountability.54. Work hard > Work smart. (Mostly.)55. Feedback. Necessary. Fast. (R.F.A. in “RFA times.”)56. Customers. Listen. Lead. (Paradox.)57. “On stage.” Always. (GW, FDR, RG = Supreme actors.)

58. Master statistical analysis.59. Excellence = Set the table.60. Legacy. (Will it have mattered?)61. “Great.” (Why not?)62. Radicals rule. (Think … Olympics.)63. !!! = Good.64. Red 1, Brown 0. (Red times.)65. Talk. Listen. (“Big 2.” Master.)66. 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. Exercise.74. Paint. (Leader. Portraits of Excellence.)75. Best story wins.76. “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. You = Calendar. (Calendar. Never. Lies.)87. Laugh.88. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.)89. 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. Bloody- mindedness. 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.”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.

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.” (2016. Happening. Somewhere.)139. “PMA.” It works.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. (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. Own up. Quick. ( Denial. Cancer.)164. Celebrate. Often.165. 78 people = 78 approaches. (Each. Unique.)166. 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. NO LESS THAN EXCELLENCE. EVER.209. 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.

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, engineering-

based 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.

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!

“Everyone lives by

selling something.”

—Robert Louis Stevenson

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 industries-countries “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.

“If you don’t listen,

you don’t sellanything.”

—Carolyn Marland/Managing Director/

Guardian Group

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.)

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!

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 14-year-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 long-term 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 deeper-wider networks win. 62. If the deal is wired from below, truly wired, than the so-called “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 asenthusiasm.”


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 behavein a calm, rationalmanner. 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.

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. So: Good luck!

ADDENDUM: Women Rock … as Salespersons (From Item #98.)

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

EXCELLENCE.

ALWAYS.

GRANTNELSON

BOYDBOSSIDY

Grantfrom the “seminal” biography by:

Jean Edward Smith

“A generation of American officers had been schooled to believe the art of generalship required rigid adherence to certain textbook

theorems.”/151 “The nature of Grant’s greatness has been a riddle to many observers. … did not hedge his bets … disregarded explicit instructions … nothing to fall back on … violating every maxim held

dear by the military profession … new dimension: ability to learn from the battlefield … finished near the bottom of his [West Point]

class in tactics … carried the fight to the enemy … maintain the momentum of the attack … military greatness is the ability to

recognize and respond to opportunities presented.”/152-3 “Grant had an aversion to digging in.”/153 “Grant had an intangible

advantage. He knew what he wanted.”/153 “Grant’s seven-mile dash changed the course of the war.”/157 “The one who attacks first will be victorious.”/158 “dogged”/159 “unconditional surrender”/162

“simplicity and determination”/166 “quickness of mind that allowed him to make on the spot adjustments … [his] battles were not

elegant set-piece operations”/166 “[other Union general] preferred preparation to execution … became a friend of detail … suffered

from ‘the slows’ …”/170 Message to Halleck from McClellan: “Do not hesitate to arrest him” [following great victory]/172 … “learned how

to withstand attacks from the rear” [Army politics]/179

“He never credited the enemy with the capacity to take the offensive.”/185 “tenacity [like Wellington]”/187 “I haven’t despaired of whipping them yet” [at avery low point]/195 “Both sides seemed defeated and whoever assumed the offensive was sure to win.”/200 … “inchoate bond [between Grant and soldiers]”/201 … “The genius of Grant’s command style lay in its simplicity. Grant never burdened his division commanders with excessive detail. … no elaborate staff

conferences, no written orders prescribing deployment. … Grant recognized the battlefield was in flux. By not specifying movements

in detail, he left his subordinate commanders free to exploit whatever opportunities developed.”/202 “If anyone other than

Grant had been in command, the Union army certainly would have retreated.”/204 Lincoln (urged to fire Grant): “I can’t spare this

man; he fights.”/205 “Grant turned defeat into Union victory.”/206 “moved on intuition, which he often could not explain or

justify.”/208 “instinctive recognition that victory lay in relentlessly hounding a defeated army into surrender.”/213 Nathan Bedford Forrest, successful Confederate commander: “amenable to no

known rules of procedure, was a law unto himself for all military acts, and was constantly doing the unexpected at all times

and places.”/213

“The commanding general would be in the field”/228 Lincoln: “What I want, and what the people want, is generals who will fight

battles and win victories. Grant has done this and I propose to stand by him.”/231 “retains his hold upon the affections of his men”/232

“Grant’s moral courage—his willingness to choose a path frrom which there could be no return—set him apart from most

commanders … were [Grant and Lee] were uniquely willing to take full responsibility for their actions.”/233 “ … modest … honest …

nothing could perturb … never faltered …”/233 “plan was breathtakingly simple but fraught with peril”/235 “demonstrating

the flexibility that had become his hallmark”/238 “But like any West Point trained general, he had difficulty comprehending what Grant

was up to …”/240 “recognized the value of momentum … throw off balance … blitzkreig … traveling light … headquarters in the

saddle”/243 “acted as quartermaster”/243 [rushed away so that he couldn’t receive Halleck’s order] … “like Lord Nelson … telescope

to his blind eye” … “pressing ahead on his own”/245 “focus on the enemy’s weakness rather than his own”/250

"The art of war is simple enough. Find out where

your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike at him as hard as you can and as often as you can,

and keep moving on." —Grant, courtesy Richard Cauley at tompeters,com

(original source unknown)

“The art of war does not require complicated

maneuvers; the simplest are the best, and common sense is fundamental. From which one might wonder how it is

generals make blunders; it is because they try to be

clever.” —Napoleon on Simplicity, from Napoleon on Project Management by Jerry Manas.

“Above all the troops appreciated Grant’s unassuming manner. Most generals went about attended by a retinue of immaculately tailored staff officers. Grant usually rode alone, except for an orderly or two

to carry messages if the need arose. Another soldier said the soldiers looked on Grant ‘as a friendly partner, not an arbitrary

commander.’ Instead of cheering as he rode by, they would ‘greet him as they would sddress one of their neighbors at home. ‘Good

morning, General,’ ‘Pleasant day, General’ … There was no nonsense, no sentiment; only a plain businessman of the republic, there for the one single purpose of getting that command over the river in the shortest time possible.’” [Grant: 5-feet 8-inches with a slouch]/232 After the victory at Chattanooga: “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.’”/ 281 “Grant was unhappy about going into winter

quarters. He saw no reason to keep the army idle, and the pause would give the rebels time to reorganize.”/282

“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

From LEE KENNETT’s SHERMAN: “Grant tended to be a simple listener when these two strategies [for taking Vicksburg] were

being discussed. His own preference may have been impelled as much by natural inclination as by any arguments he heard. He

wrote afterward: ‘One of my superstitions had always been when I started to go anywhere or to do anything, not to turn back, or stop,

until the thing intended was accomplished.’”/ 202

“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

CWVA to MBWA: “In these days of telegraph and steam I can command

while traveling and visiting about.” —U.S. Grant

Managing by wandering around” —HP circa 1980

Source: Ulysses S. Grant, by Geoffrey Perret

TP’s take: Intuition takes precedence (listen attentively but act on intuition) … Move today > perfect plan tomorrow [subsequent Patton line] … Great advantage: When moving, you know what you’re up to and you’re moving [the one sitting still is, thence,

always reactive] [Boyd: quickest O.O.D.A. loops/Observe. Orient.

Decide. Act. Disorient enemy] … Action! ... Keep moving! … Engage! … Offense! [weakness-strength: can’t even imagine enemy

counter-attacking; little conception of defense] … Momentum! …. Keep ‘em off balance … … Adjust … Adapt … … Opportunism! …

Constantly revise in accordance with conditions and opportunities in the field [life = excellence at “Plan B”] … Doggedness …

Relentless!! [trait shaped in early childhhood] … Never retreat … Simplicity! … Wide latitude for division commanders … minimum written orders, conferences, etc … keep his own council … HQ is Grant & his horse … no retinue! … commune with soldiers/exude

quiet confidence/Approachable … decent … Self-accountability! … Evade orders (or ignore) … Share harm & hardship … total victory/

demand “unconditional surrender”—G’s first claim to fame [Nelson: other Admirals avoid loss, friend and foe as in Grant’s case vs

Nelson’s seek victory] … [Life 101: politics between the Generals: E.g., Grant & Halleck]

Insubordinate (when it comes to delays)/N

Action-oriented/Offense/Total victory/N

Relentless

Troop Commander par Excellence/N

Leeway to Commanders/N

“The only way to whip an army is to go out and fight it.” —Grant

Source: John Mosier, Grant

NELSON

The Nelson Baker’s Dozen

1. Simple-clear scheme (“Plan”) (Not wildly imaginative) (Patton: “A good plan executed with vigor right now tops a ‘perfect’ plan executed next week.”)2. SOARING/BOLD/CLEAR/UNEQUIVOCAL/WORTHY/NOBLE/INSPIRING “GOAL”/“MISSION”/“PURPOSE”/“QUEST”3. “Conversation”: Engagement of All Leaders4. Leeway for Leaders: Select the Best/Dip Deep/Initiative demanded/Accountability swift/Micromanagement absent5. LED BY “LOVE” (Lambert), NOT “AUTHORITY” (Identify with sailors!)6. Instinct/Seize the Moment/“Impetuosity” (Boyd’s “OODA Loops”: React more quickly than opponent, destroy his “world view”)7. VIGOR! (Zander: leader as “Dispenser of Enthusiasm”)8. Peerless Basic Skills/Mastery of Craft (Seamanship)9. Workaholic! (“Duty” first, second, and third)10. LEAD BY CONFIDENT & DETERMINED & CONTINUOUS & VISIBLE EXAMPLE (In Harm’s Way) (Gandhi: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”/ Giuliani: Show up!)11. Genius (“Transform the world to conform to their ideas,” “Triumph over rules”) (Gandhi, Lee-Singapore) , not Greatness (“Make the most of their world”) 12. Luck! (Right time, right place; survivor) (“Lucky Eagle” vs “Bold Eagle”)13. Others principal shortcoming: “ADMIRALS MORE FRIGHTENED OF LOSING THAN ANXIOUS TO WIN”

Source: Andrew Lambert, Nelson: Britannia’s God of War

Nelson’s Way: A Baker’s Dozen/Short

1. Simple scheme.2. Noble purpose!3. Engage others.4. Find great talent, let it soar!5. Lead by Love!6. Trust your gut, not the focus group: Seize the Moment!7. Vigor! 8. Master your craft.9. Work harder than the next person.10. Show the way, walk the talk, exude confidence! Start a Passion Epidemic!11. Change the rules: Create your own game!12. Shake of the pain, get back up off the ground, the timing may well be right tomorrow! (E.g., Get lucky!)13. By hook or by crook, quash your fear of failure, savor your quirkiness and participate fully in the fray!

Source: Andrew Lambert, Nelson: Britannia’s God of War

On NELSON: “[other] admirals more frightened of losing than

anxious to win”

“He above all encouraged (and prepared) his

subordinates to seize the initiative whenever

necessary, particularly in the fog of war —and the

men who served under him knew what he expected.” —Jay Tolson, on “The Nelson Touch,” The Battle That

Changed The World

… tireless self-promoter, sought hero status, sought patronage [suck up] … guts, courage, master of his craft … passion for pleasures of the flesh, driven by duty, obsessed

(no “work-life balance”) … autocratic, dictatorial … team player, practitioner of participative management 200 years

before it was popularized, loved hanging out with the lads … man’s man, lady’s man … diligent manager (eg, logistics), powerfully inspirational, spiritual, passionate … ambitious,

aggressive, confident, impulsive, rarely cautious or circumspect, risk-taker … emotional, spiritual, expressed

feelings openly, classless, fair, self-sacrificing, encouraging, optimistic … unconventional, did not get along well with

superiors … xenophobic, immodest, impatient, intolerant, imprudent in public and in private … led from the front, zeal for action, despair over bureaucrats (“I hate the pen and ink men”), … lucky … —Stephanie Jones & Jonathan Gosling, Nelson’s Way:

Leaderhip Lessons from the Great Commander

Fisherisms

Do right and damn the odds.Stagnation is the curse of life.

The best is the cheapest.Emotion can sway the world.

Mad things come off.Haste in all things.

Any fool can obey orders.History is a record of exploded ideas.

Life is phrases.Source: Jan Morris, Fisher’s Face, Or, Getting to Know the Admiral

“We must have no tinkering! No pandering to sentiment! No regard for susceptibilities! We

must be ruthless, relentless, and

remorseless.” —Jan Morris, Fisher’s Face,

Or, Getting to Know the Admiral

“extraordinary arrogance,

superciliousness, humor, kindness,

effrontery” —Jan Morris on Lord

Admiral Jack Fisher, Fisher’s Face, Or, Getting to Know the Admiral

He who has the quickest O.O.D.A.

Loops* wins!

*Observe. Orient. Decide. Act. /Col. John Boyd

OODA Loop/Boyd Cycle“Unraveling the competition”/ Quick Transients/ Quick Tempo (NOT JUST

SPEED!)/ Agility/ “So quick it is disconcerting” (adversary over-reacts

or under-reacts)/ “Winners used tactics that caused the enemy to unravel before the fight” (NEVER

HEAD TO HEAD)

BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)

“Fast Transients”

“Buttonhook turn” (YF16: “could flick from one maneuver to another faster

than any aircraft”)


“Blitzkrieg is far more than lightning thrusts that most people think of when

they hear the term; rather it was all about high operational tempo and the rapid exploitation of opportunity.” —Robert Coram,

Boyd

“Re-arrange the mind of the enemy” —T.E. Lawrence

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” —Ali

BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed

the Art of War (Robert Coram)

F86 vs. MiG/Korea/10:1

Bubble canopy (360 degree view)

Full hydraulic controls (“The F86 driver could go from one maneuver to another faster than the MiG driver”)

MiG: “faster in raw acceleration and turning ability”; F86: “quicker in

changing maneuvers”BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)

USMC COL Mike Wyly: “kept the enemy off-balance;

they knew Delta Company [RVN] could

show up anywhere, anytime”


“Maneuverists”


“The stuff has got to be implicit. If it

is explicit, you can’t do it fast

enough.”BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed

the Art of War (Robert Coram)

Eglin Flag: “100% AGAINST ZERO DEFECTS”

“General, if you’re not having accidents, your training program is not what it should be. … You need to kill some pilots.” —John Boyd


John Boyd: “To Be somebody or

to Do something”


“If your boss demands loyalty,

give him integrity. But if he demands integrity, give him

loyalty.” —John Boyd


BOSSIDY

“I saw that leaders placed too much emphasis on what some

call high-level strategy, on intellectualizing and

philosophizing, and not enough on implementation. People would agree on a project or initiative, and then nothing

would come of it.” —Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

“Execution is a systematic process of rigorously discussing

hows and whats, tenaciously following through, and ensuring accountability.” —Larry Bossidy & Ram


“Execution is the job of

the business leader.” —Larry Bossidy & Ram


(“Leaders ‘do’

people. Period.” —TP)

The Leader’s Seven Essential Behaviors

*Know your people and your business*Insist on realism*Set clear goals and priorities*Follow through*Reward the doers*Expand people’s capabilities*Know yourself

Source: Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Action8/VPMR+/Peters on Bossidy*Knowledge/External Focus (Competitors/Customers)

*Realism/Truth-telling*Vision *Projects (Must add up to Vision) *Milestones*Commitment/Energy*RapidReview*Consequences (+/-)

“Realism is the heart of execution.”

—Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

"A business unit strategy should be less than fifty pages

long and should be easy to understand. Its essence should be describable in one page ... If

you can't describe your strategy in twenty minutes,

simply and in plain language, you haven't got a plan.” —Larry

Bossidy

“robust dialogue”

—Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Relentless!*

*Churchill, Grant, Patton, Welch, Bossidy, Nardelli (GE execs), UPS, FedEx, Microsoft/Gates-Ballmer, Eisner, Weill, eBay, Nixon-Kissinger, 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

“The person who is a little less conceptual but is absolutely determined

to succeed will usually find the right people and get them together to

achieve objectives. I’m not knocking education or looking for dumb people.

But if you have to choose between someone with a staggering IQ and an

elite education who’s gliding along, and someone with a lower IQ but who is

absolutely determined to succeed, you’ll always do better with the second

person.”

—Larry Bossidy (Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done)

Duct Tape Rules!

“Andrew Higgins, who built landing craft in WWII, refused to

hire graduates of engineering schools. He believed that they only teach you

what you can’t do in engineering school. He started off with 20 employees, and by the middle of the war had 30,000 working for him. He turned

out 20,000 landing craft. D.D. Eisenhower told me, ‘Andrew Higgins won the war for us. He did it

without engineers.’ ” —Stephen Ambrose/Fast Company

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 success-

failure 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

“We have a ‘strategic’ plan. It’s


Napoleon’ “six winning principles”: Exactitude (sweat the details). Speed. Flexibility. Simplicity. Character. Moral Force.

Simplicity: “The art of war does not require complicated maneuvers; the simplest are the best, and common sense is fundamental. From which one might wonder how it is generals make blunders; it is because they try to be clever.”

Character: “A military leader must possess as much character as intellect. Men who have a great deal of intelligence and little character are the least suited. … It is preferable to have much character and little intellect.”

Source: Jerry Manas, Napoleon on Project Management

1 of 2,400

6:15A.M.

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

EXCELLENCE.

ALWAYS.

long/482 tom peters’ excellence. always. massmutual/leaders conference 2006 washington/29july

Documents

enthusi excellence

research excellence

new scientist excellence

new chevy

successful people

general grant

lotta stuff

general eric shinseki