Willy Loman

This
Sales
Life




What I learned from Willy Loman:

Willy is ashamed: He's not selling things like he used to. He hears people laughing behind his back. He's disgraced that he can't pay an insurance bill because his wife had to repair their refrigerator.

He tries to hide his anxieties — and his hurts — with jokes and bluster, but his wife, Linda, has noticed that he's had a lot of driving accidents. One day, she goes into the basement, and finds a little rubber hose leading from a gas pipe.

"Willy Loman never made a lot of money," Linda tells her sons amid all this. "His name was never in the papers. He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid!"

Willy Loman - Death of a Salesman

I never really intended to make Sales a career - just kind of fell into it and then before I knew it salespeople were paying attention to me and they said "Hey why don't you manage them?" and then I really had to learn what I was doing. Salespeople can spot bullshit a mile away so either you had better be solid to an extreme or have better bullshit than all of them. I figured there are too many of them to try to be better at it so the averages would work better if I went the solid route. I never looked back after that...

Willy didn't make that choice and things kind of caught up with the poor guy. He figured a smile, a story and a good shoeshine will take care of things and it does for a while. You can make a real good living with a strong work ethic, a smile, some great banter and drive - But then things kind of creep up on you and you'd better have something solid when the wolves come calling.

The wolves of age, responsibilities, expectations and circumstance will bite through your polished exterior into your very soul unless you have something solid to fend them off.

I love Willy - See him every day. In airports, at offices, in overheard conversations and snippets of stories told to lighten things up and create rapport with an endless stream of prospects.

Everyone is a prospect for something aren't they - Willy Loman I understand you. I love you for who you are - but you make me sad.

I sold like Willy and then realized I didn't want to be Willy.

So what did I learn from this Sales Life?

Solid Beats Bullshit.

That's what I learned from Willy Loman.

Shun Fujimoto

Focus.




What I learned from Shun Fujimoto:

Focus.

Montreal Olympics 1976

As Shun Fujimoto completed the floor exercise in the mens competition with a final tumbling run he felt a strange sensation in his right knee but continued anyway.

His kneecap was broken. He had shattered it early in the routine.

Shun was focused more on what his team needed than the discomfort he felt. The Japanese team were all intent on upsetting the heavily favored Soviet team and his performance would go a long way to determining the nations fate in the Olympics. It was for every member of the team a matter of honor to distinguish themselves against such a mighty opponent. The nation, indeed the world was watching them.
Shun decided to tell no one of the "twinge" he felt - not even his coach.

On the pommel horse he strode up purposefully, mounted and miraculously performed like a champion. He scored a remarkable 9.5 out of 10 to keep the team in contention. Honor was intact.

But then came the Rings. The final event of the day.

The rings that would require him hurling his body into the air in a twisting triple somersault dismount. His performance was poetic. Soaring from the rings eight feet in the crisp air and into the glaring lights he curled and climbed. Strength and beauty in perpetual motion driving toward the earth he spiked his shattered limb into the floor in perfect symmetry.

His dismount nailed into the ground, standing as tall as a flag post, strong and solid,with only the slightest shadow of movement.

The pain sliced through him like a knife. His eyes glistened with tears yet held the stoic thousand yard stare of a seasoned soldier. His teeth clenched tight and his arms raised high in the time honored salute to the crowd. The man stood tall and erect. The man Focused.

His score was the highest in his career, ever, a 9.7.

As Shun Fujimoto staggered away and collapsed in the arms of his coach the full extent of what he had done set in. His broken kneecap was shattered and the ligaments in his leg destroyed.

The doctor said "How he managed to do somersaults and twists and land without collapsing in screams is beyond my comprehension."

Shun Focused.

His teammates were inspired.

They needed a 9.5 to overtake the Soviets.

They scored a 9.9 and won the Gold.

Shun Fujimoto

Focus

That's what I learned from Shun.

Click here to watch his performance.

47 Ronin

The Way of
the Warrior.




"Out of the Night that covers me
Black as the pit from pole to pole
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul"

What I learned from the 47 Ronin:

Bushido.

Bushido is a Japanese term, literally meaning the Way of the Warrior, a code of life and death for the Samurai. It is an ethical code of conduct that transcends time, circumstance and the self.

It is the Way of the Warrior.

Born and raised with Bushido code, a true warrior is always alert, on guard and ready to do battle. A Bushido warrior is prepared to give his life at a moments notice. He will enter the fiercest fighting, eager for glory regardless of circumstance and danger. He sees battles, adversity and challenges as opportunities to live and die by the code.

To understand the essence of Bushido - Click here

We teach our children the practical and pragmatic skills to survive and thrive in a material world.
We educate them in the hallowed halls of academia with teachers, tomes and technology.
We advocate or refute the merits of varied religious faiths.
We influence them with guidance or abdicate and allow other influences to guide them.
We try to do what we feel is best to prepare them to succeed.

But how many of us tell the tales of illogical romantic ideals that inspire us to be more than ourselves? How many weave tapestries that teach our children to respect and revere the code of warriors who serve without question and put themselves in harms way for us?

Some view the warrior code, with its focus on duty, honor and loyalty as an anachronism. They deride the words and phrases as propaganda that appeals only to the immature and unenlightened.

I say to them - God save me from mature enlightenment if that is true.

As an old soldier, and even older father, Bushido is a code that I have tried to pass on to my daughter. Aikido training reinforced the importance of honor, loyalty and the seven virtues.
Bushido and the code became a Rosetta stone in her development and education. Aikido continues the evolution of the ancient code which holds as a central tenant the concept of "ending the fight".

Aikido harmonized her spirit and true warrior stories influenced and entertained her. Stories of sacrifice, honor and loyalty. Stories of duty and selflessness. Stories of serving to become more than yourself and better than yourself. Stories that romanticized and reinforced the importance of living by a code. It was no surprise to me when she announced that her favorite Disney movie was "Mulan".





"True victory
is victory
over yourself"








The stories of the 47 Ronin of Ako, the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae and the 600 men of the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava portray vivid examples of the Bushido code at its most honorable. Sadly the code today is no longer valued as it was and indeed is often ridiculed in favor of self interests. Intellectuals disparage it, materialists chastise it and most decry it as romanticizing violence at its worst and ridiculous lemming like behavior at the very least.

Bushido is an altruistic ideal that the self serving intellect may never comprehend. We all choose a path in life - some choose a code.

The 47 Ronin of Ako.

In the 47 Ronin story, the leader of the 47 Ronin - Oishi Kuranosuke is quoted as saying:


"Some people live all their lives without knowing which path is right. They're buffeted by this wind or that and never really know where they're going. That's largely the fate of the commoners - those who have no choice over their destiny. For those of us born as samurai, life is something else.
We know the path of duty and we follow it without question".


To read the story of the 47 Ronin - Click here.

The 300 Spartans at Thermopylae.

As 300 Spartans stood against seven thousand invaders, their leader Leonadis was heard to say:


"When you go home
Tell them of us and say
For their tomorrow
We gave our today."


To read the story of the 300 Spartans - Click here.

The 600 Light Brigade of Balaclava.

In his epic poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote:


"When can their glory fade
Oh the wild charge they made
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made
Honor the Light Brigade
Noble six hundred."


To read the complete poem - Click here
To read the story of the Charge of the Light Brigade - Click here.

Those who Serve Today.

Whether they say "Semper Fidelis" or "De Oppresso Liber" those who serve today share the same code.


"I am the unknown soldier
And maybe I died in vain.
But if I were alive
and my country called
I'd do it all over again."


Bushido, at its essence, is a path of service.

That service could as well be to faith, family, teaching, healing or protecting others.
Once the service becomes more important than you -then perhaps it has also become Bushido.

Live by a code bigger than yourself

A code more important than your self interest.

That's what I learned from the 47 Ronin.

To Learn more about Bushido - Click here

To Learn more about the 47 Ronin of Ako - Click here

To Learn more about Aikido - Click here

Blaise Pascal

Are you
Sure?





What I learned from Blaise Pascal.

You may ask are you sure?

or

Why Should I...

Why should I discipline myself to work harder during challenging times even if the results appear not to be bearing immediate fruit? Why should I call on more people, put in longer hours and drive myself to the bone when it doesn’t look like it's working? Why not just coast and wait for things to get better?

Well I kind of look at it like Pascal’s Wager.

Pascal's Wager (or Pascal's Gambit) is a suggestion posed by the French philosopher Blaise Pascal that even though the existence of God cannot be determined through reason, a person should "wager" as though God exists, because by so living he has everything to gain, and nothing to lose.

An atheist visited the great rabbi and philosopher Martin Buber and demanded that Buber prove the existence of God to him. Buber refused, and the atheist got up to leave in anger. As he left, Buber called after him, "But can you be sure there is no God?" That atheist wrote, forty years later, "I am still an atheist. But Buber's question has haunted me every day of my life." The Wager has that haunting power.

So when people ask me –

Can you be sure this hard work stuff will pay off?

I think of Pascal’s Wager and say – I don’t know...

But you have a lot to gain and nothing to lose by believing it will.

When we consistently do the things that we know we should do we have everything to gain and nothing to lose. It sets a character that stands apart – it differentiates and distinguishes you from the crowd.

I have found that believers are more compelling, engaging and productive than cynics and they certainly make better salespeople.

• Work every day as if you were applying for the job.
• Call on more people and do the things that others won’t.
• Sell to them and talk to them as if you were going to have the customer in your home for dinner every night for the rest of your life.
• Think thoughts, take actions and speak to every person as if you don’t mind it all showing up on the front page of the newspaper every day.

Me - I'm sure there is a God.

And -I'm sure working hard and doing the right thing will pay off.

That's what I learned from Blaise Pascal.

GI Joe

Straighten up
Ladies.







What I learned from GI Joe

So the economy is in the toilet.
Work harder and longer.

So you might lose your job or business.
Get another one.

So you may lose your house.
Build another one.

So your credit is wrecked.
Pay Cash.

So you are broke.
Start selling, working harder and saving again.

So you and your family are hungry.
It's not going to kill us - REALLY - it's not going to kill us.

What the hell happened to the men in America ?

They get a sniffle and call in sick.
They can't function without eight hours of sleep.
They need lunch breaks and health care , cable TV and American Idol.
They coddle their children and say it's ok to be less than they can be.
They lose a few bucks and cry like the world is coming to an end.
They snivel and grovel and ask the government to bail them out.

Give me a friggin break.

No one is shooting at you people!

Straighten up - fly right and act like men.

That's what we can do.

It will save your self respect, your livelihood and for gods sake this whole damn country.

No one is shooting at you people.

That's what I learned from GI Joe.

Babe Ruth

Imperfect





What I learned from Babe Ruth

• Babe was imperfect.

• Phelps is imperfect.

• Lance is imperfect.

So what?

Why not look at the stuff they did that was awesome and learn a little?

• Abe was imperfect.

• Winston was imperfect.

• Mother Theresa was imperfect.

SO WHAT!!!

Yep they were sometimes stupid, sometimes self serving and definitely flawed when viewed in the rear view mirror of detached righteousness.

The point, from my view anyway, is they have good stuff to teach us.

Stuff that can make each of us just a little bit better.

I'm pretty sure the stuff that it took to break the four minute mile.

The stuff that it took to stand up to Hitler.

The stuff that it took to point to the bleachers and hit it beyond.

Can teach us all SOMETHING!

I could care less about their human frailties.

I would rather Learn.

That's what I learned from Babe, Michael, Winston et al

Paul Newman

Perfect






What I learned from Paul Newman:

Sally Field upon his passing simply stated

"Paul Newman was the perfect man".

All I know of Paul is what I saw and read and heard, unfortunately he was one of those guys that I had to admire and respect from afar.

But boy did I admire and respect him.

Paul was one of those rare guys that I would just loved to have shared a drink with, been privileged to shake his hand and humbly say right to his face "Paul you're just a damned good man - period."

There is real substance there. Not the preening, ego driven stuff that makes the metro sexual crowd search for a mirror, the real stuff.

The right stuff - The real stuff -that was Paul Newman.

The stuff that creates a business and donates every penny of it's success - tens of millions of dollars to charity.

The stuff that finds a woman and stays with her, through thick and thin, with undoubtedly wanton wannabes throwing themselves at him every day. A man who could have anything and anyone he wants sticking with his principles and the right stuff.

The stuff that says "car racing sure" and then goes out and wins.

The stuff that says "Hollywood, I will work there but I can't be it"

The stuff that says autographs? I'm just a simple guy - a humble man.

The stuff that inspires a grown man when watching Cool Hand Luke "You're gonna have to kill me" resonating as much as his truly masculine tone perfect humor in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid "Can't swim? the fall is gonna kill you".

This guy wasn't an actor - this guy was a man.

He makes every one of us look in the mirror and feel just a little less than perfect if we are honest with ourselves.

Perfect

That's what I learned from Paul Newman.

Ted Williams

Think
406




What I learned from Ted Williams:

Think 406.

We are all creatures of habit; our lives are determined by the "path of least resistance" driven by a mindset and comfortable thoughts that we have become accustomed to following.

We do what we do because it has become the easiest and most familiar habit. Like a cart running in a circle. Over time it wears down the ground into ruts. The longer the cart goes around, the deeper the ruts and the harder it is to change course. As much as we have the best intentions to change unproductive outlooks, thoughts and behavior our actions will inevitably follow habits we have established over many years. We will continue to get what we have already got.

The Red Queen in "Alice through the looking glass: says 'Now, here you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!'.

The pace of our life is often so frenetic that when it comes to things we have control over, we just want to keep things as they are. Changing outcomes consistently is hard. You're taking on your toughest opponent - yourself.

So how do you think differently and get different outcomes?

Try a number that may be familiar to some of you baseball fans - 406.

What is 406?

When Ted Williams came to the last game of the season one year he was batting 400 and his coaches, teammates, and pretty much every one he spoke to told him to sit out the last game in order to maintain the storied 400 batting average for the year rather than risk it falling below the hallowed mark by playing. Ted didn't think that way because he had wired his mind and his habits differently. Consequently he went out and batted to end the year at 406.

If you seek success you need to harness and focus your passion.

The world is filled with nine to five thinkers that do just enough to get through the day. Their habits are on autopilot and their accomplishments follow the crowd. Why join them?
These sad souls are easy to spot and even easier to surpass in accomplishments, they do what everyone else does, think like every one else thinks and every thing is essentially the same for them - what do these people lack?

Passion, discipline and drive.

Some peoples days are made up of accepting a lowered expectation and baseline. Their habits doom them to repeat what they have already done in the past often settling for less than they desire. They stubbornly resist a prime law of physics - All things atrophy over time. It's like trying to stay in one place, stationary, on a bicycle.

You need to fire yourself up daily with documented and shared challenges. You need to be uncomfortable. This isn't something that is going to happen anyway. You are out to achieve breakthroughs. You'll need commitment and follow through. Guess what - if you're not passionate about daily growth, it won't happen. It sure won't happen if you rationalize your shortcomings. Ted Williams could have settled for 400 and comfortable but he was a 406 guy.

Every one of us writes the script to our own lives. Whether you know it or not - people can read your script from a mile away. It's like it is written on a billboard and you light it up with your daily attitudes, actions and accomplishments.

By doing what you have always done - you will get what you have always got. If you want something different learn to think 406.

Think 406.

That's what I learned from Ted Williams.

Rob Bell

What I learned from Rob Bell:

Change is Growth.

When you have worked in sales for thirty years or more you come across pretty much every personality type under the sun. The very best personalities surprise you with a depth that is often hidden far beneath a practiced and polished surface.

Such are the mistakes made by those ivory tower masters of business who look for formulaic attributes in lieu of uncovering character. The temptation is to categorize or profile what you believe will be successful when you look for new guys. Although this is a favorite human resources sideline not even the best of them can profile how the salesperson will respond to change and adversity - Trust me.

What you really need to find out early is how they will respond to change and especially the change that they do not initiate -you need to look for a guy like Rob Bell. Rob is emotional and opinionated to the extreme (most passionate people are) with a polished surface that has been carefully hardened to fend off all but the most trusted souls.

I worked with Rob in software sales and training for a couple of years. The sales process changed, the rulers of the kingdom came and went with their versions of the silver bullet that would solve everything. They changed his territory, his title, his compensation and responsibilities like a pawn being moved around on a chessboard. Every day was a new "green field idea" and Rob rolled with the punches like a true champion always rising from the canvas to fight another day. Not that he didn't state his case about the changes at every opportunity.
The boy is, after all, a true salesman at heart with all the good and bad that title brings with it.

Occasionally he would explode in righteous indignation - cell phone calls at night with missives and exclamations about the unreasonable, illogical, unfairness of it all and then...

The next day he would put it all in perspective "This is a learning experience - it's just another personal growth opportunity".

If you ever want to see a pure example of "It's not what happens - it's your response to what happens" - then you could do no better than to sit and talk to Rob Bell for just a few minutes.

I liked the guy but more importantly I learned from the guy.

Change is Growth.

That's what I learned from Rob Bell.

Sage Nakamura

Gaman




What I learned from Sage Nakamura:

Gaman is one of those words so close to the core of Japanese culture that it’s impossible to translate. Basically it is a virtue. It means, ‘show your spirit by enduring without complaint,’ or ‘do a huge favor for someone, and never tell them how difficult it was for you.’

I love Japan, it's culture and traditions ~ so much so that I studied martial arts extensively and even went so far as to fall in love and marry a Japanese girl from Okinawa - decades later it has proved to be the best decision I've ever made in my life ~ but I digress:

There was a time I coached children in soccer - it was a very rewarding, joyful and inspiring experience to say the very least. I had two teams at the time. The primary being an all star Under 16 boys team in Texas, made up of some truly remarkable athletes. One of which was Jeff Agoos who went on to represent the United States national team over a hundred times and in a couple of world cups.

The second team was on the other end of the talent spectrum- A recreational team for under twelve year old boys -this is the one that Sage Nakamura played on. Sage was a coaches dream.

I would force the all star team to go out and watch the recreational team just to show them what spirit and will power and drive can do to inspire others - Sage was a great visual aid.

The talented boys would invariably ridicule the ability of the recreational team as talented individuals are prone to do with those less blessed but the point was valid and made nonetheless.

Sage was always first to practice and last to leave. Enthusiastic, vibrant and hell for leather in every drill he was a fireball of energy that inspired everyone around him - myself perhaps more than anyone. The team voted on their captain and it was no surprise - they picked Sage.




He would constantly poke fun at himself and his heritage, much to the chagrin of his onlooking parents, who both worked locally for Sony, by imitating a kamikaze pilot going in for the kill on every tackle. The other kids loved it as he flung himself, without fear or timidity into the fray.

His English was punctuated with Japanese words that he would play with - the most common being Gaman. He used it to encourage his teammates on as a play on "come on" probably not seeing the irony that his parents and I would share in frequent after game pizza parties. I loved the kid and his spirit.

Sage played for me for two years then one summer he didn't show up for the pre season get together. I called his parents to inquire on my dynamic little sparkplug selfishly hoping his parents had not returned to their homeland. "Hi Akiko - Is Sage coming out this season?"

In her unmistakably quiet and gentle voice Mrs Nakamura replied...

"Sage died of cancer over the summer"

None of us had a clue.

His parents returned to Japan soon after - I wept uncontrollably.

I still think of Sage every time I watch a game.

Gaman is - ‘Show your spirit by enduring without complaint,’ or ‘do a huge favor for someone, and never tell them how difficult it was for you.’

Sage Nakamura was to every one who knew him - Gaman.

None of us had a clue.

Gaman

That's what I learned from Sage Nakamura.

Gary Sutton

You can't help
If they don't see
a problem.


What I learned from Gary Sutton:

You can't help - If they don't see a problem.

Whether it be people or companies the situation is always the same.

Most people call for help when the need is so dire that EVERYONE, everywhere, can plainly see there is a problem. Isn't it strange how we kid ourselves until ...?

The challenge is - IF most people were really honest with themselves it could have been corrected so very much earlier with a lot less effort and pain - the challenge is simply being honest with ourselves.

Gary Sutton is a man who has written a few very well received books in the business community. We agree on a lot of things, which worries me because I think most consultants fall into the ivory tower academias rather than those due respect; not the least being people always seem to ask for help when they are standing on the edge of an abyss that they have denied was there for far too long.

One of his most successful books (sales revenues wise) is:


"The Six Month Fix:

Adventures in rescuing failing companies".

"If you're the CEO of a struggling business, let's hope we never meet. I'm Gary Sutton, a turnaround guy. When I arrive you leave. Results usually get better and fast."-from the Introduction to The Six-Month Fix Lessons on how to save a sick company from a top turnaround CEO. One of the business world's most sought-after "trauma specialists," Gary Sutton has salvaged nearly a dozen failing businesses, including everything from printing, garbage hauling, and burglar alarm companies to aerospace, satellite communications, and software firms.

The contents of his book, which can just as easily apply to a personal turnaround as well as solutions for failing companies, include:

First, Stop the Bleeding
Turnaround Scams and Screw-Ups
Over and Over and Over Again, the Same Mistakes
Make What Sells
Raise a Flag, Any Flag
Specialize Or Die
Scorn Break even
Slash Costs
Jumpstart New Products
Manage More than Lead
Crawl Into the Customer's Skin
Cheap is Such a Pretty Word
Nudge Value Up
Human Resources is Neither
Hustle the Hustlers
Interview Smarter
Cinderellas
Second Opinions
Contracts Are Sales Literature
Downgrade Education
Reverse Discriminate
Raise Pay, Cut Benefits
Walk the Floor
Incentivize, Everyone
Tighten the Ship
Publish A Firing Policy
Beat the Union
Fight Politics
Dance With That Debt Devil
Duck Computer Traps
Kill Meetings
Kick Down the Walls
What's Your Business?
Turnarounds Yes, Startups No and Why
One Bubble Off Plumb
Eliminate Sex
Attack Drugs and Booze
Quit Gambling. Oh, Yes You Are
Send God Back to Church
Slash Consulting
Use Lawyers Less
Romance the Bankers
Use the CPA's As More Than An Accountant
Insurance Stupidity
Challenge the Do-Gooders
Break Laws Carefully
The Turnaround Never Ends
How it Feels
Dressing Up the Stiff
Cash Makes You Stupid
Demand Straight Talk
Create Real Plans
Get Advertising Results
Cut Costs By Raising Quality
Manage from One Piece of Paper
Invest Simply
Negotiate Faster
Flatten that Pyramid
Watch for Trouble Signs
Sell Harder
Raise Ethics, Boost Profits
Ride the Big Wave
Seed Your Culture with the Employee Manual
Elephant Hunting
Boards Suck: Here's How to Cope
Shareholders Only

You want to know why Gary is so successful?

He is a Straight Talking, No Nonsense, ACTION guy - something that most people believe is not nice.

Yet when the people who wanted nice find themselves with an undeniable problem - that everyone else has now noticed - they reluctantly call in Gary Sutton.

You can't help - If they don't see a problem.

That's what I learned from Gary Sutton.

Learn more about Gary Sutton:

The Six Month Fix

Michael Phelps

Dig
Deeper



What I learned from Michael Phelps:

Dig Deeper.

Each of us believes we dig deep at certain times and then we see this.

It puts our efforts in perspective to say the very least.

Have you noticed that with some remarkable individuals the more you push them the deeper they dig within themselves? They look inside themselves for the answers - That is the trait of true champions.

In sports, business and indeed in life itself it seems that the true achievers cannot be pushed more than they push themselves. Every challenge, every adverse condition, every slight or external variable adds fuel to an insatiable inner drive they dig up from deep within.

Bob Bowman, the coach of Michael since he was eleven years old, talks about how he would take his goggles fill them with sand and water and stamp on them right before a race to unsettle the boy. Michael merely sucked it up and drove forward to win and win and win.

To call Michael Phelps competitive is a little bit of an understatement

Bowman recalled. “The thing that really struck me was that he was so competitive in everything he did, whether he was playing a game on the playground or whether he was swimming in a meet.”

But what do you do if you want to get the best out of the very best?

Bowman’s simple training technique for Phelps is — “to push him to exhaustion, then ask for something more”

Most people push back when you push hard - very few dig deeper.

The truly remarkable, the very few that have focused and disciplined their drive to achieve Olympian sized objectives like Michael Phelps

Dig Deeper than Anyone can Push.

Dig Deeper

That's what I learned from Michael Phelps.

Greg Reid

Lose the
Lantern.





What I learned from Greg Reid:

Lose the Lantern.

It was in the early eighties and there were just a few young turks that sold promotional products over the phone with me at the time. Each of them had an ego the size of Everest and every one to a fault had drive, determination and gregarious personality to spare.

I figured a wilderness trip to find a little more about what was under the veneer might be a good idea. So we trekked out to the mountains near Idlewild for a couple of days and nights.

Greg was one of the ten or twelve guys that came along with this old soldier who was determined to see what they were made of.

The guy was loaded to the gills with parka, boots, backpack, snacks and for some reason, known only to him, a kerosene lantern that must have weighed a ton. It was over ninety degrees in August in California.

It was hot.

I smiled but said nothing.

We hiked for miles out into the middle of nowhere and i could see the frustration and anger boiling inside the superstar egos of boys who had mastered the ability to sell anyone but had not mastered themselves. Over hill and into cavern we slogged and they dutifully followed, squealing every step of the way at the unfairness and futility they felt the whole exercise represented. "Dan this is stupid - you don't even know where you're going - What the hell is the point of this?"

Finally Greg collapsed in a heap at the foot of a hill - "I can't go any further - this is bull**&%"

I turned to him and said - Greg you might want to get rid of some of that weight - like the lantern - and oh by the way I'm going up the hill. You are welcome to stay here or come along.

Greg got rid of the lantern and stuff - We went forward together.

Gregory Scott Reid has come a long way since those days. He has pursued his dreams of building, helping and mentoring - Check out his Always Good site - I believe it may be because he let go of his lantern, left some of the baggage behind and focused forward.

Lose the Lantern

That's what I learned from Greg Reid.

Learn more about Greg Reid

Always Good

Randy Pausch

Play the Hand
You're Dealt.



What I learned from Randy Pausch:

Play the Hand You're Dealt.

They are thrust forward into our attention by their difference. The difference in the way they look at life and how they respond to circumstance, challenge, adversity and the hand they are dealt.

The true enormity being a realization that human beings can be so very, very strong, inspiring and just plain old good when they really want to be. We read about them, watch them and listen to them and they make a difference because they so strongly manifest what we all can be. Their lives serve as an inspiring clarion call - screaming from the mountain peaks, encouraging and challenging us

"Look at What You Can be - Look at how You Can Inspire Others"

Randy Pausch showed us all what it is to be a man.

His popular book "The Last Lecture" brought him to the forefront and his inspiring presentation at Carnegie Mellon reverberated through cyberspace with a viral video popularity unparalleled.



In an age of attention deficit viewers that can rarely focus for more than a sound byte the full version of his presentation on video, almost an hour and a half long, produced millions upon millions of views.

(Watch the abbreviated version of the video here)

• Last Lecture Video
  

There are some people that echo every thing that is good about the human spirit and Randy certainly fits that measure.

As I watched and listened to him retell how his parents let him paint his room I thought about the time my daughter painted her room bright yellow to match her viewpoint. Randy's message resonated, I am sure, with fathers everywhere that want their children to continually strive to unlock every ounce of the potential they have within themselves.

I look at the picture of his children and can't help but think how they can be so very proud of the lessons they surely must have learned from this remarkable man. A life of meaning and purpose inspiring other lives to pursue meaning and purpose.

I STRONGLY encourage we all heed his clarion call and in some small way continue the remarkable example he sets in our lives.

Play The Hand You're Dealt.

That's what I learned from Randy Pausch.

Learn more about Randy Pausch:

Randy Pausch biography

Transcript - The Last Lecture

Ashley Delseni

A Clear
Glass of Water.






What I learned from Ashley Delseni:

There is a saying that asks you to look at how a person views the world - Do they see the glass half empty or half full? A lot of people use this tool to characterize the mindset of others and in business the attitudes of employees.

I prefer to look into the glass and try to see how clear the water is.

Personalities range across the spectrum, abilities are all over the map and personal drive is certainly difficult to gauge until you can observe the individual being challenged with adversity.

Ashley Delseni is a Clear Glass of Water.








In model employees you look for enthusiasm (bubbles), willingness to learn (can you pour more into the glass or is it already full of itself) and refreshing clarity ( an absence of the "Yeah but" syndrome).

When you need to quench your thirst (get something done) the glass needs to be available, dependable and instantly refreshing. Without an aftertaste or bitterness - it needs to do the job it's been asked to do.

I remember when her husband was deployed with the Marines to Iraq - I carefully observed her demeanor during a very trying time. She was grace under pressure - above the pond the swan was gliding gracefully, below she was paddling furiously to keep her attitude moving forward.

The glass was still refreshing, conscientiously available and bubbling with enthusiasm. She did what professionals do - turned a trying situation into an opportunity to grow and focus.

Ashley Delseni is a clear glass of water.

As employees come and go, people move through our lives and you try to profile those that refreshed you. I shall recall Ashley Delseni as the clear glass of water

Refreshment is A Clear Glass of Water.

That's what I learned from Ashley Delseni.

Learn more about Ashley Delseni:

Ashley's 3 Rules

Albert Einstein

3 Rules.





What I learned from Albert Einstein:

The smartest guys in the world have the remarkable ability to condense what the less intelligent man claims is complicated into easily understood concepts. From E=MC2 to their unique insights on life they make it simple. We may not agree but we certainly get it.

Intelligence is all about Making it Simple.

Albert Einsteins - Three Rules of Work.

• Out of Clutter find Simplicity.

• From Discord find Harmony.

• In the middle of Difficulty lies Opportunity.

I am in no position to argue with undoubtedly one of the greatest minds of our time so it seems like a "no brainer" to explore continuous improvement lessons that can be learned from the 3 rules of others. Why not make a point of asking people what their 3 rules are?

Three Rules.

That's what I learned from Albert Einstein.

Learn more about 3 Rules:

Click here to Share your 3 Rules of Life:

Kenzo Matsuzaki

Humility




What I learned from Kenzo Matsuzaki:

Or more to the point what I haven't learned well enough.

Humility.

I guess coming to America with nothing, learning in her military from the very best and then earning a few dollars closing deals over the years had given me a pretty egotistical outlook. There is a very fine line between confidence and arrogance. Stepping over that line may hone the competitive edge, harden us and feed the ego but it feels hollow and fraudulent after any significant introspection. None of us are as good as we think we are but don't try to tell us that - It's humbling.

Looking back on it Kenzo Matsuzaki was a cerebral life saver.

Kenzo knew a thing or two as an Aikido master and eastern renaissance man. He had virtually seen and done everything in the ninety plus years of his life. His quiet serenity seemed immune to challenge or circumstance and like some enormous rock the waves of life, whether crashing or gently caressing against him, produced the same steadfast countenance. It was truly remarkable to observe.

• "When you think you Know - You Don't"

• "When you think you're Good - You're Not"

He banged the point home with a sledgehammer, again and again.
You will never get better - "Kaizen cannot occur - If you think you know or think you are good" - he would always say.

Humility and Kaizen must dance together.

Kaizen - Continuous Improvement was what I wanted - and he knew it.

Humility was essential.



Humility.



Kaizen.


That's what I needed to learn from Kenzo Matsuzaki.

Learn more about Kaizen:

Kaizen - wikipedia article

William of Ockham

Ockham's Razor





What I learned from William of Ockham:

I have a friend who works for Google, lets call him Brian just to preserve his privacy. Brian is one very, very smart cookie. He attended Stanford and MIT on full scholarships, was recruited by virtually every tech firm in the Valley and is recognized, by everyone who knows him, as the smartest guy they know. But I don't think he has ever been on a date. He works hard, understands the most complex technology, concepts and terms and is invited to TED every year. But Brian doesn't consciously use Ockham' s razor when he talks. Is it us, or is it him?

Ockham's Razor states that in trying to understand something, getting unnecessary information out of the way is the fastest way to the truth or to the best explanation.

"If it Looks like a Duck, Walks like a Duck and Quacks like a Duck - It's a Duck". Through the ages many leading thinkers have said this:

"Simplicity is the utmost sophistication" Aristotle

So what was William of Ockham saying?

Of two equivalent theories, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred or "The simplest explanation is usually the best".

So what? - you say.

Well if you have difficulty explaining a value proposition, your concepts and ideas or something is too complicated to explain in simple terms then I put it to you that you're really not very smart and certainly not a genius. A real genius makes it all seem so very simple. Genius communicates. A real genius makes it quack like a duck.

Genius breaks concepts, discoveries, insights and ideas down into real life situations and connects with us. With stories and alignments that everyone can understand. Invention, discovery and cutting edge insights are very smart and they may well be the embryos of genius. But Genius, like Beethoven, Einstein and Newton, has the ability to

Make it Quack like a Duck.

That's what I learned from William of Ockham.

Learn more about Ockham's razor.

William of Ockham biography

Condoleezza & Margaret

Mental Toughness.





What I learned from Condoleezza & Margaret:

Mental Toughness that's what these two women have in bucket loads.

Put aside any politics for a moment.
Focus on the traits these women needed to have to make history.

• Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of Great Britain from 1979 to 1990. She is the first and only woman to date to hold that post.

• Condoleezza Rice was the 66th United States Secretary of State. The first and only black woman ever to hold that post.
  

Think for a moment about the challenges, prejudices and outright opposition these two women faced and overcame.

Think about the roadblocks and obstacles that must have been placed in their paths by opponents and detractors.

Think about the hostility, both overt and hidden, they must have faced.

They needed mental toughness of a truly remarkable nature to persevere, overcome and achieve.

And there can be no argument that they have achieved to a degree that will be noted in the history books.

There are some people, both men and women, who are just mentally tough. This toughness is something that very few people have the drive, discipline and sheer strength of will to develop.

This is the stuff that earns respect.

Forged by fire and brimstone these women have shown the right stuff. They made their mark in a world where insipid fluff panders to established patterns of comfortable thought. They broke through to differentiate and distinguish themselves.

They are the kind of people you want to have a drink with, bring home to dinner and instruct your kids to listen carefully to when they speak.

Condoleezza Rice and Margaret Thatcher are two such women.


Mental Toughness.


That's what I learned from Margaret and Condoleezza.

Learn more about Margaret Thatcher & Condoleezza Rice:

Margaret Thatcher biography

Condoleezza Rice biography

Stath Karras

Sunday Morning
Differentiation



What I learned from Stath Karras:

Sunday Morning I was out in the yard working and my cell phone rang.

"Dan this is Stath, sorry I missed your call on Friday - I have a few questions about your project let's get together on Monday "

Simple Call - Strong Subtext.

This guy follows through more conscientiously than most (Sunday morning) and he was the President of the Company I was pitching.

Stath Karras, at the time, was President and Chief Executive Officer of Burnham Real Estate. Stath has over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, the last sixteen with Burnham and Cushman Wakefield. Prior to his current position with Cushman Wakefield Stath oversaw all real estate and asset management for Burnham with responsibility for a portfolio totalling more than twelve million square feet of commercial space (from the Cushman Wakefield website biography page).

I remember the first time I met him on a ride along with the President of my company. We were selling information, data on businesses in the area, who they dealt with for real estate needs, what their growth plans were and various components relating to their satisfaction with current business relationships and the overall health of their company. The President primarily made the pitch (not a very good one I thought) and it was my job to close the deal after he did all the bells and whistles stuff. Essentially it was a he would wow them and I would work them.

I believe in being accessible, thus the cell phone call, but very few business prospects follow up on the "I'm always available to answer your questions" part of my philosophy. Very few earn my respect in this regard (but that's just me).

Seems like there is a lot of traction in the work - life balance movement. (like they are mutually exclusive concepts?)

Stath impressed me though as being different and driven from the questions he asked in the presentation - very ROI focused and a clearly aimed "what is your differentiator from similar offerings?"

Two points that cut through the fluff and bring your true value proposition home in my opinion. This guy is really focused.

Stath Karras is a sharp cookie - without a doubt - but more so than that he does what he says he is going to do. A character trait that goes a long way to earning respect from the bottom up.
When you need to inspire it is wise to start from the bottom up and Stath seemed to have that one down pat.

• A Leader - I should say.

• A Clear Thinking, Focused, Businessman - No question.

• A Man who Differentiates himself - Well he did with me.

Even if it's Sunday morning differentiate yourself.

A Man who Differentiates himself is remembered.

That's what I learned from Stath Karras

Learn more about Stath Karras:

Stath Karras - Cushman Wakefield biography

John Stumpf

Share of Wallet.





What I learned from John Stumpf:

The key indicator to Customer Satisfaction is the Share of Wallet you are getting from each customer in your portfolio.

I pitched John Stumpf a number of years ago on my way to the head honcho Dick Kovacevich - Chairman of Wells Fargo Bank. As is often the case in working large corporate deals the labyrinth or decision tree meant getting a yes from a whole lot of people in the chain, on your stuff, before the dollars actually happened.

My product was information - essentially which banks products and services were being used by which customers and the satisfaction levels they had with those products and services.

We identified the customers that were unhappy with each product or service and those that were very satisfied with each product and service. Which institution the customer was currently using for those services. What revenue and credit levels the customer had available, and how long they have been using them. We had data on whether they were considering raising or changing levels and providers and why. This is very high value, actionable, intelligence for banks and financial service providers as you can imagine.

John was an executive vice president at the time and a rising star by all accounts. A Minnesota farm boy who you could tell from the first meeting was going straight to the top.(He is now President of Wells Fargo). John is one of the few chief banking executives who escaped relatively unscathed from the recent sub prime mess. He made his bones with the old Norwest Group and was responsible for billions of dollars in acquisitions with over thirty Texas banks and the 23 billion dollar First Security Corporation acquisition.

Yep he punches above his weight. Dick says of him "I believe there is no leader anywhere better equipped to lead Wells Fargo and achieving double digit growth" I found I learned more about customer retention and churn in the conversation with him than in any communication I have had in business before or since.

Share of wallet was the mantra - get the customer to use more of your product and services through a comprehensive customer satisfaction focus. Make sure everyone in your company knows the focus. This single minded focus will provide double digit growth and double digit revenue per share increases for Wells Fargo Bank.

When I spoke, eventually, to Dick Kovacevich the message was identical. It was pretty impressive to see layers and layers of the internal hierarchy focused on a straightforward and cohesive goal.

Increase customer share of wallet by providing more and better services than they are getting elsewhere and provide it under one roof.

Share of Wallet.

That's what I learned from John Stumpf.

Learn more about John Stumpf.

John Stumpf - Wells Fargo biography

Leo Babauta

Make it
Your Life.



What I learned from Leo Babauta:

If you want to communicate effectively make it your life.

This old buzzard didn't know a blog from a log until he read Leo.

So writing one and making it a little more than narcissus gazing into the stream was a bit of a stretch for this old timer - it still is.

Leo Babauta writes the blog - Zen Habits

Leo Babauta has a wonderful humility and self effacing personality that belies his accomplishments in this new age of blogging. His self described "all I want to do is share what I have learned" philosophy resonated extremely well with me and so I figured here is a good guy to learn some stuff from. The description of himself on his blog pretty much sums it up...

"I have no formal qualifications. I am not an expert, or a doctor, or a coach, or a consultant. I don’t give seminars and I haven’t published a book. I haven’t made a million dollars and I’m not the world’s greatest athlete.

All I am is a regular guy, a father of six kids, a husband, a worker, and a free-lance writer. But I have accomplished a lot over the last year and change (and failed a lot) and along the way, I have learned a lot."

Leo is a teacher in the truest sense - "Here is what I learned - Tell me what you have learned - Do with it what you will".

His blog received 21,000 subscribers within the first six months and is well over 60,000 as of this writing. Primarily it is a self help vehicle with a Zen attitude - Cool and unassuming it carries along the wistful with the willful and is a pleasure to browse.

The thing I love about Leo, his approach, his blog and pretty much his way is that the undertone of "here is the guidance - now it's up to you" is very appealing.

I can certainly understand why Leo has such a strong readership.

It's all about what really matters to him in his life.

The passion and authenticity echoes like some ode to joy.

Make it your Life.

That's what I learned from Leo Babauta.

Learn more about Leo Babauta

Zen Habits

Boaz Rauchwerger

Personal
Choice & Action.




What I learned from Boaz Rauchwerger:

Happiness, success and wealth are matters of

Personal Choice & Action.

I met Boaz on my first day at a software company in San Diego as the Director of Sales. He was giving an inspirational presentation to the whole company and I said to myself "This guy is amazing".

I guess his story resonated from one immigrant to another opening up my attention a little earlier than the rest of the group. You could see that everyone was blown away by his exuberance and enthusiasm for a topic he was passionate about. The guy is remarkable.

Boaz is straightforward and different. Rather than most motivational speakers who lure in their audience with a maze of books, tapes, byzantine handouts and the familiar refrain of "here is a taste but you need to take the full course to get the benefits"

Boaz is bullet point effective.

• Direct your own life.
  

• You are responsible for your happiness.
  

• Here are some tools now take action.
  

Boaz came to America with his parents, who grew up in Palestine (now Israel) in the 1930's, not speaking a word of English.

He was nine years old - in a new land with new challenges (I get it).

In high school he had mastered the language well enough to be a radio broadcaster and since then has wowed audiences with a network television show, his own advertising firm and written a remarkable book "The Tiberius Transformation"

Boaz is funny, inspiring and passionate.

But more than that - Boaz tells it like it is (in this simple minded immigrants opinion his most endearing and engaging quality).

Your Choices and Actions Determine Your Success - Period.

That's what I learned from Boaz Rauchwerger.

Learn more about Boaz:

boazpower.com