EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS. Tom Peters/4

1
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.Tom Peters/4 Stitched
PPs/18June 2006
2
1
3
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
4
25
5
Manhole Cover Madness and More .
6
Chicagolands Mystery Disappearances
7
THREE BILLION NEW CAPITALISTS Clyde Prestowitz
8
One Singaporean worker costs as much
as 3 in Malaysia 8
in Thailand 13 in China
18 in India. Source The Straits
Times/2003
9
Thaksinomics (after Thaksin Shinawatra, PM)/
Bangkok Fashion City managed asset reflation
(add to brand value of Thai textiles by
demonstrating flair and design
excellence)Source The Straits Times/2004
10
Forget China, India and the Internet Economic
Growth Is Driven by Women. Headline,
Economist, April 15, 2006, Leader, page 14
11
EXCELLENCE. THE MANDATE.
12
If you dont like change, youre going to
like irrelevance even less. General Eric
Shinseki, Chief of Staff. U. S. Army
13
It is not the strongest of the species that
survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one
most responsive to change. Charles Darwin
14
We are in a brawl with no rules. Paul Allaire
15
Sams Secret 1!
16
"I think it is very important for you to do two
things act on your temporary conviction as if it
was a real conviction and when you realize that
you are wrong, correct course very quickly.
Andy Grove
17
We made mistakes, of course. Most of them were
omissions we didnt 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,
were 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 planfor months. Bloomberg
by Bloomberg
18
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 youre finding it when youre drawing maps
and studying logs, but you have to drill.
Source The Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian
O G wildcatter
19
Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre
successes.Phil Daniels, Sydney exec
20
Nelsons secret Other admirals more
frightened of losing than anxious to win
21
EXCELLENCE. STARTERS.
22
Radio City Music HallSeptember 2005
23
Franchise Lost! TP How many of you 600
really crave a new Chevy?NYC/IIR/061205
24
P.P.E.E.R.R.E.
25
People.Product.Execution.Enthusiasm.Relentless
.Re-invent.Excellence.
26
Did one of em ever turn to the other and say
Wow, I wonder what unimaginable new tools,
otherwise not possible, will be brought forth for
my daughter Alice, age 17, because of this deal?
27
My (Less) Dinner with HenriJUSTWHATIZZITUMAKE?
28
My (Less) Dinner with HenriJUST WHAT IS IT
YOU MAKE?
29
EXCELLENCE. THE WORD.
30
SynonymsPurityTranscendenceVirtueEleganceMaj
estyAntonymsMediocrity
31
EXCELLENCE. GAMECHANGER.
32
Excellence1982 The Bedrock Eight Basics 1. A
Bias for Action 2. Close to the Customer 3.
Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4. Productivity
Through People 5. Hands On, Value-Driven 6. Stick
to the Knitting 7. Simple Form, Lean Staff 8.
Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties
33
What is In Search of Excellence all
aboutPeople. Emotion. Engagement.
Exuberance. Action-Execution. Empowerment.
Independence. Initiative. Imagination. Great
Stories. Incredible Adventures. Trust. Caring.
Fun. Joy. Customer-centrism. Profit. Growth.
Brand You. Dramatic Differences.
Experiences that Make You Gasp. Excellence.
Always.
34
ExIn 1982-2002/Forbes.comDJIA 10,000 yields
85,000 EI 10,000 yields 140,050
Forbes/Excellence Index /Basket of 32
publicly traded stocks
35
A Comment on Tom Peters in the Context of the
Reagan Revolution Tom Peters and Steve Jobs
did more to make business cool for the rest of
us than any others. Rich Karlgaard, publisher,
Forbes
36
EXCELLENCE. CAUSES.ADVERSARIES.
37
Causes/1966-2006 Im
plementation/Small Wins (Stanford GSB/PhD
thesis 1st on implementation per
se) EXCELLENCE (as a worthy business
pursuit) Management Style/Corporate Culture Soft
Ss/7-S (Waterman-Peters complete business
model waaaaay beyond Strategy
Structure) Structure gt Strategy (We shape our
structures, then they shape us Churchillian
paraphrase) Soft Change Levers (gt structure
symbols, patterns settings) Close to the
Customer (novel idea, circa 1982) MBWA (Managing
By Wandering Aroundcourtesy a much more
intimate than today HP) Productivity through
People (novel idea, circa 1982) Chaos/Crazy Times
Call for Crazy Organizations Middle-sized
companies are cool Re-imagine!/Innovate or
Die! Small-ish/Scale Synergy limits-delusions/an
ti-Big Mergers
38
Causes/1966-2006 Women/Mark
et opportunity Women/Leaders (right for the
times) Design/Design-as-soul Wow! (Hot
language) Weird! Passion!/Enthusiasm!/Exuberance!
(as Leader Lever 1) Brand You (or else) PSF
Bedrock (add value or bustevery group must
demonstrate economic viability) PSF Brand You
WOW Projects New Biz Logic Sales/R gt -C
(increasing revenue more important than cutting
cost) HealthCare/Wellness-Safety-H5N1 Brand
Talent (best roster wins) New VA
Ladder/Products-Services-SOLUTIONS-EXPERIENCES-DRE
AMKETING (Dream Marketing)-LOVEMARK Different gt gt
Better Boomers Geezers/marketing to new
mega-segment
39
Hardball Are You Playing to Play or Playing to
Win? by George Stalk Rob Lachenauer/HBS
PressThe winners in business have always
played hardball. Unleash massive and
overwhelming force. Exploit anomalies.
Threaten your competitors profit sanctuaries.
Entice your competitor into retreat.Approximat
ely 640 Index entries Customer/s (service,
retention, loyalty), 4. People (employees,
motivation, morale, worker/s), 0. Innovation
(product development, research development, new
products), 0.
40
M.I.A. Talk. (Present.) Listen. (Interview.)
Sell. (Life Sales.) Do. (Execution-Implementatio
n.) 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)
41

Adversaries B-schools (crappy at soft skills,
implementation, leadership) Strategy-is-all By-the
-numbers management Dis-passionate
management Focus groups Intuition
discounted Leading as an intellectual
task Leading without passion Cool language in Hot
times Dilbert (accepting cubicle slavery) Bigness
per se (severe scale limitationseven at
Microsoft) White guys! (not really, but enough
already) 18-44 emphasis in marketing (geezers gt
youth for foreseeable future) -Cost gt Revenue
(cost cutting more important than organic revenue
growth) CI (continuous improvement in an age of
discontinuous world) LESS THAN THE
NO-HOLDS-BARRED PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
42
EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
43
Why in the world did you go to Siberia?
44
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.
45
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
46
Business The Ultimate Creative Endeavor.
47
Business The Ultimate Personal
Development-Growth Experience.
48
Business The Ultimate Transcendent Service
Opportunity.
49
EXCELLENCE. YOU ME.
50
In Toms world, its 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
51
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
52
My only goal is to have no goals. The goal,
every time, is that film, that very moment.
Bernardo Bertolucci
53
Life is not a journey to the grave with the
intention of arriving safely in a pretty and
well-preserved bodybut rather a skid in
broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out,
and loudly proclaiming, Wow, what a ride!
anon.
54
2
55
Action You Only Find Oil If You Drill Wells
56
CONTEXT
57
It is not the strongest of the species that
survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one
most responsive to change. Charles Darwin
58
Pathetic!
59
TP/BW on BigCo Sin 1 too much talk, too little
do
60
Ninety percent of what we call management
consists of making it difficult for people to get
things done. Peter Drucker
61
Forbes100 from 1917 to 1987 39 members of the
Class of 17 were alive in 87 18 in 87 F100
18 F100 survivors underperformed the market by
20 just 2 (2), GE Kodak, outperformed the
market 1917 to 1987.SP 500 from 1957 to 1997
74 members of the Class of 57 were alive in 97
12 (2.4) of 500 outperformed the market from
1957 to 1997.Source Dick Foster Sarah
Kaplan, Creative Destruction Why Companies That
Are Built to Last Underperform the Market
62
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
63
A BIAS FOR ACTION
64
Excellence1982 The Bedrock Eight Basics 1. A
Bias for Action 2. Close to the Customer 3.
Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4. Productivity
Through People 5. Hands On, Value-Driven 6. Stick
to the Knitting 7. Simple Form, Lean Staff 8.
Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties
65
Never forget implementation boys. In our work
its what I call the missing 98 percent of the
client puzzle. Al McDonald/McKinsey
66
We have a strategic plan. Its called doing
things. Herb Kelleher
67
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 youre finding it when youre drawing maps
and studying logs, but you have to drill.
Source The Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian
O G wildcatter (80)
68
We made mistakes. Most of them were omissions we
didnt 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, were
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 planfor months. Bloomberg by
Bloomberg
69
"I think it is very important for you to do two
things act on your temporary conviction as if it
was a real conviction and when you realize that
you are wrong, correct course very quickly.
Andy Grove
70
S.A.V.
71
Screw Around Vigorously
72
Sams Secret 1!
73
Fail faster. Succeed sooner.David Kelley/IDEO
74
Fail. Forward. Fast. High-tech Exec/PA
75
Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre
successes.Phil Daniels, Sydney exec
76
Boyd on TEMPO
77
The most successful people are those who are
good at plan B. James Yorke, mathematician,
on chaos theory in The New Scientist
78
He who has the quickest O.O.D.A. Loops
wins!Observe. Orient. Decide. Act./Col. John
Boyd
79
OODA Loop/Boyd CycleUnraveling 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)
80
The stuff has got to be implicit. If it is
explicit, you cant do it fast enough. John
BoydBOYD The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the
Art of War (Robert Coram)
81
Tempo!70-10Boyd/O.O.D.A. Loops/Mike
Leach/Texas Tech
82
70-10/Nebraska/Unk QB 643 yards K.State/ Linemen
spread wide/All legals go out for pass/Defenders
confused tire (Boyd/Tempo is not
speed/Re-arrange the mind of the enemyT.E.
Lawrence)/ By changing the geometry of the game,
and pushing the limits of space and time on the
gridiron, Mike Leach is taking Texas Tech to some
far out places. Michael Lewis (NY Times
Magazine, 12.04.05, on Mike Leach/Texas Tech)
83
In war, delay is fatal. Napoleon The only
way to whip an army is to go out and fight it.
Grant demonstrating the tactic that would
become his hallmark the immediate move to seek
out the enemy and attack him John Mosier, on
Grant A good plan executed right now is far
preferable to a perfect plan executed next
week. Patton
84
Relentless!Churchill, Grant, Patton, Welch,
Bossidy, Nardelli (GE execs), UPS, FedEx,
Microsoft/Gates-Ballmer, Eisner, Weill, eBay,
Nixon-Kissinger, Gerstner, Rice, Jordan, Armstrong
85
This adolescent incident of getting from
point A to point B is notable not only because
it underlines Grants 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
onturning back was not an option for him.
Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant
86
METABOLIC MANAGEMENT
87
The Leadership111. Talent
Management2. Metabolic Management3. Technology
Management4. Barrier Management5. Forgetful
Management6. Metaphysical Management7.
Opportunity Management8. Portfolio Management9.
Failure Management10. Cause Management11.
Passion Management
88
The secret of fast progress is inefficiency,
fast and furious and numerous failures.Kevin
Kelly
89
Active mutators in placid times tend to die off.
They are selected against. Reluctant mutators in
quickly changing times are also selected
against.Carl Sagan Ann Druyan, Shadows of
Forgotten Ancestors
90
How we feel about the evolving future tells us
who we are as individuals and as a civilization
Do we search for stasisa regulated, engineered
world? Or do we embrace dynamisma world of
constant creation, discovery and competition?
Do we value stability and control or evolution
and learning? Do we think that progress requires
a central blueprint, or do we see it as a
decentralized, evolutionary process?? Do we see
mistakes as permanent disasters, or the
correctable byproducts of experimentation? Do we
crave predictability or relish surprise? These
two poles, stasis and dynamism, increasingly
define our political, intellectual and cultural
landscape. Virginia Postrel, The Future and
Its Enemies
91
If things seem under control, youre just not
going fast enough. Mario Andretti
92
Im not comfortable unless Im
uncomfortable.Jay Chiat
93
If it works, its obsolete. Marshall McLuhan
94
Bossidy on EXECUTION
95
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
96
Execution is the job of the business leader.
Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/ Execution The
Discipline of Getting Things Done
97
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
98
Realism is the heart of execution. Larry
Bossidy Ram Charan/Execution The Discipline
of Getting Things Done
99
robust dialogue Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
100
GE has set a standard of candor. There is no
puffery. There isnt an ounce of denial in the
place. Kevin Sharer, CEO Amgen, on the GE
mystique (Fortune)
101
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. Im not knocking education or
looking for dumb people. But if you have to
choose between someone with a staggering IQ and
an elite education whos gliding along, and
someone with a lower IQ but who is absolutely
determined to succeed, youll always do better
with the second person. Larry
Bossidy/Execution The Discipline of Getting
Things Done
102
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 cant 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
103
The Leaders Seven Essential
BehaviorsKnow your people and your
businessInsist on realismSet clear goals and
prioritiesFollow throughReward the
doersExpand peoples capabilitiesKnow
yourself Source Larry Bossidy Ram Charan,
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
104
Action8/VPMR/Peters on BossidyExternal Focus
(Competitors/Customers)Realism/Truth-tellingVi
sion Projects (Must add up to Vision)
MilestonesCommitment/EnergyRapidReviewCons
equences (/-)
105
M P V
106
TACTIC 1
107
Culture of PrototypingEffective prototyping
may be the most valuable core competence an
innovative organization can hope to
have.Michael Schrage

108
EXCELLENCE. 4/40.
109
4/40
110
De-cent-ral-iz-a-tion!
111
Ex-e-cu-tion!
112
Ac-count-a-bil-ity!
113
615A.M.
114
K.I.S.S.
115
450/8
116
I wanted GE to operate with the speed,
informality, and open communication of a corner
store. Corner stores often have strategy right.
With their limited resources, they have to rely
on laser-like focus on doing one thing very
well. Jack Welch/Fortune/04.05
117
Lees Rule Run It off a Blackberry!
118
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.
119
BIAS
120
Excellence1982 The Bedrock Eight Basics 1. A
Bias for Action 2. Close to the Customer 3.
Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4. Productivity
Through People 5. Hands On, Value-Driven 6. Stick
to the Knitting 7. Simple Form, Lean Staff 8.
Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties
121
Importance of Success Factors by Various
Gurus/ Estimates
(Unreliable) by Tom Peters
Strategy Systems Passion/
Execution
Leadership
Porter
45 20 20
15Drucker 35 30 15
20Bennis 20 20
35 25Peters 15
20 30 35
122
MBWA
123
MBWA
124
25
125
Mark McCormack 5,000 miles for a 5 min. meeting!
126
The first and greatest imperative of command is
to be present in person. Those who impose risk
must be seen to share it. John Keegan, The
Mask of Command
127
LET US MARCH
128
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.
129
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
130
Do them!
131
In classical times when Cicero had finished
speaking, the people said, How well he spoke,
but when Demosthenes had finished speaking, they
said, Let us march. Adlai Stevenson
132
Let us march.
133
Nelsons secret Other admirals more
frightened of losing than anxious to win
134
A year from now you may wish You had
started today. Karen Lamb
135
You only find oil if you drill wells. T he
Hunters, by John Masters, Canadian O G
wildcatter
136
TP/Chile I dont know if it is possible. I
do know its necessary.
137
3
138
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOWmore or less
139
Cause
140
Create a cause, not a business. Gary Hamel
141
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
142
We are a life Success CompanyDave
Linegar, founder, RE/MAX
143
Artist
144
Leader Job 1Paint Portraits of Excellence!
145
I never, ever thought of myself as a
businessman. I was interested in creating things
I would be proud of. Richard Branson
146
People
147
Brand Talent.
148
Leaders do people. Anon.
149
Our MissionTo develop and manage talentto
apply that talent,throughout the world, for the
benefit of clientsto do so in partnership to
do so with profit.WPP
150
Decency
151

• It was much later that I realized Dads 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

152
Grace
153
Thank you
154
The two most powerful things in existence a
kind word and a thoughtful gesture.Ken Langone
155
Rodales on Grace elegance charm
loveliness poetry in motion kindliness ..
benevolence benefaction compassion beauty
156
Intangibles
157
Hard is soft. Soft is hard.In Search of
Excellence
158
Self-management
159
The First step in a dramatic organizational
change program is obviousdramatic personal
change! RG
160
You Your Calendar
161
You must be the change you wish to see in the
world.Gandhi
162
Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be
swamped with it yourself. Before you can move
their tears, your own must flow. To convince
them, you must yourself believe. Winston
Churchill
163
MBWA
164
The first and greatest imperative of command is
to be present in person. Those who impose risk
must be seen to share it. John Keegan, The
Mask of Command
165
A body can pretend to care, but they cant
pretend to be there. Texas Bix Bender
166
You cant lead a cavalry charge if you think you
look funny on a horse. John Peers, President,
Logical Machine Corporation
167
Curiosity
168
Why?
169
Ears
170
If you dont listen, you dont sell anything.
Carolyn Marland/MD/Guardian Group
171
Conformity
172
Companies have defined so much best practice
that they are now more or less identical.Jesper
Kunde, Unique Now ... or Never
173
To grow, companies need to break out of a
vicious cycle of competitive benchmarking and
imitation. W. Chan Kim René Mauborgne, Think
for Yourself Stop Copying a Rival, Financial
Times/08.11.03
174
The short road to ruin is to emulate the
methods of your adversary. Winston Churchill
175
Action
176
We have a strategic plan. Its called doing
things. Herb Kelleher
177
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.
178
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
179
Focus
180
Dennis, you need a To-dont List !
181
I used to have a rule for myself that at any
point in time I wanted to have in mind as it so
happens, also in writing, on a little card I
carried around with me the three big things I
was trying to get done. Three. Not two. Not
four. Not five. Not ten. Three. Richard
Haass, The Power to Persuade
182
Change
183
If you dont like change, youre going to
like irrelevance even less. General Eric
Shinseki, Chief of Staff. U. S. Army
184
Im not comfortable unless Im
uncomfortable.Jay Chiat
185
The most successful people are those who are
good at plan B. James Yorke, mathematician,
on chaos theory in The New Scientist
186
Relentless
187
This adolescent incident of getting from
point A to point B is notable not only because
it underlines Grants 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
onturning back was not an option for him.
Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant
188
Richard Kevin
189
Sir Richards RulesFollow your passions.Keep
it simple.Get the best people to help
you.Re-create yourself.Play.
190
Kevin Roberts Credo1. Ready.
Fire! Aim.2. If it aint 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!
191
Passion Enthusiasm
192
I am a dispenser of enthusiasm. Ben Zander
193
Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
194
A man without a smiling face must not open a
shop. Chinese ProverbCourtesy Tom Morris,
The Art of Achievement
195
Hustle
196
Most important, he upped the energy level at
Motorola. Fortune on Ed Zander/08.05
197
Sunny
198
Ronald Reagan radiated an almost transcendent
happiness. Lou Cannon
199
A leader is a dealer in hope.Napoleon
200
Aim High
201
The greatest dangerfor most of usis not that
our aim istoo highand we miss it,but that it
istoo lowand we reach it.Michelangelo
202
Beware of the tyranny of making Small Changes to
Small Things. Rather, make Big Changes to Big
Things. Roger Enrico, former Chairman, PepsiCo
203
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. Steve Jobs
204
Dream
205
the wildest chimera of a moonstruck mind The
Federalist on TJs Louisiana Purchase
206
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one
wild and precious life? Mary Oliver
207
Sell
208
. Everyone lives by selling something.
Robert Louis Stevenson
209
Value-added
210
798
211
415/SqFt798/SqFt
212
Experience
213
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
214
No Limits
215
You do not merely want to be the best of the
best. You want to be considered the only ones who
do what you do.Jerry Garcia
216
!
217
4
218
The Irreducible209/Sales122/60TIBsTom
Peters/0607.2006
219
The Irreducible209
220
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, hed 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 meand 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
221
1. Hare 1, Tortoise 0. (Hare-y times.) 2. Tempo.
(O.O.D.A.) 3. MBWA. 4. Appreciation. (Motivator
1.) (Cant 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.)
222
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.
223
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.
Wegmans. (No excuses. Mere groceries.) 43.
Less than your best. Cheating.
224
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 gt 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.)
225
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. Dont
belittle. 70. Respect. 71. All we have this
moment. (Moments matter most?) 72. Now.
(Procrastination. Death.)
226
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.)
227
86. You Calendar. (Calendar. Never. Lies.) 87.
Laugh. 88. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.) 89.
Dont 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?)
228
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.)
229
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.
230
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 gt Neg. Encourage gt
Fix.) 136. Somebodys doing it today. Find
em. 137. Someone is living 2016 in 2006.
(Find em. Study em.)
231
138. Dont 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.
232
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.)
233
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 youre done. (Done. Sooner than you
think.)
234
177. Today. Now. My Project. Am. Is. I.
Period. 178. Beautiful systems. (Good biz
phrase. Not oxymoron.) 179. Build on
strengths gt Fix weaknesses. 180. To dont To
do. (To dont gt 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.
235
188. Handshake. (Quantity. Quality.)189. Dont
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 dont work.
Small acquisitions can/do workif you
dont screw with their energy.
236
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.
237
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 doesnt 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
dont sleight.)207. Dont dumb down. Ever.
238
208. NO LESS THAN EXCELLENCE.
EVER.209. EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.
239
Work In ProgressXXX. 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. Dont 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. 615AM.XXX.
Donnelly Weatherstrip rules.XXX. Managers do
things right. Leaders do the right
thing. NOT.
240
GE (more or less)The Sales122 122
Ridiculously Obvious Thoughts About Selling
StuffTom Peters/0402.2006
241
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, its 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
242
1. Strategy overrated, simply doin stuff
underrated. See Kelleher and Bossidy We have a
strategic plan, its 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 logicask 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 winnersthink search
Googlestart as something small. Many big
dealsDisney Pixarcould have been done as
little-er deals if youd had the guts to jump
before the value became obvious.
243
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. ITS RELATIONSHIPS,
STUPIDDEEP 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 logicalif you (deeply!) understand
the matrix in which they exist. 10. Relationships
from within our firm are as importantoften more
importantas those from outsideagain broad is as
important as deep. Alliesavid 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!
244
Everyone lives by selling something. Robert
Louis Stevenson
245
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 enoughweirdos 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. Dont short-change (time, money,
depth) the proposal process. Miss one tiny
nuance, one potential incentive that makes my
day for a key Client playerand watch the whole
gig be torpedoed. 16. Sticking with it
sometimes pays, sometimes notit 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
RELATIONSHIPSdont get hung upparticularly in
tech firmson what industries-countries women
cant do. (Or some such bullshit.)
246
18. Work incessantly on your storymost
economic value springs from a good story (think
Perrier)! In sensitive public or quasi-public
negotiations, a compelling story is of immense
valuepolitics is about the tension among
competing stories. (If you dont 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 mathi.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 dont listen, you dont
sell anything.Carolyn Marland/MD/Guardian
Group)
247
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 dont know Jack Squat
about other peoples culturesespecially if you
are a typically myopic American. (Like me.) 26.
Are you a great interviewer? Its 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 lifes workwith stupendous
payoff. 28. Work like hell on the Big 2
LISTENING/INTERVIEWING, PRESENTING. These are
the essence of sales lifeand 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
Mackays Mackay 66what you should know about a
Client e.g., birthdays anniversaries.) (My
flowers budget is out of control. Hooray for
me.) 30. You cant do it allbe clear at what you
are good at, bad at, indifferent at. Hubris
sucks.
248
If you dont listen, you dont sell anything.
Carolyn Marland/ Managing Director/ Guardian
Group
249
31. The point is not to prove yourself.
(Thats ego-talk.) Let the best person present to
the Clientperhaps a lower level geek.
(Control freaks get their just desserts in the
long haulor sooner.) 32. The numbers will more
or less take care of themselves over the long
haulif 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. Wethe Client meare
going to change the world with this
service.) 36. Dont waste your time on
jerksitll 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.)
250
38. You havent a clue as to how this situation
will actually play outbe prepared to move fast
in a different direction. 39. Keep your word. 40.
KEEP YOUR WORD. 41. Underpromise (i.e., dont
over-promise i.e., cut yourself a little slack)
even if it costs you businesswinning 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 lossif youve
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.
Its 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 (GAMECHANGINGhopefully) COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE!
251
44. Think legacywhat 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 cant explain it in a phrase,
a page, or to your 14-year-old ... you havent
got it right yet. 47. Know more than the next
guy. Homework pays. (of course its obviousbut
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 mans
little stuff is another mans 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 facehe will
always remember you!) 50. Dont hold grudges. (It
is the ultimate in small mindednessand
incredibly wasteful and ineffective. Theres
always tomorrow.)
252
51. ITS ALWAYS THE POLITICSwee
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 Its
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 Enormousdealing with a woman and dealing
with a man are different kettles of fishyou 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.
253
56. Never, ever dump on a competitorthe 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
answerend 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 quarterthen you
are not taking any serious risks. 64. Phones
beat email.
254
Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm. Samuel
Taylor Coleridge
255
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, didnt someone say,
Pride goeth before the fall? 66. Be
hyper-organized about relationship managementyou
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
cutebut deep political understanding pays the
private-school tuition.) 67. Obsess on ROIR
(Return On Investment In Relationships). 68.
THANK YOU NOTES Worlds highest-return
investment!! 69. The way to anyones 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
winnersamong adversaries at least as much as
among partners. 71. Your colleagues successes
are your successes. Period. (Trust me, my
greatest personal successfinancially as well as
artisticallyhas been creating a bigger pond in
which everyone wins, even if my market share is
down.)
256
72. Lend a helping hand, especially when you
dont have the time. E.g. share relationshipsthe
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 Dads 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