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Name_Initials: SJ
Title: Retired CEO
Company/Industry: distribution
& software
Description
"What's it take to be successful?"...I’ve been attached to two “surprise
catastrophes.” Both companies were highly regarded right up to the
moment of total implosion. But the post-mortems were clear. We were so
busy telling everybody how fabulous we were that we stopped listening.
This mentality led us to believe that little screw-ups quietly pointed
out by the outside world were statistically acceptable. We were so
wonderful, so brilliant, that we didn’t allow ourselves to see the
patterns of the problems. We just fixed them as acceptable ‘problem
objects’ and moved on. By the time we realized they were all symptoms
of larger, systemic problems, it was too late. Both times our arrogance
and complete belief in our superiority killed us.
So if I have a Big Rule it’s to
listen, humbly. You never know it all and the moment you think you do
it may already be too late.
Name_Initials: KFG
Title: Motives
Company/Industry: Transportation
Description
1)
Know your REAL, HONEST reason(s) for wanting to "grow" ("succeed"... or
whatever word describes your objective). In your daughter's case,
"Because I saw a really cool skirt I can't afford" is different from "I
like this field and I want to make it a career" is different from
"Betsy is encroaching on my turf and I need to expand in order to
prevent her from gaining traction".
"Real" and "Honest" are the lynchpins here because MBA
answers are not
always the reasons close to your heart (like... "my brother's business
is growing and I am jealous" ... or ... "my staff is losing focus, we
need some excitement around here!") are the ones you need to openly
state (at least to yourself) because the time horizons and strategies
can differ dramatically.
2) Know, honestly, when you can expect results to show
up. Be mentally
prepared to invest time and effort in building momentum, even without
the strokes provided by positive "results".
Name_Initials: VCB
Title: Director, Engineering
Description
Rule
1. Separate the busy from the important. Determine the "few" important
things you must do really well. The result should reflect the breath,
depth and collaborative thinking, you can bring to any/all assignments.
Rule 2. Remember things are both absolute and relative.
When life deals
you a bad hand or day it's real. You have a right to be disappointed,
temporarily. Look around at the rest of the world (read the newspaper,
watch the news). Did you eat last night, are you healthy, do you live
in the United States? Then get over your setback, there are thousands
of people who would trade places with you in a heartbeat.
Name_Initials: Anon (by editor)
Title: Inmate (former CEO)
Description
Be careful what you say to The Press.
Name_Initials: L.E.
Title: CEO
Company/Industry: software
Description
The
Big Ones, the rules, are all obvious. A less frequently discussed one,
that did well by me, was to actively encourage contrarian thinking,
views and reports. Over my long career I noticed in several companies
where the culture and team spirit was very strong, where the belief in
the company’s greatness was absolute, people could become very quiet.
They become afraid to voice a contrarian view which, of course, stifles
innovation and problem reportage. And of course nobody ever admitted a
mistake (it was always somebody else’s fault—generally an external
party). This was all bad for the shareholders. To break this condition
I found it profitable to create programs for rewarding for experiments
and trials even if they “failed” as long as we learned something
valuable from them (this led to some interesting battles with Finance).
Soon it became a good thing to be critical, to admit that we were
imperfect, and to start thinking think outside the box again. All good
things for our shareholders and very bad for our competition, which was
previously gaining ground on us (which we had refused to see).
Name_Initials: MM
Title: Chairman
Company/Industry: Manufacturing
Description
After
Korea I discovered the most important thing I knew how to do was to
pick good soldiers. Good soldiers do what they are told and that’s
useful. However my real success came later when I learned it’s better
to tell good people only what needs to be done and then go easy on the
details about how to do it. If your ego can stand it it’s gratifying
how often they will find a better way than you!
Name_Initials: David Blanc
Title: President
Company/Industry: Management Consulting
Professional Services
Description
1) Know what your customers want and need.
2) Know how to distinguish yourself - to be unique, better than your
competitors, and so exceed your customers' expectations.
Name_Initials: John Thompson
Title: retired
Company/Industry: pharmaceuticals
Description
Remember
that little screw-ups happen. Don’t freak out. But use them. Think of
them as a good thing. Why? Because big screw-ups, which aren’t
acceptable, are always proceeded by small ones. Think of the little
ones like a gift because they are often a crystal ball into a possible,
and preventable, future.
Name_Initials: Kerry Vix
Title: Partner / General Manager
Company/Industry: EOS Estate Winery
Description
The
ability to "think" ( Judgement before acting), the ability to
communicate, (professionally, orally and in writing) the ability to plan
(properly)
the ability to solve problems. Each of these attributes are necessary
for ongoing success.
Name_Initials: Gene McLean
Title: VP & CSO
Description
1.
It is KEY that you have Integrity in life and this works for your
working career and life in general as well as the courage of your
convictions.
2. Stay focused on your working goal, but at the same
time enjoy life
and DO NOT take yourself too seriously - in most cases you are not
solving world hunger.
Name_Initials: J. Lewthwaite
Title: Manager
Company/Industry: Nexen
Description
Clear
end goal(s) (so clear that you can see them and express in very plain
language), determination, hard work and intelligence.
Name_Initials: CS
Title: CFO
Company/Industry: energy services
Description
Stay on great terms with the company pilots.
Name_Initials: SPC
Title: ceo
Description
it
is simple, but hard. Determination, persistence, flexibility, and
enthusiasm are the critical ingredients, and at any given moment in
time, one will be more important than the others. Good luck
Name_Initials: Gibralter
Title: President
Company/Industry: GMWW, Inc.
Description
First and foremost, be
a great babysitter.
Name_Initials: Bob Prieto
Title: Senior Vice President
Company/Industry: Fluor
Description
VISION, FOCUS, DRIVE
Vision, to know where you want to go.
Focus, to ensure all you do is geared towards getting you there....it's
about sweating the details.
Drive, hard work, confidence and determination count.
Name_Initials: Jim Johnson
Title: President
Company/Industry: Performance
Motorsports
Description
In
my opinion, the single "rule" for success in business is to develop a
compelling vision and than continually assure that everyone in your
organization understands the vision and what their role is in
accomplishing it.
Name_Initials: LD
Title: Director
Description
In
my experience: relationships. It seems a strategic planning ability and
objective viewpoint would be most critical, as well as an ability to
push to understand or develop an overall strategy then align
departmental initiatives to support that strategy. But if the right
relationships aren't there, you may as well give up.
Name_Initials: Jamie Blair
Title: CEO
Company/Industry: ExAlta Energy
Description
1. Do what you say you will do, and do it well.
2. Spend as much time as possible and more with your customers.
Name_Initials: Thomas "Tracy" Bilbrough
Title: President & CEO
Company/Industry: Juno Lighting, Inc.
Description
It takes energy (the contagious kind), enthusiasm (the
contagious kind), and a strong and consistent focus on results.
Name_Initials: Geoff Roberts
Title/Industry: CFO/investor
Company/Industry: various
investments: energy, outdoor advertising & real estate
Description
Now
that I have been building my own business for almost 2 years after 20
years in the corporate world, I have learned many lessons about what it
takes to succeed that are common to both worlds.
1) Be willing to get your hands dirty and do "whatever
it takes" to get
the job done while maintaining a positive attitude.
2) Volunteer for the tough missions - to help solve the "impossible"
jobs - not only is there usually not a much further downside, if you
can solve the problem that others feel is too difficult or impossible
to solve, you firmly establish yourself as someone whom others want on
their team
3) admit your mistakes when you make them - and recognize that you will
make them
4) it is always better to over-communicate than under-communicate
Name_Initials: rbcatell
Title: Chairman and Ceo
Company: KeySpan
Description
A lot of hard work and a sensitivity to people.
Name_Initials: AD
Title: President
Description
To
be successful, you need to create a clear goal. What does expansion
mean? Is it working well now? In other words, ask questions about the
business and set the goal. Then you will know what you need to do next.
Name_Initials: ADB
Title: Consultant
Company/Industry: Entertainment
Description
You
need to know how to negotiate. That is particularly true for women who
typically don't learn it growing up. I would recommend A Woman's Guide
to Successful Negotiating (McGraw Hill 2002)
Name_Initials: Hobbes
Title: CFO
Company/Industry: Software Development
Description
Commitment - exhibited as an unreasonable perseverance
in pursuit of your goal.
Name_Initials: IR
Title: Business Development Consultant
Company/Industry: Energy
Description
Listen, synthesize and respond to your
client/partner/stakeholder needs.
Name_Initials: EZ
Title: Chairman
Description
The
"Big One" is a variant of the Golden Rule - Treat others as you would
like to be treated. Two other helpful hints are a) Respect your
customers, and b) Know what you want.
Name_Initials: GEH
Title: Consultant
Description
1) Native ability.
2) Guidance & training.
3) Hard work.
4) Desire.
5) Luck.
Name_Initials: David Gimpelevich
Title: Managing Partner
Company/Industry: Spearpoint
Group/M&A
Description
There are really three rules of success in business:
1. Listen to your customers
2. Listen to your customers
3. See rule 1
The second you think that you know better than your
customer, you will fall behind...
Name_Initials: ASM
Title: Business Process Consultant
Description
1. Be enthusiast and positive
2. Focus on the needs of others. Help them understand WIIFM (What's in
it for me)
Name_Initials: Phil Davis
Title: Principal, Davis Consulting
Company: Business consulting
Description
-Persisitence, integrity and clarity of purpose
-Love what you do and do what you love
Name_Initials: Graham Clark
Title: VP Business Solutions
Company/Industry: IND LLC
Description
3 things
- passion - when the world is against you, you must clearly have a
reason to fight through - energy - success is hard (1% inspiration, 99%
perspiration etc)
- resources - without these whether financial, social, physical or
whatever you will always fall short
Name_Initials: JJ
Title: CEO
Company/Industry: Manufacturing
Description
I
try to behave like everybody in my organization (over 35,000) are deaf!
I try to behave like they can’t hear what I say, but carefully watch
what I do. My dad taught me we’re trained through experience to
discount what people say and believe what we see. So I say little and
try to do the right things.
Name_Initials: PK
Title: President
Company/Industry: Sports
Description
Just do it.
Name_Initials: Joanna K.
Title: CEO
Description
Tell her to always move forward but look all around as
she’s doing it—the kid down the street might be gaining on her.
Name_Initials: K. Johnson
Title: COO
Company/Industry: Energy
Description
When I was 7 my mom taught me to get an exact idea of
what I wanted, a
goal of some kind, then work backward through the steps to where I was.
This has always saved me time and false starts. -KJ
Name_Initials: Jake Hunt
Title: Boss
Company/Industry: Businessman
Description
Learn
to find and face REALITY. Beware of staffers that will distort or even
hide what’s REALLY going on. Do whatever it takes to know what’s
actually going on and terminate the employment of anybody that impedes
the spread of truth. In business, whether baby sitting or any other
franchise, the truth RULES and fantasy hurts.
Name_Initials: Sharon C
Title: EVP HR
Company/Industry: logistics
Description
We
always try to do better than we did last time. We have spent a fortune
with the likes of BCG and Crain and but it’s really simple. Just do
better. I hire people that are innately curious. Curious people tend to
poke at processes.
Name_Initials: RA
Title: pres.
Company/Industry: advertising
Description
Know
what business you’re really in. *It sounds silly*, but it’s not because
it affects all your important decisions. Take babysitting. Are you in
the healthcare business? Or the entertainment business? Beats me. But
then I don’t need to know. You do.
That tells you what your very next step needs to
be.
Name_Initials: Jim Bair
Title: I've had a few, but Dad is the most
important one.
Description
My
daughter baby sits. She doesn't have a web site or a profiler, and she
doesn't advertise. She is conscientious, reliable,
and has a reputation for taking great care with children. She is in
high demand and has to turn away work and it's all based on personal
reputation and the word of mouth of her customers.
Name_Initials: Ken Johnson
Title: Global Services Manager
Company/Industry: entertainment
Description
I'm not sure how this relates to your daughter's
business but I always
told my kids, to make sure their reach always exceeds their grasp. I
tell my employees the same thing.
Name_Initials: DS
Title: Partner
Company/Industry:
construction
Description
The
breakout came when I learned to listen to my intuition (aka hunches).
It sounds hokey until you think it through but we never forget
anything. It just becomes harder to access. But it’s all still there.
Every cause and effect we’ve ever witnessed. So I finally realized I
knew a lot more than I gave myself credit for. I always made a point of
really listening to others. And that’s certainly valuable. But you also
have to listen to yourself. DS
Name_Initials: Anonymous
Title: CEO
Company/Industry: Let's call it
Information Services
Description
A
big part of success is learning when to say “No”. For example, you
should never, EVER, put your company’s name on a stadium. I’ll let it
go at that…-Anon
Name_Initials: MP
Title: Chairman & CEO
Company/Industry: Consulting
Description
Beware of tailwinds.
Name_Initials: D. Field
Title: Pres. (Retired)
Company/Industry: Foodservice
Description
No
matter how good “your people” are nothing can replace having eyes in
the back of your head. Unfortunately this lesson is often learned the
hard, expensive way. Never forget, the more successful you are the more
people are trying to sneak up on you.
Name_Initials: Mike Davis
Title: Entrepreneur
Company/Industry: Various
Description
General
Patton once said something like “A decent plan violently executed now
is better than a perfect plan a week from now.” That always worked for
me.
Name_Initials: Tom G.
Title: EVP Marketing
Company/Industry: apparel and
personal care products
Description
Learn
how to be thoughtfully bold. Without the first, the second is often
reckless. Without the second change often fails to materialize. You
need both.
Name_Initials: J.S. MD
Title: Consulting physician
Company/Industry: self-employed
Description
To
Succeed? Well, it is said I am the best in the world at the surgical
procedure I do. This wasn’t an accident. I was a teenager and watching
television that night in the 50s when Dr. Joyce Brothers won the
$64,000 for knowing all about boxing. It struck me as a simple
paradigm: become really smart at one thing and you’ll do well (nice
house, nice car, the 2.5 kids, etc.--I was a teenager). I became a
doctor and chose this one little thing to be the best at. Now I have a
nice house, two nice cars, THREE kids (they round up nicely) and even
some grand kids. So what you need to know is to be the best, or one of
the best, at what you do. Pretty simple. Pass it around.
Name_Initials: ARC.
Title: CFO & Board member
Company/Industry: pharmaceuticals
Description
Learn
how to sift through large bodies of data, information and knowledge {3
different things}, decide what is factual and relevant then act on it.
The key is to do this quicker than the next person or company.
Name_Initials: Ryan J.
Title: multiple boards
Company/Industry: various
Description
Success at babysitting (or anything else)...
My grown son asked me a similar question about the
ladder of success.
He was complaining about all the people on it. I told him to get his
own ladder, a bit higher, and lean it over the crowded one to reach the
same destination. So, use your own ladder. Just be sure you want to
reach where it takes you.
Name_Initials: Brian K.
Title: consultant
Company/Industry: cable television
Description
Learn to measure. Then pay attention to the measurements.
-Kaplan
Name_Initials: PE
Title: President
Company/Industry: Advertising
Description
Success means never giving up. Never. Giving up is for
LOSERS.
Name_Initials: Anon.
Title: politician
Company/Industry: U.S. Congress
Description
Success? Simple. 'Be. Know. Do.'
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Copyright
© 2003 Parcon Research.