The Secret of Inspirational Leadership by Alexander Green
Dear Reader
When speaking at investment conferences, I try to emphasize the importance of "quality of management" when evaluating public companies. What would Microsoft be without Bill Gates? Or Berkshire Hathaway without Warren Buffett? It's hard to imagine.
On the flip side, 10 years ago WorldCom had the most impressive array of telecommunications assets on the planet. But with Bernie Ebbers at the helm, it didn't matter. Today he is serving 25 years at the Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex for orchestrating the biggest corporate fraud in U.S. history. (And I need hardly remind you what chieftains Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling did for Enron employees and shareholders.)
In the business world, physical assets are essential. Patents and trademarks are invaluable. Positive cash flow is wonderful. But, at the very heart of things, every organization is essentially a team of people. If they're not rowing in the same direction, trust me, you won't get far. I was reminded of this Saturday evening while attending a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society at the Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando. The keynote speaker was one of America's all-time great football coaches Lou Holtz. Holtz is not just a multiple winner of "Coach of the Year" honors. He is the only coach in NCAA history to lead six different programs to bowl games. And the only coach to have four different teams reach final top 20 rankings. Throughout his career, Holtz earned a reputation for both developing winning teams and quickly rebuilding broken ones. He has written five books on leadership.
Lou Holtz is a living example of inspirational leadership. I hadn't intended to take notes, but a minute and a half into his talk I was scouring the table for a cocktail napkin. "Leadership begins with recognizing that everybody needs FOUR things," said Holtz, "something to do, someone to love, something to hope for, and something to believe in. Strategic plans don't excite anybody. Dreams excite people. And every employee, every team member, wants to know the same thing: Do you really care about me? Every successful organization shows its people they genuinely matter."
Dear Reader
When speaking at investment conferences, I try to emphasize the importance of "quality of management" when evaluating public companies. What would Microsoft be without Bill Gates? Or Berkshire Hathaway without Warren Buffett? It's hard to imagine.
On the flip side, 10 years ago WorldCom had the most impressive array of telecommunications assets on the planet. But with Bernie Ebbers at the helm, it didn't matter. Today he is serving 25 years at the Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex for orchestrating the biggest corporate fraud in U.S. history. (And I need hardly remind you what chieftains Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling did for Enron employees and shareholders.)
In the business world, physical assets are essential. Patents and trademarks are invaluable. Positive cash flow is wonderful. But, at the very heart of things, every organization is essentially a team of people. If they're not rowing in the same direction, trust me, you won't get far. I was reminded of this Saturday evening while attending a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society at the Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando. The keynote speaker was one of America's all-time great football coaches Lou Holtz. Holtz is not just a multiple winner of "Coach of the Year" honors. He is the only coach in NCAA history to lead six different programs to bowl games. And the only coach to have four different teams reach final top 20 rankings. Throughout his career, Holtz earned a reputation for both developing winning teams and quickly rebuilding broken ones. He has written five books on leadership.
Lou Holtz is a living example of inspirational leadership. I hadn't intended to take notes, but a minute and a half into his talk I was scouring the table for a cocktail napkin. "Leadership begins with recognizing that everybody needs FOUR things," said Holtz, "something to do, someone to love, something to hope for, and something to believe in. Strategic plans don't excite anybody. Dreams excite people. And every employee, every team member, wants to know the same thing: Do you really care about me? Every successful organization shows its people they genuinely matter."
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