when I run my own business #3
Some thinking about accountability and what leadership means.
Gleaned from a Fast Company article:
“The first lesson I learned as a plebe came from an upperclassman yelling in my face. He told me that there were four acceptable answers: 'Yes, sir'; 'No, sir'; 'No excuse, sir'; and 'Sir, I do not understand.' He'd ask, 'Why aren't your shoes shined?' and I'd say, 'Well, it was muddy, and I didn't have time.' He'd be all over me. He was trying to teach me something: If you have to take men up a hill and write letters to their moms that night, there's literally no excuse. If you have to lay off thousands of people from your company, there's no excuse. You should have seen it coming and done something about it.”
--James Kimsey, '62, founding CEO, America Online
Some leaders forget that leadership is not just about the fame and the $50 million yearly bonus. It's the same as driving a car - your eyes should be on the road far ahead of you, not just three feet in front. Driving a company is like driving a great big Hummer of a car, with those rules in mind.
2003.05.06 10:05 AM