Month: February 2014

Talent works, genius creates.
Robert Schumann
I read this today and recognized that I am not an innovator, not creative in any way, nor will I ever be mistaken for a genius.  I admire people and companies that are true innovators and that have a process for doing so as a part of their culture.  So after I finished beating myself up, I became cognizant that I always surrounded myself with teams that were innovative and creative.  What I brought to the game as a CEO was an ability to take complex business dreams and turn them into realities. Sometimes innovators and creative geniuses need people like me to fulfill that role.
The lesson I learned through the years was not to worry so much about my weaknesses and trying to fix them.  Instead I identified what was missing from me or my team and added people who brought those attributes to the game of business.
Weekly Wisdom from Jerry Rollins, CEO of Sage Executive Group

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
Charles M. Schulz
This past week 50 years ago the Beatles played the Ed Sullivan Show and today is Valentines Day so I thought this quote was appropriate.  Enjoy your chocolate with someone special.
Weekly Wisdom from Jerry Rollins, CEO of Sage Executive Group
 

You’ve got an amazing job opportunity. But how do you find the right person for that top position?
The answer lies not in what you put on paper or on a job posting, but in the vision you create in your own mind.
The challenge was put to four  top-tier, C-level executives by Jerry Rollins, CEO of Sage Executive Group, at their peer advisory meetings this month. All four had written detailed job descriptions. The more important step was to do a visualization of the most perfect person for the job they had ever met.
Painting a mental portrait brought clarity in identifying the right persons for them to target in their business network. The next step was to reach out to those people, describe the ideal candidate as written and envisioned and ask help in finding that person. The fit was so good that some of those contacted ended up seeking the job themselves.
This was a not a head-hunting exercise, said Rollins. Rather, the task was to: “Visualize who that person is and reach out to your network with that visual and written description.”
Sage Smart:  A blog of tips and lessons from Sage Executive Group
 

“Coming in second means you are the first loser.”
This appeared on a Big Dog T-shirt I used to wear as a young man, and I lived by this code in sports and business.
What I have learned since then (after 40) is that in business you inevitably will come in second, lose a large contract,  be rejected for a promotion or be lucky enough to hear the most famous statement of all, “We love you but have decided to go in a different direction.”  How you behave when this happens often determines how you grow and become a true success in business and life. Examples of how great failures preceded amazing breakthrough success are endless.
My life lesson was displayed last weekend in one of the biggest embarrassments in Super Bowl history.  After the game, Peyton Manning, John Fox and John Elway praised their opponent and gave them credit for being better on that day. In the heat of battle and defeat, they took the high road and gained the respect of America.
I think this leadership group displayed grace and showed what winners they truly are.
My business lessons showed me that after I faced rejection and failure in my life, great rewards soon followed.
Weekly Wisdom from Jerry Rollins, CEO of Sage Executive Group
jerry.rollins@sageexecutive group.com or (858-775-6900)

What are the odds?
This weekend  a game is being played that has some of the following letters in it:
S_ _ _ _ B_ _ l.  Sorry, I can’t tell you more. The NFL trademarked the name and no one is allowed to take advantage of it in print without paying a royalty.  I figure they don’t need my money since they seem to be doing just fine.
How tough is it to make it to the “big game” as a player?

• 1,134,377 players participate in High School games each year.
• About 3 percent of them make it to the college ranks.
• There are 25,300 college players each year.
• 254 college players get drafted to the pros each year.
• 20 percent of drafted players play in the NFL for more than a year.
• The average NFL career is 3.5 years.
• There are 32 teams with 40 players each.

Two teams play in the “Big Game,” with a total of 80 players out of the millions of athletes  who spent their high school, college and professional careers trying to get there
So what is the mathematical chance of your Little Johnny making it to the  “Big Game”?  Johnny has a better chance of winning the lottery, becoming President of the United States or the CEO of Qualcomm.
In spite of these overwhelming odds, Derrick Coleman, a legally deaf player will take the field for the Seahawks this Sunday.  How do you like those odds?  He is not getting a lot of press because one of his teammates,  Richard Sherman, has been busy proclaiming how he is the best in the game and how he overcame such great odds to make it in the NFL. I like the Derrick Coleman story better. You can read more about Derrick at:
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/01/29/super-bowl-2014-deaf-seattle-seahawks-player-derrick-coleman-works-to-prove-doubters-wrong-serve-as-inspiration/
Weekly Wisdom by Jerry Rollins, co-founder of Sage Executive Group