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“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” Nelson Mandela
I get to work with and have close relationships with many of the best leaders in business. I  am becoming aware that many of the most driven, highest-performing and best in class businesses are led by people who never take credit for what they accomplish. I also have observed they don’t take the time to celebrate amazing feats. All success does is make them hungrier for bigger and better mountains to climb.  Many of you who read this are probably going to send me a note saying, “were you thinking of me when you wrote this,” and my honest answer is yes, it is all of you!
As my wife has so wisely advised me through the years:  “Today, just take time to smell the roses, enjoy those little things about your life, your family, spouse, friends, job. Forget about the thorns – the pains and problems they cause you – and enjoy life.” Bernard Kelvin Clive, Your Dreams Will Not Die
Weekly Wisdom by Jerry Rollins,CEO of Sage Executive Group

“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”
Woody Allen
I am convinced that the other 20 per cent of success is showing up on time.  I think that we are experiencing  a breakdown of some basic values that is affecting businesses in a negative manner.  Being on time for meetings and appointments used to be a virtue.  Now they seem to be more like general guidelines or approximate place-holders on the calendar. Companies that have discipline, respect and great values in place believe that being on time for meetings and appointments is important. Unfortunately, many of the negative behavioral traits are being demonstrated in the C-suite and trickle down to every level.  There are a number of different reasons for this. Some people do not have the organizational skills,  others have never learned how to balance their calendars, some lack discipline,  some over commit,  and in other cases people abuse power by making people wait for them.
Now that I have had my weekly rant, maybe I have the problem of being a perfectionist and need to lighten up. Comments please!
Weekly Wisdom, Jerry Rollins, CEO of Sage Executive Group
 

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
 

Many business leaders are so busy “acquiring and protecting power” that they lose sight of what truly motivates people, leadership adviser Tony Baron told about 70 of San Diego’s top CEOs, sales experts and entrepeneurs at the quarterly meeting on Wednesday of the Sage Executive Group.
Baron, who has counseled organizations from the Ford Motor Co. to the U.S. Postal Service and business communities in the aftermath of the Columbine school shootings and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, said that a focus on profits misses what motivates people – and leads to greater business success. To lead, “communicate to the heart,” he said.
“Nothing changes a person’s life until it touches their heart,” he said with an admonition for executives with a hierarchical mindset that puts a premium on hate, fear and survival in an organization. Those are three of the four triggers of life, he said. The fourth – love – is the most important. “The only motivation that last long term is the motivation to love,” making the point that leadership is not about being a nice person, but a person who is seen as “a beacon of hope” in a workplace beset by change, uncertainty, institutional distrust and an digital revolution that has created a climate of “learned helplessness.”
Baron brings a background as a scholar, a corporate adviser and a theologian to his frequent appearances before business groups.  He currently serves as Director of Azusa Pacific University’s Graduate School of Theology in San Diego and as Scholar in Residence at the Center for Executive Excellence in Carlsbad. He is the author of “The Art of Servant Leadership,” and is working on a new book, “Unlocking the Leadership Code,” that was the title of his presentation.
He pointed out that the earliest meaning of leadership was to “guide a ship in the midst of a storm,”  and that the best leaders invest others in common cause by “maintaining a non-anxious presence,” by creating a “vision of stability in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.”
The best CEO is a “cultural architect,” inspiring “personal responsibility” in the workforce while maintaining “an inner compass” that leads to the true north of doing “the right thing, the right way with the right people.” That compass sustains the integrity essential to asking others to follow, and the professional strength to “excommunicate” when necessary to sustain the ethical and cultural foundation of the organization.
Ultimately, he said, “leadership is not for the sake of self but for the sake of others.”
— Chuck Buxton, Sage Executive Group

“Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.” — Ronald Reagan
As we head into Academy Award season, talk about “The Butler” reminds me of Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Though a Republican, he worked both sides of the aisle and accomplished accomplished a great deal. While the movie had a strong bias towards the Democratic presidents portrayed, it also highlighted the fact that Ronald and Nancy Reagan were the only people to invite The Butler and his wife to a state dinner. The movie showed how Reagan was the president who ensured that black butlers received the same compensation as their white counterparts. Reagan was a friend to everyone he met and led by example. My lesson learned from this great man is that leaders should treat everyone in all positions in the same manner and never abuse the power that comes with a leadership role.
WEEKLY WISDOM, Jerry Rollin, CEO of Sage Executive Group
 

“When you become successful is when you should be especially wary you’re going to turn into an idiot.  There’s a lot of evidence to support that.” —Author Unknown
Success in life and business is both a blessing and a curse.  Sometimes our greatest successes are followed by failure. Perhaps we can become better leaders by ignoring our positive press clippings and remaining humble. During my athletic and business careers, I have observed some very successful athletes who have managed their egos and behaviors in positive ways. One athlete who comes to mind is Wayne Gretzky, whom I met when I was 24 years old and he was a fresh-faced rookie. Although he was one of the most highly touted athletes in Canada, to us he was just “one of the guys” and seemed completely unaware of his celebrity status.
In the recent past, I have had the pleasure and honor to meet several of my sports heroes. Trevor Hoffman and Drew Brees were cut from the same cloth. Both were raised by parents who taught them how to behave and deal effectively with those around them. Amazing success, status, and financial rewards have not changed who they are. The final person who deserves comment is the late, great Jerry Coleman. Although he was a war hero, baseball Hall of Fame member and award-winning broadcaster, he had the unique ability to make everyone he met feel special.
Instead of taking credit for their success, the CEOs I know attribute their success to other people. They don’t do this to avoid the limelight, but because they know that people are their most important assets and the foundation of a successful business.
WEEKLY WISDOM from Jerry Rollins, CEO/Chairman of Sage Executive Group