Big Red figured out what he could do better than anyone else on
the basketball court. It is the same with business. Those at the
helm of companies have to determine how to develop an
environment where employees understand what they do better
than anyone else in the company. As the famous author Jim
Collins conveys in his widely acclaimed book, Good to Great,
having the right people in the right seats on the bus is one of the
keys to an organization’s success. This mantra goes back to Teddy
Roosevelt who said, “The best executive is the one who has sense
enough to pick good men [and women] to do what he wants
done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while
they do it.”
Everyone has an important position in the company, be it in the
mailroom, executive management, marketing department or
boardroom. And while every position is significant, it is
important to recognize that every position is different, and for a
good reason and purpose. Going back to Collins’ bus analogy,
the leader of an organization must make sure that everybody is
truly on board with the organization’s mission or purpose, and
more importantly, each person on the bus is sitting in the right
seat.
My own example that parallels Dave’s occurred in 1995, when I
was recruited at age thirty-eight to come to Northeast Delta
Dental (NEDD) as its CEO. I asked an insurance colleague, Al
Breitman, what he thought. He said something I have never
forgotten, “Don’t consider a new position until you are ready and
have the skills for the position.” As it turns out, they offered me
the job at NEDD as I was driving back to Massachusetts from
my interview (they called me on my mobile phone, then an
analog bag phone in my car). I accepted and soon learned
NEDD was a perfect fit for my executive skill set — the
willingness to go out in the community and make a difference,
the ability to provide an inspirational “total quality” boost to a
solid company, and the persuasive ability to transition the culture
to encourage employee empowerment.
willing to have