Friday, March 14, 2008
The Emperor's New Clothes
Virtually lost in the hubbub over Elliot "My lips say 'Yes,' but my body says 'No'" Spitzer was the announcement by Admiral Willam Fallon of his retirement form the Navy and as Commander of CENTCOM. He was a Big Dog (still is in my book). Spoke truth to authority. Differed with his boss, the Commander-in-Chief (funny thing that Constitution requiring civilian control of the military). As a manager I often hoped somebody, anybody, would disagree with me. I needed the check; I wanted the other points of view; I did not want to roam down the street naked for all to see, but none to say. He may have gone too far In talking to an Esquire journalist, but nothing reported there was unreasonable or wrong to my eye. I'm glad he is on our side. I'm glad he noticed the Emperor's new clothes were a tad scanty.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
The Emperor's Club
Two lessons come to mind in light of recent news of Elliot Spitzer (soon-to-be former governor of NY) and Adm. William Fallon (soon-to-be former Commander of CENTCOM).
First, planning is essential:
For business people,especially entrepreneurs, the Spitzer tragedy makes clear the necessity of planning for the unthinkable. As I told my management class this morning, when people are involved, and they always are, unthinkable stuff happens. That is not to say that the plan will be perfect (as Guy Kawasaki, Dwight Eisenhower, the USMC, and Herman Count von Moltke have all pointed out, while planning is essential, plans may be worthless). Be sure to spend some time and energy (not too much , but some) thinking about how you will respond if one of your people (or you) do the unthinkable. In my career, I have encountered addicts and drunks, embezzlers, bosses who impregnated secretaries, and suicides. All part of the human condition; none anticipated, but all foreseeable. So think, plan, and be prepared for the stuff to hit the fan.
Second:
The Emperor's New Clothes (to be cont.)
First, planning is essential:
For business people,especially entrepreneurs, the Spitzer tragedy makes clear the necessity of planning for the unthinkable. As I told my management class this morning, when people are involved, and they always are, unthinkable stuff happens. That is not to say that the plan will be perfect (as Guy Kawasaki, Dwight Eisenhower, the USMC, and Herman Count von Moltke have all pointed out, while planning is essential, plans may be worthless). Be sure to spend some time and energy (not too much , but some) thinking about how you will respond if one of your people (or you) do the unthinkable. In my career, I have encountered addicts and drunks, embezzlers, bosses who impregnated secretaries, and suicides. All part of the human condition; none anticipated, but all foreseeable. So think, plan, and be prepared for the stuff to hit the fan.
Second:
The Emperor's New Clothes (to be cont.)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Client 9
So I'm at lunch with my bride (of 21 years) yesterday; she having just returned from a Florida visit with our college freshman daughter who was visiting my father, and the phone rings (loudly). It's our daughter checking to make sure Mom had gotten home okay and to alert us to the breaking news that Elliot "Mr. Clean" Spitzer was about to address the press in the face of late-breaking allegations of involvement in a prostitution ring.
Like Rudy G, another New York prosecutor, Sptitzer, aka Client 9, was particularly aggressive in the way he handled accusing and prosecuting alleged wrongdoers. Some of them were actually doers of wrong, but some, especially under Rudy were not; many of his attempts to prosecute people on Wall St. were thrown out, but not until after he had ruined people's lives. So what?
So, I asked my Dad how my 18 year-old daughter was reacting. She asked why Spitzer would do something like that. Dear Dad responded "Because he was horny!...Sheesh, it's been going on since Antony and Cleopatra, Clinton and Monica, Adam and Eve. And Eve started it."
Some blog recently asked if readers could name the two presidents who had not had affairs or divorces or something like that. Two!? We should hold them to a higher standard.
I haven't had a chance to follow up with my daughter, but I will always remember that she sent then Pres. Clinton a handwritten note at the beginning of his tribulations saying: "Dear President Clinton, I believe you." I can never forgive him for letting her down. After seeing the undisguisable look of anguish on Silda Spitzer's face, will the people of New York forgive Spitzer? Would you?
Like Rudy G, another New York prosecutor, Sptitzer, aka Client 9, was particularly aggressive in the way he handled accusing and prosecuting alleged wrongdoers. Some of them were actually doers of wrong, but some, especially under Rudy were not; many of his attempts to prosecute people on Wall St. were thrown out, but not until after he had ruined people's lives. So what?
So, I asked my Dad how my 18 year-old daughter was reacting. She asked why Spitzer would do something like that. Dear Dad responded "Because he was horny!...Sheesh, it's been going on since Antony and Cleopatra, Clinton and Monica, Adam and Eve. And Eve started it."
Some blog recently asked if readers could name the two presidents who had not had affairs or divorces or something like that. Two!? We should hold them to a higher standard.
I haven't had a chance to follow up with my daughter, but I will always remember that she sent then Pres. Clinton a handwritten note at the beginning of his tribulations saying: "Dear President Clinton, I believe you." I can never forgive him for letting her down. After seeing the undisguisable look of anguish on Silda Spitzer's face, will the people of New York forgive Spitzer? Would you?
Monday, March 10, 2008
What I know
I paid a dollar for this piece of advice:
You don't know what you know until you articulate it.
So here I go:
I know that I know how to do deals.
I know that I can help others do deals.
I know what it takes to raise money.
I have raised money.
I can help others raise money.
I know that others want help raising money.
I know that others need help doing deals and raising money.
I have been told I'd be a good teacher.
I have been told I am a good teacher.
I'm a teacher, a lawyer, an investment banker, a mentor.
So what?
So I believe one should play to one's strengths.
You don't know what you know until you articulate it.
So here I go:
I know that I know how to do deals.
I know that I can help others do deals.
I know what it takes to raise money.
I have raised money.
I can help others raise money.
I know that others want help raising money.
I know that others need help doing deals and raising money.
I have been told I'd be a good teacher.
I have been told I am a good teacher.
I'm a teacher, a lawyer, an investment banker, a mentor.
So what?
So I believe one should play to one's strengths.
Monday, February 18, 2008
B***s***
Geez, other than the mention that Guy Kawasaki was coming to town and a nice backward look at a meeting of entrepreneurs what a bunch of bullshit. I wouldn't read it if I were you.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Guy Kawasaki is coming to town
Yahoo. Guy Kawasaki, venture capitalist and author of the BEST book on start-ups I have ever read, The Art of the Start, is the scheduled keynote speaker at The Emerging Technologies Conference in April in Ames, Iowa. Yeah, there is a lot more than corn and ethanol going on around here. Thanks go to Mike Sansone, capo di tutti capi of the local Blogga Nostra, for the heads-up.
Entrepreneurs live in Iowa
Me and about 120 other folks, literally young and old, black and white, male and female, i.e., a diverse crowd, attended the second SEMEE forum and resource exchange last night. Hosted by Transition Capital Management, it was an eclectic gathering of entrepreneurially-minded people who listened to presentations from a handful of local businesses and an economic development director from Warren County (our neighbor). The two companies with the most buzz after the presentations were Guidry Sausage and Make Mine Wine. U.S Rodeo Supply, Taoton Homes and MYA Group also did a nice job presenting but sausage and wine were the talk of the meeting afterward in large part becasue of the energy of their founders, Charlie Anderson (sausage) and Barb Rasko (wine). Charlie is thinking of taking his speaking act on the road and he could probably make a go of it. Barb is one of those sneaky dynamos; she just kept stacking the cards of her business in front of us; an experienced marketeer, she is building a wine media empire. She understands that it is not all about the web or print or bricks and mortar, but about using all media to promote your business and serve your customers. She doesn't make wine (yet), but she gins up interest in midwest wine and winemaking. Brava.
Adam, Hannah and Tom Steen (alphabetical order, oldest last) , principals of TCM, get it also. They are networking wonders and the driving force behind this new gathering of entrepreneurs and people with a crush on entrepreneurs. Keep an eye on them.
Adam, Hannah and Tom Steen (alphabetical order, oldest last) , principals of TCM, get it also. They are networking wonders and the driving force behind this new gathering of entrepreneurs and people with a crush on entrepreneurs. Keep an eye on them.
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