A Few Things I’ve Learned
Posted by estiator at 13 June, at 14 : 17 PM Print
MANAGING FOR SUCCESS By CONSTANTINE N. KOLITSAS Business Coach
At one point in my career, I left the restaurant business and got into journalism (please, don’t act surprised). When my position as editor-in- chief of The GreekAmerican (a national English-language newspaper for the Greek American community) came to an end (our parent company went kaput), I was approached by a loyal reader to join his hi-tech company as communications director. It was working in that capacity, and later as his “chief of staff,” that I had the privilege to learn so much from an extremely successful, insightful, intelligent and street-savvy individual. As Deno Macricostas’s 88th birthday is approaching, my thoughts go to him and the many lessons I learned at his side. Here are a few of my favorites.
“It’s a dangerous thing to believe your own bullshit.”
I love that. This simple statement was an epiphany when I first heard it. As a young man full of hot piss and vinegar, I had convinced myself that if I didn’t know everything, I pretty much knew almost everything. It’s easy to fall into that trap, particularly when you’ve had some success early and just about everyone lets you believe that you’re a particularly smart fella.
Luckily, I have enough humility to allow self-doubt to enter into my thought processes, which has pushed me to explore approaches that might be otherwise antithetical to my first (and basest) instincts. But that’s not the case with everyone. And as I grew more mature, this revelatory comment has taken on new meaning. I never believe my own bullshit, but I always try to understand if bullshit that’s thrown my way is just a simple run-of-the-mill load of crap, or if the person shoveling is clueless enough to believe him or herself. In that latter case, truly catastrophic things can come as a result if left unchecked.
“The right time will come.”
Okay, this isn’t really a direct quote. But there’s a joke that I’ve heard Deno say a few times over the course of the five years that I worked with him, and the lesson is there. The joke goes like this: An old bull and a young bull were standing on top of a hill looking down at a herd of cows. The young bull says to the old bull, “I’m going to run down there really fast and hump one of those cows,” to which the old bull answers, “I’m going to walk down and hump them all.”
A great leader recognizes that his or her success is predicated on the investment of personal effort and commitment on the part of the team.
“Know your competitor better than he knows himself.”
When it came to his competition, Deno made it a point to read everything he could get his hands on, listen to everyone who would talk, and study all the data points available. At some point, all the small companies in his space had been gobbled up (many of which he bought and many others of which he put out of business—the old bull story applies here). When the dust settled, domestically it was him and one Behemoth Company that had started a division in his space. He made it his mission to come on top of the death match that he knew was ahead of him. He purchased a coffee mug with the competitor’s logo on it and drank his coffee from that mug every morning. By reading, and listening, and studying, he came to understand his competitor’s weaknesses— those that were specific to performance, as well as those related to individuals on the management team. He realized that, along with those specifics, the company’s layers of management and slow decision-making gave him a strong advantage. He could change course on any number of initiatives before they held their first of fifty meetings. He understood their pressure points and approached the competition as if it were guerrilla warfare. Within ten years, the mother company cut the division loose, leaving it to its own devices as a spin-off whose only remaining ties were the use of its name.
“Lead by example.”
As cliché as this sounds, there is no more important character trait for a leader. A great leader recognizes that his or her success is predicated on the investment of personal effort and commitment on the part of the team. And that effort and commitment will never come if the leader doesn’t demonstrate it him or herself.
Constantine Kolitsas is a business consultant and president of Greca Hospitality Group, the owners of Greca Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar. He can be reached at dino@grecamed.com.
