Written by Terry Saint Marie
Anyone that know mw knows that I am and always have been a Redskin Fan so I had to steal this post on past owner Jack Kent Cooke.
Terry, my boy….”
When I heard those words from Jack Kent Cooke back in 1987, I knew he was about to teach me something. I had a lot to learn, since he had plucked me from the accounting ranks to be the COO of a cable company at the ripe young age of 27.
What was amazing at the time was how little I really knew about leadership. Sure, I was young and fearless enough to figure I could make it up as I went along, but all I had to work with was a short stint as student body president in college, and some managing responsibility at the accounting firm I worked with right after graduation.
And yet, Cooke threw me in the pool and asked me to swim. Fast.
I’ve written about him before – he was a brilliant, difficult, intense, insightful, difficult, and mercurial entrepreneur. And did I mention he was difficult?
But he loved to take a raw talent and turn it into something, and I was one of the lucky ones he chose (although you can be assured I didn’t think I was that lucky at the time, even though I was grateful for the opportunity).
His teaching moments were full of his characteristic mix of bluster, charm and drama, started by those three words..
“Terry, my boy…”
There were 5 of these moments I’ll never forget, because they became the 5 best pieces of leadership advice I would ever receive.
Yep, they were that good. Advice that I leaned on and absorbed into my being for the long haul, and for my betterment.
Lucky I was a good listener too, because they helped me immensely in hitting the success trifecta of More Human leadership – A great company, a happy team, and a fulfilled leader (me).
Tomorrow his advice....
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