So, you post on the General Board. You clearly are totally rich and successful and are powerful in your industry. What business philosophies have helped you get there? Any particular books, mentors, methods, etc. that you could share?

Personally, I believe in servant leadership. If you never ask an employee/subordinate to do something that you are not willing to do, they will happily go the extra mile. For example, even if my portion of the work is finished, I always stay in the office until my production staff is finished.

I am being inducted into Lean Six Sigma, but find most of it to be BS in a service environment.

Lean 6 Sigma is a waste of time and money. Splashing all that out in pursuit of a blinding flash of the obvious. Let's hold a 3-day Kaizen event to determine if we would be more productive working with every light on in the building, or half of them on, with dimmers and timers.

[This message has been edited by Zip 88 (edited 7/2/2012 7:45a).]

Trash.

Marine Corps Leadership Principles and Traits

re: Six Sigma, around here it's just something we have to do because the home office has already spent a ton of money on it. Everyone knows it's a joke.

If we were in manufacturing, I can see it, though.

who moved my cheese?

I do whatever Jack Donaghy tells me to do.

I was just born with the gift

sucks for the rest of you and your non-having genetics

Work hard play hard

Let people naturally gravitate to your awesomeness

Lead by example

Be completly ruthless to your competition. Ethical, but ruthless. Take everyone elses cheese.

Purse first, ass last
Don't chase 'em, replace 'em

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Personally, I believe in servant leadership. If you never ask an employee/subordinate to do something that you are not willing to do, they will happily go the extra mile. For example, even if my portion of the work is finished, I always stay in the office until my production staff is finished.

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Reminds me of something Tom Watson, Sr. (the founder of IBM) said. I don't have the quote with me, but paraphrased it goes something like "a manager's primary job is to serve as an assistant to his employees".

Found it

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Every supervisor must look upon himself as an assistant to the men below him, instead of looking at himself as the boss.

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-Tom Watson, Sr.

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A putt cannot go in the hole if it's short. I'd rather face a four-footer coming back than leave the ball on the front lip.

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-Tom Watson, golfer.

I try to lead by example and help do whatever needs to get done. If that means I have to answer phones or make copies, so be it. Sometimes you just need to get the job done.

"Good to Great" by Jim Collins

get money, **** *****es

A certain amount of ruthlessness is required to keep your minions subjugated and demoralized enough to not attempt to rise above their station yet not so much you lose productivity of them. It's a fine edge yet with time and practice you will definitely get it down. Set weekly examples on the slowest, most vocal ones to help herd the others. Keep it inventive and change it up every week. It keeps them on their toes and it's fun! If you feel the need to purge a section of your workforce or need to put down an unruly mob just remember to keep casualties down enough so it doesn't outstrip your raiding parties' ability to replenish them. Minions are in fact, an infinite source of power, but they take time to accrue. Just keep to the basics and you should be alright.

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"Good to Great" by Jim Collins

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That's a good book. Three more that I thought were pretty good are A Stake in the Outcome, Hardball, and First, Break All the Rules.