Why is running a business like playing a football game?
Managing a business means pushing to get those few inches every day. It’s a fight for excellence. You have to fight to hire the right people, to get the best supplies, to move line items around.
Why is building relationships with customers so critical?
A customer is not just worth $10. He or she is worth hundreds, thousands. When you deliver a product, the customer sits up and takes notice - or nothing at all happens. No business can allow nothing to happen.
How do you fix ineffective management?
If their businesses are failing, I have to change the way they think. To do this, I can appeal to their pride, play to their fears, invoke their competitive spirit – or get confrontational. You’ve got to play to what motivates different people.
What’s your cure for government dysfunction?
Our elected leaders in D.C. should fight for the same high standards we require in business. Stick to a budget. Come in to work every day. Read what you sign. Be honest with people.
How can everyday Americans contribute?
People are managers of their lives and of society, too – with our votes, with our dollars, with what we say and do. Ultimately we’ve got to speak up and act, no different than a good manager would do.