The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable on Real Success in Business and in (12 page)

“My grandpa used to speak a lot about honor. He would say that nothing’s more important than being honest, highly dependable, staying on time, and treating people the way we want to be treated. I still remember his favorite line: ‘How well you make your sheets determines how well you’ll sleep in your bed.’ I took that to mean that the way we do anything is the way we’ll do everything. And even one breach against our ethics will pollute everything we touch.”

“Your grandfather was an extremely wise man, Blake,” Anna indicated respectfully. “Nothing is more precious in work than
staying consistent with your values and protecting your good name. In so many ways, your reputation is all you have. May I suggest that you never do anything that will tarnish the architecture of integrity that you’ll establish as a Leader Without a Title. Ultimately, people will flock to you or run from you based on your reputation. We live in a fascinating world. Like no other time before this, ordinary people can grow a massive following around them. With a few strokes on a keyboard, consumers can tell the world about who you are, what you’ve done, and all you stand for. Given this reality, maintain a pristine name and guard your personal brand by being impeccably ethical. You know, I’ve read about people who’ve spent forty years of their lives building a great reputation and a fantastic business—and then tore it all down by making one foolish move performed in sixty seconds of bad judgment. Be exquisitely honest, Blake. Say what you mean and then mean what you say. Be ferociously humble. And vow to yourself to work with the strength of character of the people you most admire. Integrity always leads to beautiful rewards. Be courageous enough to ensure your deeds reflect your creed. And make sure that your video is in sync with your audio. Trust me on this idea, Blake. Please trust me on this,” Anna emphasized.

Anna stood up from the sofa and walked over to me. She opened her arms wide and gave me a warm hug. She then gave me two kisses, one on each cheek. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Blake,” said Anna as she slowly escorted Tommy and me out of the room, down to the lobby, and out into the autumn sunshine. “You’re a fine young man, and I have no doubt you will do great things in your career and with your life. Please carry with you the philosophy that you need no title to be a leader. Everyone can lead. And it all begins with you—and the choices you have the power to make.”

Her final words stayed with me as Tommy fired up his Porsche and we made our way through the now busy streets
of SoHo. There was no doubt in my mind that something deep inside of me was being dramatically rewired. And that the person I’d been was completely transforming. I was also integrating a knowing of what real leadership was truly all about. It wasn’t some soft skill that you use once in a while to meet your performance goals and win some motivational contest. Leadership was so much more than that. It was a way of expressing our absolute best as human beings. And using the inner leader that inhabits each one of us not only to uplift our own lives, but also to elevate the lives of all those around us—from our teammates to the customers we are privileged to serve. I was understanding at an all-new level that leadership definitely is the single most important advantage of every world-class organization, the source of every great achievement, and the bedrock of every extraordinary life. I truly wished more people could discover the Lead Without a Title philosophy. And I promised myself again that I’d do everything in my power to make that ideal a reality.

I will persist until I succeed. I was not delivered into this world into defeat, nor does failure course my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion, and I refuse to talk, walk, and to sleep with the sheep. I will persist until I succeed.

—
OG MANDINO

Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.

—
LANCE ARMSTRONG

I
’
M EXCITED ABOUT YOUR NEXT MEETING
,” said Tommy as he parked at a lot in the stylish Tribeca area of New York City. “This teacher is quite the character, Blake. Anna is obviously very special. But this one’s something else. He’s colorful, playful, and spontaneous yet still enormously intelligent. In your conversation with him, he’ll share the second principle of the Lead Without a Title philosophy. You know the first one so well by now,” Tommy noted.

“Yup. I most certainly do.
You Need No Title to Be a Leader
,” I proudly affirmed.

“Excellent. So now you get to learn the second one.”

“Which is?” I asked inquisitively.

“
Turbulent Times Build Great Leaders
,” came Tommy’s simple yet immediate reply. “Just keep in mind that difficult days never last, but strong people always do. That hard conditions are nothing more than chances to become heroic. And that challenging times in both business and in life are incredible opportunities to transform mess into success,” he said with a smile. “Problems and difficult days are actually good for you, my friend.”

“Difficult days? Man, I feel like I’ve had a difficult
decade
,” I replied with a grin.

Tommy looked over at me. He paused. And then we both started to laugh at my comment.

“Good one, Blake! I like your style. I can tell you’re feeling pretty good. And that makes me happy. Such great things are already happening for you. Your future really does look bright.” He beamed.

As we walked along one of the side streets, Tommy sang that old Rolling Stones song about not always getting what we want but getting what we need. I sensed he was preparing me for the lesson that was coming.

“There’s a lot of truth in the words I’m singing, Blake. Business and life itself can be so unpredictable—especially in these utterly uncertain economic times. Just when you believe you’re clear on what the future’s going to look like, some competitor or a new piece of technology instantly transforms the industry. Just when it feels like things will finally get back to normal, a merger takes place, and the organization’s never the same. Just when you think you have everything figured out, a mountain of change sideswipes you and blows you off your feet. And you’ll get exactly where I’m going with that mountain metaphor in a few minutes.” Tommy looked around as we briskly crossed the street. “Did I tell you how excited I am for you to meet this second teacher?” he asked me, his age appearing to get the better of him.

“You did, Tommy,” I replied, in a whisper.

We walked into a small storefront with an old sign with hand-painted lettering on it that read “The Ty Boyd Ski Shop.” The space inside was surprisingly bright, with skis and other athletic apparel neatly organized throughout the store. Numerous framed black-and-white photographs of a handsome blond skier had been carefully hung along the walls, along with large posters with mottos like “Embrace the Fear,” “Hard Runs Make Better Skiers,” and “Conquer Your Own Everests.”

Behind the counter was a tall, tanned, athletic-looking man who I guessed was in his fifties. He had on a sleek Icebreaker sweater, wore a tattered pair of jeans, and sported a fashionable pair of Persol sunglasses. Spotting Tommy and me, he rushed out to greet us, smiled enthusiastically, and tore off his shades in a clear gesture of friendship.

“Hey, dude,” he shouted at Tommy as he wrapped his muscular arms around my mentor and gave him a bear hug, lifting Tommy’s feet a few inches off the ground. “Great to see you again, bro. How’s life in the book business? Still winning all those contests with the Lead Without a Title stuff we threw at you all those years ago?”

“Definitely, Ty. And it’s fantastic to see you, too,” Tommy replied with an equal degree of affection. “Yes, everything’s still going really well at work. You guys really set me up for some serious success with all those ideas you shared with me. You know, I’ll never be able to repay you for what you did for me. My life was a disaster before that day we all spent together. But it all turned around after that.
Completely
. The philosophy you all shared worked like some kind of a miracle cure. Thank you, Ty. Thank you,” Tommy said with obvious sincerity.

“No worries, dude,” came the relaxed and upbeat response. “All good. Hey, is this the young guy you were telling me about, Tom?”

I reached out my hand but was instantly met with another giant bear hug. I could hardly breathe for a moment.

“My name’s Ty Boyd. Good to meet you, bro,” the store owner bellowed, as he squeezed me.

“Ty, this is Blake. Blake, this is Ty Boyd. Name sound familiar?” asked Tommy as he absentmindedly fiddled with his Mickey Mouse handkerchief.

“Uh, sorry. I probably should know it, but I don’t. Sorry about that, Ty,” I said honestly.

“Hey, no sweat, Blake. That’s cool. Water off a duck’s back. I’m a pretty chilled guy. No ego-tripping with me. As a matter of fact, I’ve learned that the bigger the ego, the weaker the performance.”

I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that comment.

Tommy instantly spoke up. “Ty was five-time world slalom skiing champion. See this picture,” Tommy said, pointing to the striking young athlete in a picture on the wall. “That’s our man in action—skiing the deep powder at Taos, New Mexico—unless I’m mistaken.”

“No, man, you’re totally right. Taos is one of the best places in the world for us powder hounds. I loved skiing there. Pure bliss.”

“So you’re a ski pro, Ty?” I asked the charismatic store owner.

“I
was
, dude. I used to race all over the world but had to give up competitive skiing in my early thirties after I shattered my knee at an event in Kitzbühel, Austria. For a few years after that, I worked as a ski instructor at some of the most fun ski resorts in the world, places like Whistler, Canada, Val d’Isère, France, Coronet Peak in New Zealand, and Aspen, Colorado, right here in the good old US of A. I then somehow found my way out to this noisy jungle of a place. Figured there were at least a few people who needed skis here in New York City. And I’ve never left. In the summer I sell mountain bikes. Hey, as you can see, it’s not that big of an operation, and to be real with you, dude, I’m not getting wealthy doing this. But I wake up every morning working at something I really love doing. And as we used to say
when I made my living skiing, ‘I may not be rich, but I have a rich life.’ Turning people on to the amazing sport of skiing gives me a nice kick. And it keeps me close to the snow because I still get a chance to take a few ski trips every year with some of my suppliers. I’m a happy guy. And, in my mind, that’s what matters most.”

“I’m impressed, Ty. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I offered.

“No, the pleasure’s all mine. Tommy tells me you fought for us in the war in Iraq?”

“Yes, I did,” I answered, unsure of what that fact would provoke from Ty, but hopeful for the best after hearing Anna’s appreciation for my military service.

“Well, before I give you what you’ve come here to get, c’mon over here and let me give you another hug, dude.”

I walked over and Ty grabbed me for a second friendly hug.

“Been reading a lot about what all you soldiers have been going through, dude. My heart goes out to you and your fellow warriors. I know lots of you guys who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan now have had to deal with that posttraumatic stress stuff once you’ve come back home—along with a ton of relationship challenges when there’s wives, girlfriends, and kids involved. I feel for each of you. And while I know me saying ‘thank you’ probably doesn’t make much of a difference to you, I just want to say thank you. Thanks for all you and all the others who served with you have done for us. We’re able to live with the freedom we have because of the courage you’ve shown.”

I didn’t quite know what to say. I hadn’t felt this honored for my military duty in a while. And I was beginning to realize more than ever before that what I was perceiving as a nightmare was actually nothing more than an event that had occurred in my life. And as a Leader Without a Title, I had the natural power within me to determine what meaning I attached to
any
circumstance I’d been presented with. By finding a positive and useful interpretation, I’d be flipping the switch from victimhood into leadership.
By quickly reframing something I’d thought to be bad into an event I could now view as good, I would accelerate my success and activate my inner leader. And part of that essential transition meant that I needed to stop making excuses for what my life looked like before I met Tommy and realize that my deployment in Iraq was actually a period of profound personal growth upon which I really could use to build an even brighter future. I wouldn’t have been ready to make all the changes I was now in the process of making if I hadn’t endured those experiences. And all of the challenges of my past could be seen as preparation for the oncoming leadership in my future. I also noticed that with this radical reframing of my military service, I was feeling happier and more energized than I’d felt in years.