CarusoBlog

Things you probably don't know about Donald Rumsfeld

Composed in Peachtree City, Georgia--

Things you didn't know about Donald Rumsfeld . . .

He and his wife Joyce have moved about 48 times.

Rumsfeld was hired with no business experience to be CEO of the Searle company.  There, he orchestrated massive downsizing and rebuilt the failing company by sueing the FDA, which had stalled the approval of a product called Nutrasweet.  Eventually, Searle was sold to Monsanto, netting Rumsfeld millions of dollars.  

He is the only person ever to serve as Secretary of Defense twice.  The first time, under President Ford, he was the youngest SecDef (age 43).  The second time, under President George W. Bush, he became the oldest person (age 74) ever to serve in that postion.  

Rumsfeld was In the Pentagon when it was attacked on September 11.  I've seen a video clip of him carrying the wounded out of the burning buildin.  

He is the grandfather of six.

Rumsfeld worked at a stand-up desk.  He is known for his remarkable stamina and may still become known as one of the greatest crisis managers in history.

Leaders Don't Always Have Good Advice

Once upon a time, a President of a great country wasn't doing too well.  His approval rating was very low and the public voted his party out of office.

This was big news because the President was a Republican and the Republicans had held that office for a long time. 

The President-elect, a Democrat, visited the sitting President to begin the complicated transition process.  During the meeting, the unpopular and ineffective President offered the President-elect advice and counsel.  

Later, the President sent his successor a 10-page, handwritten letter.  Mispelling the Presdent-elect's name, the President urged the Democrat to "stay the course" with regard to the Republican agenda.  And that's how Herbert Hoover handed off the United States Presidency to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. 

Unsuccessful people often try to influence others.  People of moderate means often give tips on money management and how they got "a deal" on something. 

People who smoke or out of shape often share wellness tips.  

And in my business, companies often hire consultants and speakers who lack original ideas and a successful track record.

Be careful.  It's a jungle out there.

Have Confidence to Have Confidence

Posted from Springfield, Missouri-

I'm flying home from a speaking engagement in Branson, Missouri.  Branson, which is huge on entertainment, is known as a satellite location for Las Vegas.  This small town has over 55,000 theatre seats.  That's more than Broadway. 

But even here, news of the country's ailing economy is omnipresent.  The bad news is on televisions, on the front page newspapers and even in the small talk at our group meals. 

The President and economic experts have tried to explain to the American public that it's important to have confidence in our financial system, even as we diagnose problems and fix them.  Confidence makes it easier to solve problems. 

It's just as important for managers to have confidence.  Subordinates and upper management judge managers by how they approach problems. 

There are at least two aspects to confidence.  First, there is a perceptual component.  Your team must perceive you to be confident in order to feel good about projects, initiatives and strategic plans. 

The second key aspect of confidence is the internal head game.  You must convince yourself that you are confident, even when you are not.  In other words, if you think you are confident, you are.  This isn't as weird as you might think.

All positive emotions occur in the absence of their negative counterparts.  If you are happy, it's because you consciously or unconsciously avoided the doldrums. 

So, here's to your confidence as a manager and the country's confidence in the economy.  More leadership info at www.EdisonHouse.com.  

The Best Habit of All

Composed in Springfield, Illinois-

For some years, I've been teaching people how to develop success habits. 

I'm in Springfield to deliver a keynote speech for a leadership conference.  The man who invited me is Dr. Richard Passmore. 

Some years ago, Dr. Passmore crashed a private airplane in a field.  His medical doctors said he wouldn't live, but Richard wouldn't give up.  They said he would never walk again, but Richard wouldn't give up.  They said he would never practice dentistry again, but Richard wouldn't give up.

The best success habit of all may be to never quit the Game of Life.  Dr. Passmore has limited use of his left hand, but he still earns a living as a darn good dentist.  

More importantly, he's a terrific person and a role model for us all.

Early Pioneers Are Usually Met With Resistance, Part II

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan--

Once there was a man named Ignaz Semelweiss.  As head of Vienna General Hospital's First Obstetrical Clinic, Semmelweis postulated there would be fewer deaths from infection, if doctors simply washed their hands. 

In the mid-19th century, it was common for physicians to move from patient to patient without washing their hands.  Some doctors were known to perform autopsies and then work on living people without washing. 

There was a lot of resistance to Semmelweis's theory.  The medical community initially contended that it was too much work to wash hands that many times a day.  To complicate the situation, doctors were not willing to admit they might have actually caused infection and death. 

Semmelweis was fired from his job.  He had a nervous breakdown and was committed to an asylum where he died at age 47. 

Today, Ignaz Semmelweis is credited with the discovery of germ theory.

Early Pioneers Are Usually Met With Resistance, Part I

Once there was a man named Fred Taylor.  His poor eyesight deterred him from his primary career track, so Taylor dedicated himself to working the shop floor at Bethlehem Steel, where he became fascinated with time and motion studies. 

One of Taylor's most famous studies involved shovels.  He noticed that workers used the same shovel for all materials.  Taylor determined that the most effective shovel load for a certain material was 21.5 pounds.  He then proposed finding or designing shovels that would scoop that amount.

Taylor was generally unsuccessful promoting his ideas and was fired from Bethlehem Steel. 

Frederick Taylor died in 1915 and is now referred to as "the father of scientific management."