this is due University
good afternoon Fubon I'm delighted to introduce our first Distinguished
Speaker Series
speaker the year Shelly Lazarus chairman at the global advertising agency
I'll be another Shelly Lazarus has at been at the forefront
advertising industry since the nineteen seventies her trademarks
clear Brandon and building close Skype client connections
have attracted some other worlds most respected brand so I will be
including american express coca-cola
Ford IBM and Unilever
among many others a frequent industry honoree
she has appeared in numerous time in Ford's magazines
mag annual ranking America's 50 most powerful women in business
miss lazarus received her MBA from Columbia Business School
and was the first woman to receive Columbia Business School's distinguished
leader in business the board
as well advertising education Foundation's lifetime achievement award
she serves on numerous boards including General Electric
mark New York Presbyterian Hospital World Wildlife Fund
the american National History Museum and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
please join me and welcome mean Shelly Lazarus
55
so it's a an incredible honor to
to have you here and and i think thats so we should be in for a real treat
I hope so yeah so I
I i'm gonna start off with with an observation which is what I learned at
launch
is the reason why you you went to
Columbia to get your MBA how was that
if you didn't the only jobs that were available were
been a typist I and what we then learned was that when I came at a college
my first job was as a typist I
yet here we both are I
it works it and so so I'm wondering
out is is there an advantage to
to going against type so to speak I
well you know there's this a there's this
little thought that if you can't be smart be memorable
its it always works in advertising as a a
and I think if you go a bit against type you know sort of people have to pay
attention to you
because it's not quite what they expected
a you know very often and never ties saying a
you can people want to expand their brand or change the meaning of their
brand
and have a very successful campaign that they're reluctant to
step away from but the truth is unless you change something significant
people won't pay attention to something they think they know
really well if its citizens say a brand name people go in their head so I know
what that is
you've got into something really different to get people to
pay II I was it express it is pay attention all over again
to something they know really well and so that very often people say me wide is
a certain client change a campaigner
it's because they want to impart new information
and they gotta do something that's gonna make you pay attention
okay so out
you want against type how
and what you also set a lunch today it was because you were taking such a
different path
you had no role models and
and I think that you actually saw that is a great advantage
and paradoxically here you are
as a role model for all the people in this room and
and many others so so can you tell us a little bit about
why you thought it was an advantage that you you didn't have a role model and
and now how do you how do you manage that role where you are all
it's a a it's an interesting question but
but I I believes that the most effective leader is
always a have a degree have authenticity
I mean it's all about authenticity I would argue that in
in the year 2012 it's even more important
that people consists male authentic people
they smell people a who are phonies
and so if you don't have anything you're trying to be like
is a role model on your only hope is to be authentic
because you have to be who you are
since I wasn't looking at someone and going our I need to dress like her talk
like her
act like her a follower career path like her
so I was sorta free to be who I was and I just was instinctive about it I never
tried to be
anything else and then I have these moments where cuz I never think of
myself as a role model
and I'll be in our room for instance in it tends to be some other superficial
things
you know and this happened to me about ten years ago I was in a room with some
women at Ogilvy and I realize that they were all wearing the same shoes I was
wearing
and it was and it was really a very bizarre thing you know when I thought
God I didn't mean this to happen why why are they doing that it's just
I'm but but I think sears
their positive a aspects to being a role model
because I always live my values in terms I have
how I live my life and so I would do things like if
if I had to do something with my children if I had to go to the school
play
or I'll wanted to go to the school player had a parent teacher conference
ur
I had to go to the doctors appointment with my kids or something
by walks straight down the middle aisle no I never snuck out
and I did cuz I wanted to because I I just thought that was right and I didn't
care for anyone didn't like it
but I also did it so other women would see me walk straight down
that the aisle and know that in
and our company it was okay to live those values
and so yes it once you know you're being watched
a you can you can you're also aware of how certain things that you think are
fundamental to
to the values and principles and the company you're running
I am you consider impart them by your own behavior
a and and make people a know that it's alright but
but at the same time I just II
would love to run a company where people you know I hope I do wear
each person feels it's okay to be
who he or she is and and
a that their there are no rules as to
at having Perry have to behave for
who you are where you came from and and a
so so to follow up on that you
you didn't seem the following the rule book in particular the that you didn't
have a master plan
I'm going to do this this year and that next year
and I'm going to rise through the ranks through through all those activities
I you the rule you seem to follow was be true to myself right
are and yet I've also heard you say
being too ambitious gets in the way
can definitely tell me what what you mean by that
well it's my observation that
people who love what they do
climb a ladder see six either an organization
that it's not about focusing on what your next job fairs
it's about focusing on doing the content
I love your job and if you love it it makes it
that much a a that much easier
and a I'm at
so a I never
I was never ambitious to be up at a certain title
or level I was the ambitious to do the right thing for my clients
and I was ambitious for their brands I was ambitious for their companies
and so a I'm it was never about me
it was about what the job was and I was so is now is so naive I'm still so naive
but every once in awhile i every two or three years somebody in senior
management notably would come in and pop another title in my head
you know in all I was doing a cab doing the same job I just kept trying to get
great advertising great marketing
for my clients and then someone go okay now we want to make you encounter actor
now we want to make your head over
i general manager this organization and I was always start out
I was always serve liking are just keeping my head down doing my job
but as I've thought about it more I think it's true in general
I think the people who get rewarded promoted recognized
are the people who do their job superbly well
and then trust that someone will notice
that they're doing the job superbly well and then go get more the job
go get a broader a a broader opportunity or bigger challenger
but it all starts with not your ambition
to where you're going in the organization but
a the way you
do loves the content have what you do
so it's not about personal ambition but maybe it is about your ambition to make
a difference for your organization i a north korean your
case the the your client organizations
and no absolutely i mean i watch is on boards and things mean the people who
get rewarded GE
you know where the guys who they find the way to do at
you know a turbine its that is bigger than anything that's ever been seen or
an MRI that doesn't make noise ur
at they're not there to become the general manager there there to do their
job
it in no way that's extraordinary and those are the guys who
who are reported yeah so I want to come back to your your comment about loving
what you do
and when you when you spoke at launch with great passion you talked about the
importance a passion
I in in your job and actually you
you talked about passion repeatedly and you talked about resilience
multiple times and so
I but the combination of passion and resilience
is what keeps you going during difficult times and and and
and so I have a a couple of questions or
about resilience in particular by I would assume the passion
you either have it for something or you don't like ok but resilience my question
is
is that something that you that you felt like you were endowed with that were did
you build it
throughout your career in different ways well all I think it's linked to passion
and I think it's linked to loving what you do because
if you're passionate about something and somebody got and swats you away
goes nah that's not such a good idea you've got to have some passion behind
the idea to come back and say actually yes it is
its this is a fantastic idea and and I'm gonna tell you why
again because obviously didn't hear the first time
is yeah that so so it is I do think they're they're very closely intertwined
but
but you also its its whatever a in approach and
and a mindset is hit great ideas
take time to sell and a and so you sort of go in
knowing that II might not prevail the first time
but it's only the first out and I'm gonna keep going at it
until I until I get where I'm going
and you've just have to have this this resilience I think particularly in ideas
business
because there's there's no quantitative measure really it's kind it's how people
feel about something that you present
and you may think it's the greatest idea in the world but you presented to three
other people here
and better now it's okay a and so then you have to serve come back with some
energy in
and Taylor a little bit and develop it'll all morning go
now look at my baby and little prettier this time
just a and so but but you know going in that you're gonna have to do it
and so you just kind of you just kinda keep going at it
and and I think there are also people who
whom answer how passionate you are behind an idea
how much have much energy you have behind it
and they use that in part to judge how great the ideas
that if you can have forward all people we know are ripping their clothes off
going
know you understand this is the greatest thing we've ever done
he got paid chechen you know it is sorta it's just it its
it saw its visceral you know it's gets kind of human behavior
and a a and I don't know how you survive in my business
a you know unless you have that kind of passion but as you say Happy going to be
fine and I do you're passionate about
cassette if it's just okay there's no way you're gonna fight for it that way
your so the the US military
collects tons and tons of data on every single person who
who enters into military service
and what was communicated to me is the biggest change
that they've notices they track data year to year
is a decrease in the amount of resilience have people today
I'm and so my follow-up question is
can you if you lean organization not only do you have to be resilient but you
have to build resilience and others
and and can you can you think about
is that a doable task but no I I think it is i think you have to support people
a as as their as they're going about it you know you have to if you ever stop
believing first role there to stop
I but if you continue to believe in in you go in with them
and a and you drive to a goal with people
it does give them a energy I think it's just
you know multinational organizations today are so
complex there so structured there so difficult to navigate
and a people who who
the people get discouraged easily because it just takes for
ever to get to someone who can say yes
you know and it's kinda but that's that's the way it is and a
I everything you can do to shortcut it is is helpful
but to I I was a
I was in a small group have I've CEO's a
a few nights ago and
the we were celebrating someone who just been named a new CEO
and someone asked a everyone to go around the table there about 10 device
and to give one bit of advice a
to the new CEO and four people said
resilience resiliency you get a brilliant idea is
you know you can have great results and and all that
but if you're not willing to get up every day and go back in there and fight
the good fight
a you're gonna be in trouble fast
so I wanna returned to I'll you have a very
interest seen approach where anything that some people would view to be
a disadvantage that that you've you've been put put in a tough spot you
you turn that around and say this is a great opportunity
and one of the things that that you're known for
is asking great questions now
when you talk about asking great questions you say
I had an advantage I could ask a dumb girl question is:
I'm famous for dem girl questions rates at
so so tell me tell me why why and how
you do that and and why that's such an advantage well I just
first of all I i'm not purposely asking them grow questions I actually really
don't understand certain things
and but I find a lot I have other people
a that they don't wanna show they're done you know so
they just sit there and they let all this information go by the
min and they just never raise their hand and say I know you were using english
words but I actually don't know what you just said
this which I have I actually I I have said that several times that
and I'm I'm I'm just not afraid to do that because what I've come to know
is that when I asked that question there at least
15 other people in the room where the same question but they don't ask it
because that the reason I've learned it is cuz I there are so many instances
when I actually have asked
a a question about things I don't understand about
either complex financial instruments or
I'm sometimes you get the consultants doing these
I 9 box charts that I think I know what they're talking about but I'm not
absolutely sure I'll give you the best example of all this is
my favorite 9 box start it's a very it's a very serious
and and tragic subject but I was on the 911
a commission said the our job was to
distribute all the fun times that had been donated for
victims of 9/11 and so the consultants came in and they did the
these charts and the two axes were something like immediacy
above the impact and
a a the the a time frame house or a long-term
it was I think in the upper I i thought but I was in positive because they were
using euphemisms
the upper left-hand box was picked for people who died in 9/11
I think but no one ever said that a and so is that the Fed the victims families
and down here were like schoolchildren in saint louis who
seven years after would have some big thoughts about maybe the world's a scary
place
and and so there the recommendation
love the consultants was that because victims families
had been well taken care of through lots have
different means that all the people who had poured their hearts out written
checks
in the wake of 9/11 all that money should go to
say you know programs in a schools in the midwest for kids who would watch it
on television
at and so never in just ever and smiling
everything's fine I'm going excuse me I'm
but those are right there was the victims for said to establish that these
with the victims families
a and yes that that's who they are
I said well you know here here's I have a moral problem actually
because all the people who wrote the checks
into it for the telethons and all that they were writing those checks
because they wanted that money to go to the families and the victims they
they were not interested in in programs in the same in the schools
a for the next five years and and so
then this story this big conversation 20
CEOs have major companies came up to me afterwards and said
so glad you said that because
I was thinking that but and so if I hadn't said that
all the money would have gone for these these long-term programs and
and I actually learned that day that no matter how much respect in regard to
have for people
who are sitting in a room with you the fact that they don't speak up does not
necessarily mean that they don't
agree with the point but that they some
a lot of people are just reticent to go against the crap out
and because I I am started is the day you know i i get a pass cuz I'm the dumb
girl
you know I don't and I we start by understand I never
I never do the confrontational you know but I go I'm sees me I i've
I really don't understand what we're talking about here I'm
but but it changes the direction the conversation
and so I like to ask questions that are actually gonna at least
open a whole other area that for people to talk about and consider
or two if I can just have changed the course have
I'm a natural conversation that you know where it's going you know is gone and
cuz I don't even mind a bit ends there as long as we've considered some other
possibilities
so i i think that that you felt like you had a gender advantage here
because yeah because man did not like to ask questions that made them look
vulnerable in some way
or at that that I I'm not even gonna go there but for sale they didn't ask the
question so
yeah I mean just that
I'm asking ever I a
for what it for whatever reason maybe they're intimidated by Mackenzie I don't
know just that
so but have you seen people up both genders who are good at
asking those questions in it and is there are you you talk a little bit
about how you try to ask questions
Izzard effective way of doing it that the that makes it more
well so as I say many can be strong and and provocative you you don't have to be
nasty income for additional you know it disorder it's there's a way to ask
things you know center for clarification and information we're everybody knows
we're going
a and and sometimes asking people to explain things
you know again and again and and not even doing
if you don't understand it the second time you know ask again
be cause it I promise you that if you don't understand it there at least 10
other people in that room gotta understand it either
so I'm just learn that it's a a it helps it certainly helps me but it helps a lot
of other people to
a to just to to just press a little ok
I'm an ass two more questions and then
everyone else in the audience will have a chance that to jump in
out but a little bit worn in C get ready
now so the first question is
a branding question and
I'll it it probably why no it has not escaped your attention
that this is not a golden age for business leaders
and I saw some data recently
that looked at a trust barometer
and not surprisingly given the the election that we just went through
there was a 14-point drop year to year from 11 to 12
in trust in government officials
all-time drawn the same your two-year drop
for CEO's was also the biggest decline in history of 12 points
so these people are moving into
a world where it's fundamentally different than it was
even a year ago where there is less trust in their leadership
how can they build their their brands in that environment
know well it's a a adjuster by quoting heard this
great line from John McCain on trust in congress
he said we're now down to blood relatives
the the only people who dress today they're like it off before
or something like that is just that a
well it's it's a very it's a very serious question
and you know the the first answer is
is obvious and you know just give if we look at ourselves is
as as business leaders know the first thing is you gotta stop the
the bad stuff you know just when I thought we might be
just going back with gangster now live or happens
and there are things that are that are just
unacceptable and where there are things that are unacceptable I I also don't see
the behaviors
on the on the parts of the leaders in the company you know
a to to fire people i mean there are certain
there it's there there's a wonderful phrase that says a
I'm a at culture is defined not by what you say but by what you enforce
and so if ever if it's OK with the company that people do these things and
nobody gets fired until the government comes in
and says actually we're not going to deal with this person anymore see that
get River
well then what does that say about the morals on the principles
you know of a company so so what is certain so the actions have to stop that
II there has to be accountability
for people who do been who on whose watch bad things happen it may not even
be that people meant to do bad things
but it's just somebody has to be accountable for it
and so there has to be sort over I i'm
amoral resolve that that these things won't be allowed to happen
I am I think we have a terrible terrible problem with CEO compensation
that I don't know how to solve the salaries that CEOs are making this
country most people find obscene
and and that doesn't endear the business community
II anymore you know I have to remind a lot of the people I work with that
a million dollars to most people in this country is winning the lottery
there so when they sit before congress and say it's hardly worth coming in the
office for a million bucks
you know the goldman guys it's like it's just it's important to people in
interstate
just it's so entitlement now having said that
their business leaders who commands great respect to do
you know who do wonderful things mean build people like Bill Gates Warren
Buffett
know Steve Jobs it who they still love entrepreneurs same love people who start
companies
they love them too because you know someone like that
a Bill Gates takes is money and gives it back I think I was telling you before
John Paulson who you know is its
we can argue about a about all the ways he made his money but when he gave a
hundred million dollars
to that he basically gave it this way to the citizens of New York for Central
Park
one hundred million dollars and people just love to
for that no sewing he took the money that he made
and he gave it back to society in some significant way
and so I think this is the story we'd have to start to be accountable
I think we're gonna have to start to recognize that
that there is a societal contract and and we have to give back that
that there is that it's part of the deal I
I think people are going to have to started to act on their ethics
that when things are violated that people are
in fact they lose their jobs and then we have to figure some way
to get back to compensation levels
that have some relation to
to reality and I don't think the idea is to
a is to pay people all the money and then take it back in taxes
mean that that makes no sense to me at all a
but there's gotta be someway have I've calibrating
I am that the compensation
that that people make but I can tell you the one thing that
is not going to work and I masses all the time is running
ads that's a up we are such good people we can hardly stand urself
you know such a knowing people up
as soon as something bad happens I get this phone calls
from company is insane and I we wanna run some ads that you know
explain to people what our ethics really or at
here is something that that I learned that
that new should each take with you is as you
I'm start your careers bad stuff is gonna happen
you need to build your brand before the bad stuff happens
you need to a knock and wake yourself before anything bad happens in
I will give you the example and BPA which I i think is
it is stunning um
when we did beyond petroleum so BP before the spill
had two other incidents where they had
a they had a fire in Texas City where 15 people died
in a refinery and their at just a few
weeks or months later they had a spill and the Alaska Pipeline
and so everyone was very concerned about what people thought about BP with these
two
events happening so we did this very broad survey of people and we said
years our company there there were two incidents this fire and the spill
fear have you heard of it I yeah I think so
to to happen to know which company that was that
had those two events add this Mac must've it must have been
exxon must a bit so this
56 percent at fifty-six percent of people in the United States said
must've been except so you never want the valdez to happen to you
because its passed on in the DNA somehow is everybody knows
you never unit that I don't know when when they're gonna
pass beyond the valdez then you go so we're all
oil companies the same now I know BP they're much better they said green they
care about the environment pages
and so they had built up I and I'm not saying this you know in in ahead
way to be funny but they had built up so much goodwill
to be on petroleum that they could actually get through
a fire in a spill they couldn't get through the gulf that you know there are
certain things that are just
overwhelm a although goodwill that you might have built up
but building up that goodwill before something happens
is really really important and the other thing I will tell you which I found
fascinating cuz we monitored BP all through that
a offer this bill is on the way there were
BP's worst week that time when they were holding the turtles up enough oil was
spilling of them and all that
the american public still hated Goldman Sachs more
they did Goldman Sachs was on the they were dead last
i mean they are I just can't help it
Sat
okay so I'm gonna
a if if there any golden people out there they can
as their question asked by I'm so one last question which is
when you when you embarked on your career you had no plan
your you're only player and was you you want to have a better job than you
correct would have had if you didn't go to business school
with the benefit of hindsight is there any advice that you want to give to
these people
as they embark on their careers post
MBA well well two things I mean
morning one is just a little bit of life advice is gonna sound Triton silly but
it
it's the truest thing I can say to you is find something you love to do
I mean is just it takes it's so much easier to it so much
easier I mean so much it's so much more enjoyable if you're spending
most every day doing something you love and and if you don't like it
get help you know it's just sort of people
they have these ideas of what they think they want to do and they get to a place
and they tryin
they really like it very much and they really don't like it very much and they
really don't like a very much in its not getting any better in this Dec
and you know so when you get to the second bit of conversation that we
always have about trying to find balance in your life
is you if you don't love your job you're never ever gonna find balance
because I we say this too you know two young women is
I promise you gonna love your children no
so if you have a job you don't like most days
it yeah it if you have a job that you find frustrating and unfulfilling
you're gonna resent every minute that you spend away from
the the things that you up your children the only way you can hope to find
balance
is if you find a job that you love so much
that or an industry or pursuit that you love so much that
that you wanna find the balance because you don't want to give either one of
them
up and one of the things I found is that you can fit into your life
everything you love to do you will find a way and
which you can fit in are the things you find frustrating
boring I'm meaningless
a doll I with no redeeming social value
thats all this stuff that you're gonna wanna
to its underside but you'll find a way to fit into your lives
everything you love and then the only other thing I would say is that
I'm getting an MBA is Inc is a gift
i fap because it create things are
interesting are as interesting as the context in which you put them
I find and so the larger the context that you have
for whatever it is you doing day today for the individual tasks that you're
doing
if you can understand what the larger picture is with the bigger mission is
with the larger goal is
everything you do is so much more meaningful
and what an MBA did for me was it gave me this very large
business context you know that I wasn't just doing
adds to do where adds that that I understood what the
with the business mission was that I could ask the questions about
what do you want to have happen as a result of this marketing program that I
can understand then
the need to to penetrate new markets are new audiences ur
or new geography teaser and where the piece parts
fit into this larger picture everything I did was so much more
interesting and so much more satisfying and I watch people around me cuz
really mean MBA to it to work in an ad agency frankly
a but if good the
satisfaction that you would get
from what you were actually doing was so much narrower and more limited
then what you have once you have an MBA and once you've
understood business strategy and a
out what that but the larger picture is so
a so I'm glad I'm glad
I got an MBA I'm glad that I didn't want to type
and that someone suggested a I alternate
route to me even if I didn't really know what it was it turned out to be great
yeah okay well that's a it's wonderful to hear an endorsement for an MBA
I love yeah Adelaide for all %uh view but you if you should feel better
Bob so questions from the audience
thank you yahoo.com yeah
you know I was there and rather well
you I'll people who you know that well to said
yeah so I have always 50
people and my problem is some live you talk a little bit about
haha and when the work of
well that's ok with that of course is is the great question and
I'm you know especially in I'm
in my business where we're just agents right
you know where a I it said David overly
I was Easter like to say never forget who signs the check
you know that that ultimately it is the client's decision and the client's
at responsibility so I think knowing how
how far to go but remembering
whose who's going to be accountable who's paying
whose investment it is is is really
a important but I think the other the
the other aspect avid is even when you're working internally
with partners is I
when you do things for the sake of the relationship
because very often you will do things if you're smart
for that that you might not want to compromise right at this moment
but you know for the for the sake of the longer term relationship
it's the right thing to do its you don't want to give in
but on the other hand the worst thing that can happen
is that this causes a rift between you and and a partner that you're working
with
and it's just not worth it but that's but that's what you have to what
the value a the two things but I can tell you how many times
I've actually back down or when along with something
because I've made the judgment that is more important
I that that I keep this relationship with this person
for the next ten years then I i win this argument
at another example I can give you is wanted the great
arts I have I love life is
managing a a global company and
I i've work with more CEOs global CEOs
who a or adamant that they want to establish a global brand
with global messaging and that they're going to insist
who then Adam at a certain moment in time when I go to them and say you know
actually
in Germany the they're not running less stopped at the rest of the world is
running because they say it doesn't work and it doesn't
you know it's actually usually Japan or Australia who says this but you know
what it works ever doesn't work here
I'm and ICO a look at me a very committed CEO and say
I've already had four arguments with the CEO of Germany this week
I'm just I'm not going to a fifth one at and so
and I i appreciate that you know where his judgment is
I can have more conflict right now so
but its conscious I mean that's the other thing is it's a conscious
compromise
that I you know that I would go further but there's a greater good
and so I think being conscious of it is probably the most important part in
making a conscious judgment
um
thank you a for coming out and talking to us and is very knowledgeable engaging
I want to ask you what is the one greatest thing that you love
on one thing which you dislike about our business about the eBusiness
I what I love is so so my favorite moment is it usually happens on Monday
morning
and I i get a call from a creative guy
who says you got a minute I got an idea
and and I go come on up
and its it's just that moment when you first see it
and and you just know it's a stunning idea
you know that it's something that you've been working on a
for for so long I I haven't at just a wonderful wonderful creative partner
name Steve Hayden
and at he did damn
you think it's it's just came from this the heavens are
he did a business he did that any for
for IBM and he just
his is a very self-effacing guy
and he he'd call me up is it going to show you something
and he brings me and add any embedded in the body copy
is this little ampersand me it I said Steve what's that
and he goes there is just playing with it I was just you know I don't know
maybe
maybe maybe it's an idea and a
and the rest is history is they say but that but there are there's nothing as
exciting
as those moments at a when when you see an idea and
and a the though the worst part
is when people try to steal your great people you know it in the air business
we're only as good as the people we have
and then you just you now very times to when people are desperate and so dollars
have
depending on the need dollars have different value where someone all
well make an offer to a guy a
a whatever are great guys and triple his salary
and because the they
a the the competitor so means this person that he is worth three times as
much
to him and and you know you
you want to keep them but ages it just doesn't make any sense you just
sometimes you win by the way sometimes you do and you appeal to some higher no
sin have
you know enjoyable enjoy ability
comradeship it's a a but but as I
as I always like to say to to people when we're thinking about things like
that
you can't make people feel done you can't make people feel that they're
betraying their family in some way
because they're not taking this economic opportunities so that but that those are
the worst I mean that sisters makes me weep
a is lustrous
his own
not I was at once yeah
contact yeah
and one I got some yeah
fire is a should and we you visit this year
diving academics career student my
social life answers organizations so
people alive struggle with prioritizing
to talk about picard unified for
yeah I know so this is I I started to do this instinctively when I
when I first dad became CEO because whenever things
that you'll find in any job is that the process and the nonsense
you know just sort of swamps you and it just
it just takes all your attention all your efforts so
at this story have each year I I would write down on a card
the five big things I wanted to accomplish over the course of the year
and I would keep it on my desk right on the top
and then when people would come to me with enough silly things over the course
the day I my eyes when I was tripped over to the card
and I would start to think to if I spend my time doing this with that person is
that gonna
do anything to drive me any closer to these five
big things I want to accomplish and if it didn't I'd say no
I would just start to say no this is not something I have time for today
I'm sorry we can't we can deal with it head you know any different I'm
and it just you know just some sense so
what the big things our that you want to accomplish
over the course every year or whatever time period you know that I think these
are three things I must get done this weekend
its is just the way I have I've sort of sorting out because
it's amazing when to write them down to how many extraneous things take up your
time
you know it's sorta ike I can clean the basement but it's cut and not gonna
drive me any closer to anyone in these
big things I'd like to come let them try some I ask you something
you know in which case it would so so I think having that sort of
larger perspective and and knowing what's important to you
with that what a friend in mind a
this gets me did you know said the basement things she once said to me
something I've never forgotten
she says just has no emotional value
so now I've just freed you to never dust
is just got it's pointless
ill be back again the next day it's just is you know it's distorted
and it doesn't really have any emotional values to give witness the error when
it's not there so
out just let it go mister very pragmatic advice
yes at hey there I think so much for joining us today
and there's a book published a couple years ago called women don't ask that
posits that women
I'm don't ask for you know promotions they don't negotiate their salary and
that's actually why women make
semi sentiments dollar to talk to whether or not you think you are in a
unique
environment now okay Chris because let me be I'm glad you asked the question
for clarification
I don't think when I don't think anyone should ever ask for promotion
people should ask for more challenge people should ask for more work
people should ask for a broader portfolio people should ask to be put on
the most challenging
assignment that a that a company has
a people said and asked to be sent to start up a a new division
Vista but what you shouldn't ask for is to be made a senior vice president
because if the company doesn't see that your value is so that was my issue with
that brokers
that book centre did say ass to be I see if his president
I'm so if the company doesn't see the value said that you get the next kinda
wrong up on the latter in terms of II
in terms our fat title I think
I think that said cause some concern on your part that either you're not doing
as well as you think you're doing or
or the company is rewarding people unfairly but I always
I i wasnt raise your hand ass for bigger assignment no wat Eva
a there are a lot of companies a lot over I'm
professional services firms actually
a that they're now starting to get more and more women into
what they consider senior management but just say okay
I who's managing your twenty largest engagements
no women nope
fairer I work with a lot over accounting firms and
I've yet to see the managing partner
on a particular Angie year mercker I
there they're just they're not win a
so and everybody in the company knows what that but the really important
assignments are
everybody knows they don't have to public near you don't even they don't
publish it but
but you know and they tend to be client-facing a
and they tend to have a responsibility for more revenue and they have more
people involved with them and everyone knows which
simon says or and just because people have the same title
doesn't mean that people have the same power
and so again back to the content I've make sure we're
a that you have the right content in your job
always ask for that button but I never asked for a title
p thank you for being here as well so my question pertains to
when you're talking about being unafraid to NS the dumb question
and I was warning what type of trade-offs you've seen that you've had
to make between being inquisitive
and getting clarification on things that you don't understand
also communicating that you have a command of what's going on in the room
anything just talk about some the chain of their how do you balance between
those two
you know well well I think a
on you know it asking questions constantly cuz you can keep up you know
that's not a good idea
it's a good that would that would never come across well
job but I think in many instances it's because you have because you have a
command
I've the overall subject that you're not understanding what some in the specifics
or and because you do have a point of view
and because you do have a set of beliefs a
that you can in fact ask questions that suggest a point of view
that might not be the the popular one
a in the room but to but
but there there are people who ask too many questions and
and ants slow down a meeting
that's never a good idea but one key question that just sit and gos
I you just said something that I don't understand and
a it's an art it is an art
to and also a our friend in mind tells the story about damn
he sat on a board I have by investment company in France
and this was right when their
right before the crisis and I'm
he's a he's a tech guy he say they're all these financial guys who sit on this
was a really big company
that well as financial crisis and the company and and this
my friend says sometimes I don't quite understand
what they're talking about but I look around and I see all these other
finance guys and they look like they know exactly what's going on I gotta
sure fine I'm a tech I okay I'm
up you know all this be quite and then there was this day
right around to in 2008 I think
and my friend is looking at their find
they're they're presenting this whole thing and derivatives and these very
complex
financial instruments and my friends looking at the finance guys and thinking
they don't understand this there they are
they had this look to being slightly perplexed I have
and so they go and three slides for slides five slides
and finally my friend decides he's the dumb tech guy right is not the finance
guy at the table
so my my friend goes excuse me
I really I could you just go back a little because I
I really don't know what you just said
what these instruments are at which point the CEO the company goes actually
I don't know what you're talking about either I and so
then then he goes they go back again they try to explain that again
and now the CEO is energized and the subject and
the CEO goes I'm not sure I still understand and they turned to some the
finance guys and goes deep
do you guys understand what these instruments are and their time
and final a the third time they try a third time
and the CEO at this point says I still don't know what you're talking about
I what I do not want to get into these
instruments that no one our board understands that
I don't understand that are too complex for any Justin
personal normal intelligence to understand I don't want to do them
and these were some of those instrument they never did them
according to my friend they they hit the CEO stopped it
but if but if the tech guy hadn't asked the dumb tech question
to the finance people I they want it gone right ahead
because people didn't want to show that they didn't understand Sep
so so there's or you have to sit and have that
the legitimacy gotta find the legitimacy to ask
to ask as a question as basic as that but you probably have one shot
in a meeting to ask that to ask that kinda basic question but it it to it
does work
very often what so this
relates back did to the first question a little bit but it but it's a different
take on it's about managing people
am and it's about empowering
your your employees but also true maintaining your your standards are
perfections
at I think I heard that you spoke a little bit about serve
going from from an A minus two nann the balance that but speak to a little bit
were your approach to empowering people but also making sure that your
delivering products that are up to your your standards in
and when do you know when to intervene in when and how not to it again
again the the hors d'oeuvres the thing out what I talked about before was
one of the hardest things for me personally as a
as a leader was when I would see
a some work that came from somebody and
it was it was a B and I knew if I'm worked in retail I could get it to and a
but the the residual damage to the
morale of the person who had done nothing in the first place
had to be considered at and also whether that was the best use my time
because maybe be was good enough so so to know when good enough is good enough
I'm but I think there have to be standards
I i mean the they're just they're just have to be
they have to be at st. a quality standards for sure we're
a behavioural standards for sure you know these are the things that we just
don't tolerate
I am but but in terms of getting the work to a certain quality I think it
that the first set of decisions is how important
is this how important is this work you know if your
if you're presenting to IBM a new campaign that's gonna
a give them five years
a I am it
have Braham wife it's really important
it's gotta be super but if you're doing a competitor report on
spending from you know PC manufacturers
because they it's that kinda like to have it
a it's much less important and so you always have to
you also have to add overuse oh we sense the value
I am but but but I think the
the other thing is when you when you ask people to
to go back and do something over you have to tell them why
you know you have to you can't do that a
I just you know a
I just don't think that this is you can say this is not good enough
but it's even better if you if you say
its it's a little superficial I think we need to go deeper on this
a if you say that I am
I doesn't have the kind of in doesn't start with the kind of consumer inside
that I think we need to have I am
I just did it's a it's a very delicate thing but it's a little bit what I
talked about before is
is measuring the value I love getting the work better
versus the impact it's going to have on
on a longer term relationship because eventually
if people get so frustrated because neither their work is getting through
their got a wave
which you might walk but you might not
and you gotta know if if you want it or not
its to I i sat on so I
I used to sit on some boards where they would rehearse the prisoners
the see I would rehearse the presenters for three days
they be in rehearsals and as a board member you go
stack really the best you save: everybody's time the leaders have the
company in the CEO to rehearse people for a board presentation
you know it's just it makes you stop and think about
the qual but the company is spending its time
and not to knotted
mention that impact it has on these poor people who are
the pope who are just trying to get their work done and
and its good thing in a report out to the board but you know every word does
not have to be perfection
the boys not paying that much attention anyway most the time in my own
on my own experience positive catch each its precise word
just a if
think it's on my sell it for the insides on have a question that comes up a lot
in the job interviews
would what do the what's your mmm favors marketing campaign
in what's your a criteria on see never has it when you're in my position you
never answer that question is as like choosing among your children
you know I was just sitting there be you just don't do that so
so here is a general answer though it's it's really easy to get one campaign
anyone can do that
I what's challenging is keeping a brand
alive relevant and vibrant over decades
thats really hard so you look at that this is why people always talk about
Apple and Nike and
and my own experiences is american express is just
time after time campaign after campaigning
you just strengthen the brand grow the brand give it more meaning keep true to
to its DNA but but expand what it means and
and and let it a grow over different product lines and
a that's what's really really hard to do anyone can do
you know like talking dogs in hamsters and
and things like that once its someone said to me as a one sec campaign with
the rats
I'm going their routes they're going to the rats driving a car you know just
I'm going how the hamsters you know when for him to have seen this campaign for
so many years on like it and think it's wrapped site
I find it you know I got its own a fascinating this
might even be the reason he liked it just a that
but but I it but I sell so I think that that
that that the thing to think about though is and the campaign's I hate the
most are the ones you don't remember
I don't even I actually prefer the ones that are just hideous where you go god
who thought of that
I I'd rather have those in the ones that just have passed like a ship in the
night
just a when we took over the IBM Business
they had been spending somewhere between
$500 million and a billion dollars a year on average rising
every year and when you went and ask people
what IBM advertising they remembered
it was Charlie Chaplin which IBM had not run
in 11 years so delivered 11
billion dollars had just been wasted
and nobody could remember think and just think
can you feel if you're the marketing person
bad it's just up not to mention what the staying power Charlie Chaplin knowing
it's enough for 11 years and they still remember did
you know so it's a a it's pretty remarkable
but but it's just I hate all advertising that
that is just you know unmemorable
undifferentiated a has nothing no
David Wood over a blue collar burr singularity there is nothing about it
that you can remember
but it goes really easy you know it brings it presents easy
now you go ok no one can object to anything it's just
thats by that and that's the way to live yet swine
a so Shelly are our time
a his is coming to a close here
I just want to personally thank you your brand
is sensationally strong and enduring
argue you are an incredible role model for everyone here
and you exemplify what I love them aspire to be which is a true leader
consequence so thank you well thank you very much thank you
feet presence terraces said yeah
thank you okay say
I today i play my place if
yeah produced by Duke University
online at Duke dot EDU