The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable on Real Success in Business and in (9 page)

I could hear something squeaking against the mirror. But I followed her request and kept my eyes closed.

“Okay, open,” Anna sweetly instructed.

On the mirror, in red lipstick, was the word
IMAGE
written in capital letters.

“What’s this all about, Anna?” I asked. This beautiful and exceptionally perceptive woman who saw herself as the Picasso of Housekeeping and her work as an art form was full of so many surprises.

“Me and the other three teachers you will meet today will each share one of the four core principles that make up the Lead Without a Title philosophy. We’ll then give you five practical rules in the form of an acronym to help you install each of the four principles quickly and easily. This way you’ll automatically start creating some
massively
wonderful results for yourself. Sound okay?”

“Sounds great.”

“Excited?”

“Super-excited,” I replied enthusiastically.

“Wonderful. Then, without further ado, let me reveal the first principle. We’ve pretty much covered it already, but I need to share it with you as the formal law it was originally formulated as:
You Need No Title to Be a Leader
. I know by now you totally get this, but here it all is, summarized in that single and simple line.”

“Understood,” I said gratefully.

“Now the five rules that I’ll reveal to help you remember that you need no title to be a leader can be neatly summarized by the acronym IMAGE. These five letters stand for the elusive algorithm of leadership. Work and live by this little-known code that distills what real leadership is all about and you’re
guaranteed
breathtaking results.”

“Can’t wait to learn this, Anna. You’re saying that for anyone to show leadership without a title, they only need to follow these five rules?”

“I am, Blake. IMAGE truly is the elusive algorithm of leadership,” she repeated. “We’ve spent a fair amount of time discussing why you should lead in this time of remarkable upheaval and radical uncertainty. IMAGE distills the
how
. In five easy steps. If you’ve ever wondered how to
do
leadership, here it is—in its most simple yet powerful form.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Okay. The
I
in IMAGE will remind you about the importance of Innovation. We live in what I sometimes call Remake Nation. Yes, America is a superbly creative country that has given birth to many of the world’s greatest advancements and finest inventions. But too many of us in business here have lost the fire within our bellies for genuine innovation. We’ve stopped flexing our imaginations well past the point of normal. We’ve dropped our lust for creativity and our drive to be different. Just look at all the remakes of old movies or outdated songs and you’ll get the
point I’m trying to offer you. People are just too scared to be too original these days, so they try to repackage a formula that was successful a few decades ago—with the hope of staying safe. But that’s such a silly business strategy.
Innovation always trumps repeating what might have worked in the past.
Doing what worked even a year or two ago amid the terrifically unpredictable conditions under which we now do business is a good way to get into some bad trouble. Customers and all the people around you want
fresh
value and
novel
forms of excellence—not a repackaging of old goods. One of the bold things you can do when you get back to your the bookstore is to devote yourself to daily and relentless progress. All leaders without a title constantly flex their minds and elevate their abilities by consistently asking themselves ‘What can I improve today?’ They have a deeply held commitment to making everything they touch better than they found it. And to constantly reinventing themselves along the way. That’s the essence of innovation, Blake. ‘Innovation’ sounds complex, but it really is simply about consistently making everything a whole lot better than you found it. Actually, the clearest way that I can define innovation and creative mastery is to
be all about making this day better than yesterday
.”

“I really like that line: make this day better than yesterday. My career couldn’t help but soar if I committed to seriously making that happen,” I offered hopefully.

“Definitely right about that, Blake,” added Tommy, suddenly awake from a quick doze on the couch. “Your career will also fly when you commit to being the opposite of ordinary in all the work that you do. Be a visionary. See into the future in a business landscape where most people stay stuck in the past. And don’t be afraid of shattering your routines. Relentlessly rethink the way you work. Constantly be asking yourself questions like ‘How can I boost my productivity?’ ‘How can I work faster?’ and ‘How can I wow my customers even more?’ Regularly put yourself in the
shoes of your buyers and experience what it’s like to do business with you. Then set about to take that experience to a completely new level of world-class.”

“Just wake up
every
morning and be all about daily iteration—making each thing you do a little bit better than it was the day before,” Anna added. “Develop an innovation mind-set. So making your present better than your past is just the way you think. Also remember that if you’re not chasing excellence and passionate innovation, mediocrity is already on its way to get you. Avoid what I call Mediocrity Creep—that subtle and dangerous descent into being average that infects your work without your even knowing it. Just as growth is invisible and incremental, so is falling into the habit of being ordinary, as Tommy just suggested. So become ever so engaged in reinventing things and improving each thing that you do.
Without innovation, life is death. And only the brave will survive these days.
Definitely keep challenging yourself to see things as you dream of seeing them. And truly being that visionary that my cute friend over here mentioned. The inner leader within you aches to be a visionary, you know.”

“Thanks, babe,” Tommy responded gleefully.

“I should also add that the best way to improve the way you work and the organization you work for isn’t really through revolution,” Anna noted.

“Revolution?” I questioned, not quite sure where the conversation was going.

“What I mean is that the best way for you to get to your next level of excellence in your work isn’t by some revolutionary idea or some radical initiative. Great careers and great businesses are built by
evolution
. By slow and steady improvements that actually don’t look like much when you view them in isolation. But over time, these small, incremental,
evolutionary
improvements amount to massive gains.
Daily ripples of superior performance add up over time to a tidal wave of outrageous success.
Please
remember that getting to your leadership best comes down to simply doing a few smart moves each day that stack up to a unimaginable achievement over a period of time.”

“Tommy mentioned that at the cemetery,” I replied. “It’s a big idea for me, Anna. And it makes me feel like I can make the changes. Because all I need to do is to start off small. And then just do little improvements every day. Anyone can do that, no matter what their career—or their lives—look like this very moment.”

“Dream big yet start small, Blake. That’s the key. And start now, exactly where you’re at. I shared the daily incremental gains idea with Tommy years ago, and I’m so pleased he shared it with you. Because it’s such an important one for anyone ready to make changes. Small steps over time generate big results. And failure, on the other hand comes from a few daily acts of neglect that over time lead to disaster.”

“So if I take those small little steps each day, I’ll eventually get to success?” I asked, seeking some validation from Anna.

“Without a doubt. Success will actually come
automatically
, just by performing those little advancements with consistency. Simply remember this line:
small daily improvements—over time—lead to stunning results
. I call it the Multiplier Effect. Doing intelligent little acts each and every day
accelerates
with time to an unimaginable state of success. It’s sort of like compound interest. If when you are young, you go down to your bank every day and make tiny, seemingly insignificant deposits, by the magic of compounding, over time you’ll become rich. So when it comes to high performance leadership and expressing your absolute best, it’s the same thing.
Small little leadership acts really will compound into breathtaking consequences
. And as I was saying on the subject of innovation, the powerful idea is to just dedicate yourself to being all about consistent, focused, and never-ending improvement. Just don’t get caught up in the habit that is human
nature to fall into: growing complacent. As a matter of fact, the more successful you become, the more hungry you need to be—not only as a person but also as an organization. Nothing fails like success, because the higher you rise, the easier it becomes to stop pushing the envelope, challenging the status quo, and keeping your focus. Sure, it’s human nature to try and reach a place where things don’t change, where we can coast along, where everything is certain. This gives us a sense of control and security. But I have to tell you, Blake, it’s such a false sense of security.
In the new world of business, the riskiest place you can be is trying to do the same things in the same way as you’ve always done them. Few things are as foolish as hoping old behaviors will somehow present new results.
”

“Why?”

“Because that means you’re not innovating. You’re not doing your part to make things better. You’re not creating superior value. And that means that rather than evolving to ever-increasing levels of excellence, you are slipping deeper into old patterns of stagnation. And that’s when your competition eats you for breakfast,” observed Anna, sounding surprisingly strong in this moment. “Choose innovation over stagnation and you’ll be just fine in this crazy busy business world we’re now in. Choose calculated risk taking versus operating the same old way, and you’ll do great. You’ll be awesome, actually.”

“Got it. Makes perfect sense. So what’s the
M
in IMAGE stand for?” I asked.

“Mastery,” Anna offered. “Committing yourself to mastery at what you do, mastery at your craft—whether your craft is selling staplers or educating children—is the only standard to operate under in these change-rich times. Anything less and you’ll be left behind. The comedian Steve Martin said it really well when he advised, ‘Be so good that people cannot ignore you.’ ”

“Love it. I always liked him. And it’s definitely inspiring to
hear that when I deliver at my leadership best, even if I have no title, I cannot be ignored,” I replied, feeling a rush of energy on hearing more of Anna’s commentary.

“That’s wonderful to hear that, Blake. Look, if the people you work with and the people you serve only
like
you, you’ll probably not last that long in this age of intense competition. You want people to love you. To adore you. To worship the very ground you stand on because you are so staggeringly good at what you do. And the only standard that will get you there is the standard of Mastery.”

“Something about that word feels so right to me,” added Tommy. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a rumpled picture of the Washington Monument. “Here, look at this, Blake.

“It’s an architectural marvel!” Tommy continued. “People said a structure this visionary could not be built. But the architect who imagined it, Robert Mills, got the job done against all the odds. Leaders get the job done—no matter what. And so this photo is my daily reminder to pay zero attention to the chattering voices of the naysayers and to simply walk out into my days devoted to working at mastery.”

“Nothing less than my very best,”
reminded Anna. “That’s what mastery looks like to me, Blake. I’d encourage you to be a FMOB,” she said, giving Tommy a fast wink.

“A FMOB?” I asked, never hearing this term before.

They both giggled. “I think he will be a great FMOB,” noted Tommy, not letting me in on the source of their amusement.

“I think Blake will definitely be a wonderful FMOB,” she laughed, still holding me out of what seemed to be their secret little world. They high-fived each other.

“Would one of you
please
tell me what a FMOB is?” I pleaded.

“A FMOB is someone who is devoted to being the First, the Most, the Only, and
the
Best. FMOB. And we both think you’re
already on your way to becoming one,” Anna observed in an uplifting and most supportive tone of voice.

“We definitely do, Blake the Great,” said Tommy with sparkling eyes that radiated his faith in me. Suddenly he started to cough uncontrollably. His face lost all color, and his gaze fell blank.

“You okay, Tommy?” screamed Anna, rushing to his side. She grabbed one of his hands, her expression showing deep concern. I could tell she was scared. I also ran over to Tommy, kneeling on the floor beside him and passing him a bottle of water.

“It’s starting, isn’t it?” she asked as her voice quivered. “You said this wouldn’t happen for a long time, Tommy. You promised me this wouldn’t happen for a long time.”

“I’m fine,” he said stoically, regaining his composure and sitting upright. “It’s just a cough. Nothing to be worried about at all. Now, can we please get back to the business of building the Leader Without a Title standing in front of us? Time’s passing. I’m fine. Really,” he insisted.

“Really?” questioned Anna, still looking worried.

“Really,” confirmed Tommy, clearing his throat as he looked out the window.

“Okay. Well then, Blake,” continued Anna, doing her best to forget what had just occurred and return to our dialogue on the imperative of standing for mastery at work. “The starting point of moving to mastery is to raise the expectations you set for yourself. Just make the commitment to be the first, the most, the only, and the absolute best. Expect more from yourself than anyone around you could ever expect from you. Play in the big leagues, Blake! Just fly up into the thin space of rare air. Most people set such low standards for themselves. They aim so low—and then, sadly, reach that goal. And so you’ll find that you don’t have a lot of company out on the extra mile.”