Tom Asacker

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One leader's response to my latest article

I found this in my inbox this morning, and thought it would be worth sharing:

"As I was reflecting on your interdependence premise as a fundament of a brand, a couple of other random thoughts zipped around the old cerebellum. A few annual letters back, Warren Buffett was opining that all big businesses ultimately lose their lofty position because they develop an institutionalized smugness that leads to increasing levels of inward focus, which numbs them to the ever changing environment. Drucker chose the glass half full side when he described a good business as one that identifies its clients needs before they do; as he put it, the aim of marketing is to make the role of sales superfluous.

I used to think that it was just monopolists and recovering monopolists that had this problem, but your tale of working with Coke disabused me of that notion. The only difference is monopolists are born with the smugness attribute, big businesses gain it over time as the passion for idea generation and action exuded by the founder dissipates.

Finally, it all came together for me watching the movie 'Gosford Park' (I wonder if I would ever have been able to think if movies hadn’t been invented). At the end of the movie one of the top maids was describing what made a great servant. And as she did so the clouds parted for me. CEOs with all these ill-gotten riches have lost sight of the fact (and in most cases never had seen it) that they are in the business of service. Horrors among all horrors; they are servants!! They don’t see that to maintain a successful business they must maintain (or attain) a humility that reminds them that the customer made them, not the other way around.  I pasted the relevant portion of the screenplay below:"

What gift do you think a good servant has that separates them from the others?

It's the gift of anticipation.

And I'm a good servant.

I'm better than good. I'm the best.

I'm the perfect servant.

I know when they'll be hungry and the food is ready.

I know when they'll be tired and the bed is turned down.

I know it before they know it themselves.

Posted August 20, 2009
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