By Bill Auxier, Ph.D. When I landed my sales job at US Surgical several years ago, I was so excited! US Surgical’s sales force was known for being an elite group of sales professionals. One financial article described us as the “Green Berets” of surgical device sales persons. We loved that! Shortly after I had completed my training, my manager … Read More
The First Time I Provided Leadership, I Was Scared To Death; I Was All Alone!
“I don’t get no respect!” That was Rodney Dangerfield’s classic line as a stand-up comedian. I found his self-deprecating jokes hilarious! His appearance, body language and one-liners were so funny with unexpected twists and turns. Here are some of his great ones: When I was born, I was so ugly the doctor slapped my mother. My wife and I were … Read More
Words = Power = Revenue
By Bill Auxier, Ph.D. What can I say? I’m an Abraham Lincoln geek! Abraham Lincoln is one of my heroes. From as early as I can remember, I have always held Honest Abe in high esteem. Not only did I grow up in the “Land of Lincoln,” I have read numerous books about him and have visited his birthplace in … Read More
Getting Picked Last Sucks!
By Bill Auxier, Ph.D. I started kindergarten when I was four years old. I started college when I was 17 years old. No, I was not a child prodigy with great intellectual capacity, I was simply born in November. As a result, I was always the youngest in my class. On top of that, my body didn’t seem to grow … Read More
Pace Line Leadership
By Bill Auxier, Ph.D. Cycling can be a lot of fun. It’s a great sport that has significantly evolved in my lifetime. My first bike cost $5, had one gear, and to stop or slow down, I simply used my feet to push backwards on the pedals. Accessories included a baseball card clothes-pinned to the fender bracket, positioned to make … Read More
Riding a Bike and Leadership
by Bill Auxier, Ph.D. I’m a little stiff as I tap the keys of my computer today having spent the weekend riding my bike 190 miles. I participated in the Pan Mass Challenge, a fund-raising bike-a-thon that essentially crosses the state of Massachusetts. The event raises money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund with the goal of … Read More
Effective Leadership is Music to My Ears
by Bill Auxier, Ph.D. One of my best friends, someone I’ve known my entire life, is a prominent dentist in Ohio. As kids we played together, went to school together, played on the same sports teams together; we had many adventures together. We went to different colleges and chose different career paths. He earned his DDS and I earned my … Read More
Creative Cheaters
By Bill Auxier, Ph.D. No one likes a cheater. Poker players in the Wild West were shot and killed if they were caught cheating. In school, if you get caught cheating you can get sent to the principal’s office, fail the course or get expelled from school. If the IRS catches you cheating on your taxes, you could end up … Read More
Leadership: Excuses, Excuses
The buck stops here. President Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk making this statement famous. “The buck stops here” is slang for passing responsibility on to someone else. The expression’s origin comes from the game of poker, where a marker indicated whose turn it was to deal. Back in the old days, a marker was usually a … Read More
Leadership & the Misinterpreted Email
Effective leaders take pride in their communication skill. Show me a great leader and I’ll show you a great communicator. Show me a poor leader and I’ll show you a poor communicator. Okay, I know I’ve said that before, but I will keep saying it because it is so true! Every leader can improve his or her leadership skill set, … Read More
Leadership and Creativity
Leaders who come up with a novel solution to a problem are often considered great thinkers and therefore great leaders. Our society admires those who provide a fresh idea, an innovative product or service or a unique way of viewing things. Steve Jobs comes to mind as a great innovator and a great leader. Jobs was able to use his … Read More