                     
                     HIRED BY AN ENTREPRENEUR
                     ========================

"You must capture and keep the heart of the supremely able man
before he can do his best.  Hand service or head service, it's the
heart service that counts."

This expressive comment by Andrew Carnegie allows us to open up the
heart of the super-entrepreneur and look beyond cold achievement to
find the spirit that made the achievement possible.  Most employers
are not entrepreneurs.  Most are the average fine folks who live in
the present.  They're realists.

Entrepreneurs are too.  But though these super-achievers live in the
present their spirit is in the future.  They talk about the "bigger
picture" and the "main purpose".  Continually they make present
choices for future results.  They've captured the expression of the
entrepreneurial spirit in the comments they make regarding
employees.  Here are a few:

HARVEY FIRESTONE: "Provide the best possible working conditions.
Try to pay a somewhat higher wage than everyone else.  Provide
rewards and facilities over and above what any other company
provides.  Insist that supervisors treat their people as human
beings should be treated."

JAMES R. COOK: "The way to keep your company sharp, upbeat,
attentive and optimistic is through generous wages...Try to have pay
scales higher than the union demands.  It attracts the best people
and shows respect for them...Merit is the only criterion for hiring
someone.  They can do the job or they can't...Under the unbrella of
concern a company will develop a spirit of excellence and pride.
Employees share high expectations with the boss.  Peer pressure
compels high performance.  Unity and committment are commonplace.
Productivity flows.  Suggestions and input abound and the
corporation flourishes."

THOMAS J. WATSON: "Within all of us are wells of thought and dynamos
of energy which are not suspected until emergencies arise.  The we
find it's comparatively simple to double or triple our former
capacities and to amaze ourselves by the results achieved."

CHARLES SCHWAB: "For 22 years I have never spoken a harsh word to
anybody in the entire organization.  The way to develop the best
that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement...I have yet
to see a man however great or exalted his station, who is not
susceptible to the approval of his fellowmen...And the severest
criticism that can come to any man is not to find fault with him,
but not to notice him at all...If I go through a department and find
it slack I say nothing.  Silence is a heavier censure than words.
What I cannot praise I do not blame."

HAROLD GENEEN: "Managing a company is like writing in the snow.  You
have to go over and over the same words as new falls if you want
your writing to remain legible."

MARY KAY ASH: "Hire the best talent you can find when you need them
and pay top dollar for them...Believe sincerely that every person is
special.  Behave as if every person you meet is wearing an invisible
sign that says 'Make me feel important'...Outstanding businesses are
composed of outstanding people...The speed of the leader is the
speed of the gang."

There are some qualities that set entrepreneurrs apart.  They are
consistent in super-achievers regardless of the field of work or
station in life.  Some of the qualities are:

* An ability to rebound from the worst situations.  Walt Disney
suffered a bankruptcy and a breakdown.  Will C. Durante lost a power
struggle that cost him General Motors, the company he founded.  He
later took General Motors again.  H.J.Heinz endured a bankruptcy
before his company achieved its best.

* They drive their people hard, but they openly and expressively
recognize and appreciate them.  Workers are drawn emotionally to
this.  The conveyance of intensity and drive from the leader pulls
out an inner strength that turns ordinary workers into committed
achievers.

* They focus on making present choices for the future.

* They view adversity as a challenge, not as a reason to quit.
Adversity brings out their persistence.  It draws attention to their
commitment.  It builds their confidence and self-sufficiency.

* They change strategies without hesitation to achieve their result.
If the present plan isn't working, they find one that will.

* They readily admit it when they make a mistake.  They treat it
lightly and go on toward their goal.

* They enjoy being alone.  They visit with themselves often to
creatively plan their results.

* Personal hardship or other people do not prevent them from
reaching a goal.  They exhibit selective selfishness.  When the goal
is threatened, people considerations take a back seat to it.
Otherwise most entrepreneurs are noted for being concerned,
compassionate, philanthropic individuals.

* There's a sixth sense of intuition that entrepreneurs consciously
develop and it sharpens with age.  It combines spiritual inspiration
with knowledge and functions like a guide when they're in unfamiliar
territory.

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Resource Box - The following books can be found at your local library:
THE START-UP ENTREPRENEUR by James Cook; HOW TO MANAGE A TURN-AROUND by
Stanley J. Goodman; MARY KAY ON PEOPLE MANAGEMENT by Mary Kay Ash; and
BE A LEADER PEOPLE FOLLOW by David L. Hocking.
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(c) copyright 1990 STRICTLY BUSINESS! BBS

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