Biz 46-50
4/8/04
7:23 AM
Page 107
THE FINAL FIVE All the best bosses I have ever had have been a little eccentric or, as mentioned in the previous section, a little M.A.D. They exhibited some endearing features that were mighty unusual but that people liked and got them talking. One boss would wear socks that were either bright red or bright yellow. On one occasion he wore one of each. On another occasion he came to work wearing one brown shoe and one black shoe. He had got up early and dressed in the dark, not turning on the light for fear of disturbing his wife. Another boss was exceptionally indiscreet, but we loved him for it. His utterances certainly enlivened our days and stimulated much coffeetime talk. He loved to quote a very famous chairman who used to tell his son (who was in the business), “How many more times do I have to fire you before you do what you are told?� To excel at motivation and be a great team leader, it helps to have a colorful personality, which includes a number of distinctive idiosyncrasies and of course signs of minor madness.
46
Be indiscreet
47
Look happy
48
Be unhappy from time to time
49
Experiment with new motivational stimuli
50
Retreat, relax, reflect, review, and recharge