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LEADERS, FIND THE INCREDIBLE GREATNESS IN YOUR EMPLOYEES EVEN IF THEY MAY NOT INITIALLY APPEAR TO BE A-PLAYERS


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Lesson: U.S. brilliant CEOs understand that true A-Players are diamonds in the rough and that it takes great initial recruiting and analysis, but then also incredible leadership to bring out the greatness most people have never had the opportunity to show.


The excerpt below is from my Business Course and Workshop Series, Building Special Companies, est. 2019.


Many of our readers know that I was fortunate to make the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Fort Dix 2017 basketball all-star team (the picture) amongst 4,000 violent inmates, which helped my safety and friendship with African Americans in this terrible institution. I also was fortunate to play centerfield for the league softball team which brought me great protection and friendship with the significant Latino population. All of these men were incredibly kind to me and super-protective of me.


I constantly thought of how this related to my personal, much-different building businesses experience – but would also realize it’s not much different. You may recall in my recent book, I had violent nights in prison where I realized that if I had been born in a different zip code, and based on my crazy natural drive to lead and win, I would have very likely been the lead drug dealer/gang member/etc.


So, this week I want you to please study this picture deeply and know not only are you a phone call away from losing a $Billion investment firm and your entire life and family, but you have a crazy responsibility to bounce out of bed, show incredible leadership by example and drive exceptional growth and achievement out of your employees. If you don’t, you don’t deserve the soft lifestyle you can likely glide with, until you can’t.


As many of our readers also know, I loved to hire the beauty salon receptionist who we could tell was crazy bright and had great personality (and she crushed it), as well as the guy who left the elite College of William and Mary to start a carpet cleaning business (and he crazy crushed it).


This week, look into people’s souls. Make greatness where others take an easier, softer, conventional path. Be exceptional! Build an exceptional team!


ps. By the way, I had 17 points in the end-of-year All-Star game in front of huge crowd of inmates you wouldn’t believe, but had my head taken off driving down the lane the last play of the game (no call), and LOST! But this picture is one of my most prized possessions today – it is truly a gift. Use your gifts for greatness.




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