Page 125 - Roy W. Rice - CEO Material How to Be a Leader in Any Organization-McGraw-Hill (2009)

106 • CEO Material: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization

■ I was given the opportunity to be on board a U.S. aircraft carrier,
but a scheduling conflict wouldn’t permit it. I asked if I could
forward the opportunity on to some business leaders, was given
permission, and five CEO friends went, and they, in their words,
“got the experience of a lifetime” (2 hours making phone calls).
■ I wrote a congratulatory note to the new mayor in town
(3 minutes). He later contacted me for advice on a business
situation.
■ I introduced two single executive who are now dating
(5 minutes with the guy, 15 minutes to convince the gal).
■ I read a Wall Street Journal article about a friend who became CEO
of a new hotel chain. I called to congratulate him and followed-up
with a magazine article I’d seen about his competition (3 minutes).
■ While staying in a hotel in Dallas, I called the manager and
reported on a particularly good front desk employee. I thought
she deserved recognition. She sent me a fruit basket when he
told her that I had called (2 minutes).
■ I e-mailed a reporter at the local paper and complimented him on
an article (2 minutes). He later called me as a source for a piece.
■ I phoned the editor of the local paper about a friend who started a
new business, suggesting that it’d make a good story (4 minutes).
■ I gave résumé and interview advice to a client’s daughter after
she graduated from college (30 minutes).
■ I talked to a client’s spouse about her ailing/dying mother
(20 minutes). She sent me a poem that helped me during a
similar time.
■ I arranged for some vacant meeting space to be used by an
outside organization’s benefit event (20 minutes).

None of these actions required a title before my name or letters
behind it. Just a little time, resourcefulness, and the ability to not focus
on my interests and goals but rather on those of others. Every one of these
examples I did in the convenience of my home or office. I didn’t have to
get on a plane, dress up fancy, or have a late night out. All I had to do was
put a little thought and effort toward helping someone else get recogni-
tion for their work and effort.