On Leadership By @ProfBruce

1. On LeadershipBy @ProfBruce

2. Professor Bruce M. Firestone, B.Eng. (Civil), M.Eng.-Sci., PhD. Entrepreneurship Ambassador, Telfer SOM, University of Ottawa Executive Director, Exploriem.org Founder, Ottawa Senators Broker, Century 21 Explorer Realty Columnist, Ottawa Business Journal Author, Entrepreneurs Handbook II, Quantum Entity Blogger, EQJournal.org, @ProfBruce March 2012

3. Leadership is about getting people to do things they know are not in their best interests • Scott Adams, Dilbert creator • Right?

4. WRONG “A leader is a person who chooses from among many alternatives, some of which s/he has generated and some of which either came from inside or perhaps from outside their organization, the right path for his or her tribe* getting buy-in from the whole organization as well as its entire stakeholder group and making sure that all its resources are deployed optimally to achieve their common objectives which serve not only to sustain and augment the interests of its individual tribal members and the organization itself but also a broader, ethical purpose for humankind.” (* I am using ‘tribe’ here in the same sense as Dave Logan et al in their 2008 book, Tribal Leadership: http://www.eqjournal.org/?p=1155.)

5. Good leadership  most valuable company on planet Steve Jobs Build insanely great products and services 40% of his time on Apple Biz Models What caused incredible run up in Apple’s capitalization? Mac? iPod? iTouch? iPhone? iPad?

6. iPhone! Perhaps greatest tech product EVER 288% p.a. (est.) IRR Try to get that from your Bank!

7. Motorola gets $100, once from sale of Razr Apple gets CMRR Holy Grail of Tech!

8. Jobs visit to AT&T Sale of devices Share of monthly subscriber revenues App store sales/revenues iTunes sales/revenues iOS ad server = Committed Monthly Recurring Revenues

9. Why would AT&T agree? Strong Apple brand Trust in product Two year exclusivity Keep device out of hands of Verizon STEVE JOBS’ REALITY DISTORTION FIELD

10. Kevin Rose, Founder, Digg.com Kevin Rose made $60 million in 18 months How did he do that?

11. DIGG.COM’S DIFFERENTIATED VALUE? New newspaper model adapted to Internet Not an online version of New York Times Digital community made up of homogenous demographic—80% male, mainly young techies Readers are contributors Readers dig up interesting stories/post brief synopses to site whereupon other readers vote them up or down

12. Site harnesses competitive instincts of readers Works because of homogeneous demographic—contributors post stories of interest to group Site is dynamic—leading stories change by the minute Digg.com’s cost for headline writers = ZERO Digg.com’s cost for journalists = ZERO Digg.com’s cost for editors = ZERO Digg.com’s cost for distribution = ZERO (at least, marginal cost practically zero)

13. Digg’s sustainable competitive advantage is its business model and its readership You might be able to knock off its business model but it is extremely difficult to knock off its millions of dedicated readers which form a community The key is that the readership and community are relatively homogeneous and have similar interests

14. “If you spend our last $10,000 launching this site instead of a deposit on a home for us, I’m going to leave you,” Kevin’s girlfriend Kevin and his partner populated their site by CALLING 3,000 of their friends They didn’t push on a string–email campaign might have gotten them 30 users I wonder how she feels now?

15. What are some attributes of successful leaders? vain visionary creative proud angry impatient driven rebellious lonely • good psychologists • manipulative • emotional • risk taker • inspirational • charming • forceful • changeable/ADD • moody • sensitive • funny

16. Look at list Someone you’d like to spend a lot of time with? Probably not! Leaders are exhausting people Look again We try to socialize these characteristics out of our kids

17. Star Trek’s Captain Kirk split into two persons by Transporter beam Goody 2-shoes Kirk and conniving womanizer Kirk. Dr. McCoy (‘Bones’) asks: ‘Why don’t we just kill evil Kirk?’ Logical Vulcan first officer Spock declines Why?

18. Good Kirk is indecisive, wishy-washy, new age water-fountain kinda guy Not person you’d put in charge of a starship But ‘Good Kirk’ has to control ‘Evil Kirk’ Otherwise you get nasty tyrant/dictator/bully Unavoidable internal inconsistencies

19. Difference between smart person and intelligent one? Intelligent people can cope with ambiguity (Neal Stephenson, The Diamond Age) Good leaders are trained for ‘emergency’ situations but are often bad managers Entrepreneurial enterprises these days (large or small) are in constant state of controlled panic

20. Bad leaders? Michael Zafirovski, last Nortel CEO Spoke at Telfer Worst speech by CEO of major company 55 minutes on six sigma/getting administrative financial ratios right Vision? 0 Great new NT products/services? 0 Updating NT’s biz model? 0

21. Good speech, Mike, if you are a COO WWSJD? None of his 55 minutes would be about six sigma! That’s why you have a COO All would be about insanely great new Apple products/services/biz models What should Mike have done?

22. Take page out of Lou Gerstner’s book Saved IBM in 1990s Took IBM into services, software, outsourcing IBM became trusted advisor to clients—even to the point of spec’ing non IBM equipment Sit on same side of table as client Macy’s vs Gimbels/Miracle on 34th Street/Kris Kringle

23. Who knows more about maintaining/repairing legacy equipment than NT? Their bankruptcy opens the door to Len Anderson and Renaissance Repair Leadership matters! Almost no matter what you pay Jobs/Gerstner/Rose/Zuckerberg, it isn’t enough Anything you pay Zafirovski is too much

24. Anti-Leadership Many people say they are pursuing success But actually many people fear success Biggest obstacle to success is staring you in face every time you look in mirror Fear of Success? Here’s how it works:

25. “I won’t try hard.” “That’ll show ‘em.” “If I don’t try hard and I fail, well I can always say that I failed because I didn’t try hard.” “But if I had tried hard I would have succeeded.” “I won’t take any risks.” “My ego is protected because I have a safe fall back position—i.e., I didn’t really want to do it anyway.” “No one can make fun of me even if I am a failure because I didn’t want it anyway.” Notice how perfect reasoning is, how circular it is?

26. Leaders Need to be Creative Peter Patafie: up by bootstraps guy Hired to sell moving/packing supplies– 100% contingent (all commission) Peter has confidence in himself At age 45, suddenly laid off Why? Making too much money (more than President) Wife and three kids to support Only had High School What to do?

27. Started own business selling moving and packing supplies Started with less than $5,000 Had great reputation, Knows how to sell Gets product on credit from suppliers Brings creativity/differentiated value to new biz

28. First great insight: his clients’ salespeople spend lot of time redelivering packing and moving supplies to their clients Worries about his clients’ clients What if instead of delivering moving boxes to client warehouse and then having their salespeople redeliver them to their customers who are moving, deliver boxes and moving supplies directly to customers? Client salespeople can then spend more time selling (moves) and less time delivering boxes

29. Peter ends up with a 97% market share (> Microsoft’s OS) Within six years, business that does $13 million per annum with 30% margin Never expected to make that kind of money Twice each year gets together with employees and shares the cash

30. Peter’s priorities: Priority # 1: TAKE CARE OF YOUR BUSINESS Priority # 2: SO IT CAN TAKE OF YOUR FAMILY Priority # 3: SO YOUR FAMILY CAN TAKE CARE OF YOU Priority #4: SO YOU DON’T BECOME A BURDEN ON YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEING OR SOCIETY Priority #5: SO YOU CAN HELP YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEING Priority #6: SO THEY CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS This is the ethics rationale underpinning Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand and all entrepreneurship itself

31. Student asks Mr. Patafie: “Surely, you mean TAKE CARE OF THE FAMILY is your number one priority?” “No!” he says What is the number one cause of divorce: a) Alienation of Affection, b) Financial Difficulties? Answer is b) So take care of your business so it can take care of your family and they can take care of you!

32. Opening scene of now-completed TV series LOST Writers get it about right when, > Oceanic Flight 815 crashes on mysterious island, pecking order instantly forms around Jack Sheppard, doctor, John Locke, adventurer and Kate Austen, jail bird These 3 characters between them have characteristics you’d expect in leaders: Great training, intellect and education of Jack Physical courage and prowess of John Wiliness and toughness of Kate

33. Leaders Need to be Bold Joe Kowalski from Philly falls in love with Algonquin Park Decides to be outfitter– taking visitors on canoe trips First summer disaster– turns out no one wants guide Learns force 3-4 rapids on Ottawa River that no one traverses

34. Joe and pal Robbie Rosenberger scout territory Joe sees BIG OPPORTUNITY Less than 90 minutes away market of 1.3 million outdoorsy people with disposable income Next Spring, he and Robbie ask farmer to allow them to get in river from his property Launch Wilderness Tours with two rafts– Robbie in one and Joe in other

35. 100s then 1,000s show up Problem–rapids are terrific, ride is short Joe embraces programming: swimming rapids/one channel for adventurous paddlers/another for families/bungee jumping/kayaking school/ mountain biking/rock climbing/volleyball/ badminton/ horseshoes/paddle tennis/basketball/soccer/ball hockey/lawn chess/softball/hot tubbing/outdoor movies Joe buys land Joe builds a town Adds time share/fractional ownership community too– Whitewater Village

36. 4,000+ acres owned by WT Both sides of River (Québec and Ontario) No development permitted (other than WT) Problem– how to keep good staff in seasonal biz?

37. Buy Mount Pakenham– winter time staff reallocation Another problem– smallest vertical anywhere in region Solution—turn Mount Pakenham into largest ski school anywhere– safety becomes competitive advantage Schools show up whatever weather More programming? Add snow board park Add tubing for non-skiers/boarders

38. Entrepreneurs would rather ask for forgiveness than beg for permission Start with nothing/bootstrap your way to success/make a profit/cash is King or Queen See and seize opportunities where others fail to see Be innovative and creative Turn problems into opportunities– your biggest weaknesses becomes your greatest strengths

39. Jim Balsillie, Phoenix Coyotes, Hamilton Bid, Advent of iPhone– bad CEO decisions can kill your enterprise If you want to join private club, litigating your way in probably not best way NHL a private club with 30 voting members plus Commissioner Similar to political campaign to become Mayor– just fewer voters Member clubs held in trust by owners for fans NHL believes should not be moved until all options exhausted

40. NHL leadership—two lawyers (Gary Bettman and Bill Daly) NHL leadership– no fear of litigation Jim soundly defeated in Phoenix courtroom Expansion route probably would have worked Financial incentive for owners since they share in expansion proceeds but not relocations

41. “I haven’t seen one (iPhone),” Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO, Research in Motion, 7 July 2007 “Try typing a web key on a touchscreen on an Apple iPhone, that’s a real challenge. You cannot see what you type,” Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO, Research in Motion, 7 November 2007

42. Litigation is soul-destroying, time-sucking black hole Play to your strengths not your opponent’s Be strategic Why would you ever release a tablet called Playbook that has smaller screen than your competitor? With almost no apps? That doesn’t even send/receive email on its own/your forte? That doesn’t even make phone calls?

43. Leaders are formed in the crucible of life They have a persuasive Mental Map of the Way the World Works How do they get that? They have RL experience They make mistakes They gain more experience They never repeat same mistake twice

44. They stand up to bullies They have a sense of fairness and fair play They can put a team together And keep it together Putting round pegs in round holes…

45. They have a sense of adventure They do dumb stuff They don’t listen to authority They follow the beat of their own drum They climb mountains in NZ in snow storms where only way to survive is to go up

46. They see opportunity before others do

47. They see opportunity before others do Terrace gets $18 per s.f. for its office space/five years later it’s $6 What to do? What does Toronto have that Ottawa doesn’t have? A zoo/Princess of Wales Theatre/ Wonderland/NHL Team Conversation w/ Cyril Leeder and Randy Sexton Bring Back the Senators

48. Cyril asks how much will it cost? • $35 million (est. based on NBA) • Actual NHL ask? • $50 million USD • Randy says let’s go for it • Cyril asks how will we pay for it? • Bootstrap capital, that’s how

49. Buy 600 acres at $12,500 per acre • Put a NHL team and NHL-calibre building in the middle of it • Drive up the value of the land to $112,500 per acre • Keep 100 acres for Scotiabank Place and parking lot • Sell extra 500 acres for a profit of $100k per acre or $50 million! • NHL franchise cost = ZERO!

50. Also get 32 Original Corporate Sponsors at $15k each • And 500 Corporate Sponsors at $500 each • Sell 15,000 PRNs at $25 each • Raise $1,105,000 to help with bid • As Al Davis once said: “Just win, baby.” If u want a short, pleasant annual meeting w/ yr Bank, make a profit every year, no excuses