FRED HARTEIS QUIXTAR AMWAY ALTICOR DOUBLE DIAMOND... Case Studies / Fred Harteis...Master Leader or Master of Deception?

I read an article recently in Readers Digest (Nov 2004) in a column entitled “That’s Outrageous”. In that article they gave examples of many schools in America who no longer recognized Valedictorians because doing so may hurt some kids’ feelings. Some schools won’t recognize the leading basketball scorers because it could embarrass the kids who don’t perform as well. Still other schools don’t give grades because it could scar the kids who don’t get as of good grades.

You say how could this happen?….complaining parents. This article also went on to point out that many people are complaining about how many jobs are being outsourced to other countries, countries who will give a better product at a more competitive price. Many principals and school officials don’t believe in ranking students or that results matter. The article points states “In the real world, results matter”.

I have talked to some friends of mine in England who said that one of the reasons England went from the world leader to a much lower level of world leadership, was that it became okay to lose. People no longer strived for leadership because it could appear capitalistic.

There is an article in the NY Times today (Friday 12/24/2004) about recounts in WashingtonState  for governor. They recounted twice until the one party got their way….. cry cry cry until you get your way is what it sounds like to me. In Ohio they are saying we need to revamp the voting system, and are saying it is the next Florida. If you will recall Ohio was a swing state in the Presidential election this year. Last election if you remember we were subjected to how many recalls in Florida trying to get the “right” count. My interpretation…. Cry cry cry.

Have we become a nation of cry babies, pointing the finger at the winner, complaining they must have won unfairly. We love sports. We as a society have always loved the winner. Remember the U.S. Gold Medal Hockey Team? Whatever happened to the pride of winning? What ever happened to the feeling you got by doing your best. Even if you lost, you went back into the gym or the hit the books and came back again determined to succeed.  Is it that we want to win, but when we don’t then we must point the finger and cry? Blame someone else for our loss? Is that what we are becoming?

Talk about Masters of Deception. To me that is deception, teaching our kids it’s okay to lose. If we don’t get the promotion at work or don’t succeed in business do we just point the finger and hope others will see you as the hero, because you exposed the bad guy, bad because they worked harder than you, bad because they did what you weren’t willing to do. Leaders accept the fact you win some and you lose some, but leaders don’t point the finger and blame. Deceivers who want others to take the blame for their own failures point the finger.

Fred Harteis has built a lifetime of success both in and out of the business world by not blaming others for his failures but learning from them. I heard Fred say “Failure is my Best Friend because I learn from it.” He learns from his mistakes and corrects them and doesn’t go around blaming others. That’s what Leaders do.