Tribe Building

Fish can be Purple Cows Too

What happens when you create a purple cow from a bowl of fish?  Something remarkable!

Yes, before you continue, click on the “something remarkable” link so you don’t miss out.

My prediction is that Paul Durban will be leading a tribe very soon.  Why?  It is because he's a creative genius?  No. 

Maybe because he’s really good at creating computer generated graphics?  Nope.

I say courage is the reason he’ll soon be leading a quickly growing tribe.  Paul had the courage to hang his ideas out for the world to see.  He had the courage to take that first step, subjecting himself to criticism and praise.

How many purple cows are in you?  Like Paul, perhaps you’re carrying a few purple cows that need to come out?

Chances are, all of us are capable of creating several purple cows.  But here’s the catch.  Thinking up a purple cow isn’t enough.   The challenge is DECIDING to take the necessary steps to present your purple cow to the world and follow through with your decision.   

So, do the world a favor - don’t die with purple cows left in you.  That’s just too sad to think about. 

You might be a CEO if you…..

You might be a CEO if YOU:

Have never actually seen one of your customers.

Earn a six figure monthly income.

Believe meetings should be on a golf course.

Don't see the humor in this list.

Hear your employees snickering while they send this list to all their friends.

Don't have an employee in your company brave enough to send you this list.

Are driven to work.  We’re not talking about carpooling!

Employ executives who agree with your bad decisions.

Prosper while the average American loses money.

Are more concerned about earnings per share than your customers.

Climbed your way up the “corporate ladder” – rather than earning your job.

Have mainly friends who are CEO’s and think like you.

Only learn about your business by reading reports and attending meetings.

Have someone filter your mail (and email).

Are intentionally difficult to contact.

Are intimidated by your board of directors.

Are a jackass toward your employees.

Believe business success is a reason to become conservative with your business.

Receive meaningless awards designed to bring more publicity to the awarder than to you.

Have kissed butt all the way to the top.

Do what’s best for keeping your job and not what’s best for your business.

Don’t understand the importance of a modern-day tribe to your business.

Think customer service should be a department.

Eat foods that most people have never heard of.

Fly in a private jet while some of your employees earn minimum wage.

Like to do things “the way they’ve always been done”.

Have a bathroom or shower in your office.

Have an office the size of an apartment.

Make sure your apparel is more expensive than your subordinates’ apparel.

Receive an unusually large amount of compliments each day.

Surround yourself with people who think like you think.

Believe cost-cutting is the best solution to most business problems.

Believe cost-cutting applies to everyone but you.

Believe your contribution to cost-cutting is playing golf at less expensive courses.

Worry about when to exercise your stock options.

Don’t understand the importance of the tribes you lead.

Think that Seth Godin’s books don’t apply to your business.

Blame business problems on other people.

Believe hiring “experienced” people is the best practice.  Experienced at what?  Butt kissing?

Don’t eat with the “regular employees”.

Take a long time to accept new realities.

Only receive criticism from your board of directors.

Have a chair that other employees in your company can only dream of.

Think you’re better than the other employees.

Have office furniture that costs more than some employees’ yearly salary.

Never meet with customers.

Only talk to senior executives and never the “lower employees”.

Believe you have all the answers.

Have 100 other employees at your business who can probably do a better job than you.

Believe you’re more important to your business than your customers.

Believe earnings per share is more important to your business than customers.