Swing for the bleachers...

·      Baseball has a special place in America’s history.

·      And Babe Ruth epitomizes the best of baseball. 

 

I was born 2 years after Ruth’s passing, yet his larger-than-life legacy helped color my youthful impressions of baseball. Mickey Mantle’s New York Yankee’s team loomed large during my formative years, but those players were first and always compared to the Babe. He never quit ‘swinging for the bleachers’, a term synonymous with giving your best effort to everything you do. It’s a mindset as much as a talent, and people who have that are considered special. They’re the kind of people (players, employees, friends) you want on your team (or around you), the ones you want to be around. If they’re on your team, you’re especially loyal to that group – it’s a badge of honor not easily broken. That’s the allure of sports – as a game, and as a metaphor for life and work. You want to be around people who never give up; they make you want to never give up. In baseball, the measure of success is % of hits – and nobody ever got a hit every time they were up to bat – the best ever was 400 out of 1000.  But that didn’t matter – the best (like the Babe), never gave up trying to get another hit. Don’t be afraid to step up to the proverbial plate and give it your all every time. That’s the best you can be today.

 

George Herman "Babe" Ruth (1895 – 1948): American professional baseball player from 1914 through 1935 and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. 

Don't forget to do good and share what you have...

·      Whatever you do, you can always help others.

·      Giving of yourself is the best use of your time.

 

Everybody’s busy. Time is short and precious. But the best time you can spend is helping others. At work, teach, coach, and mentor others and they’ll repay you with loyalty and respect. During my working career, I oversaw hiring of more than 125,000 employees (from more than 3.7M applications) – nearly all of whom repeatedly thanked me with hard work, dedication, and outstanding service. To say that I was flush with candidates would be an understatement, but I never stopped looking to help more find fulfilling jobs. That’s why I spent time each year guest lecturing in hospitality school courses, looking for students who hadn’t yet found me or my company; the extra time doing that produced more than 350 hires, all of whom went on to leadership roles in our company and others in the gaming industry. That’s why I spent time learning about and hiring hundreds of individuals from the judicial system interested in reentering society and the world of work; people who have earned and ask for a second chance deserve that opportunity, and rarely disappoint. I was busy enough in my regular job that there wasn’t much time left for these extracurricular duties, but every one of them was not wasted on me.  Waste some of your time helping others today.

 

Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870): English novelist, journalist, short story writer and social critic. is Dickens edited a weekly journal for 20 years; wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and nonfiction articles; lectured and performed readings extensively; was an indefatigable letter writer; and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.

Be what you say you are...

·      Some remember what you say.

·      More remember what you do.

 

My mother used to tell me that actions speak louder than words – true then, still true today. I’m not suggesting that talk is cheap, but with so many unfiltered communication channels available today, people feel emboldened to say anything, often more for getting headlines than making sense. And with no apparent restrictions on telling untruths, discourse is at an all-time low level of veracity. Even more reason to watch what people do more than what they say. I am shocked because my whole career was focused on truth and transparency – employees rarely stood for anything less, and there usually was hell to pay if our words and actions were not consistent. As it should be. It sends a bad message to anyone, especially our children, when words and actions are inconsistent. Whether at work, in schools, at home, or in public – people learn more from what you are than what you teach or preach. Hold yourself and others to a standard of speaking and acting consistently. Be what you teach and preach today.

 

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868 – 1963): American sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist.

Be admirable without talking about it...

right·eous

/ˈrīCHəs/

adjective

1.

(of a person or conduct) morally right or justifiable; virtuous.

"feelings of righteous indignation about pay and conditions"

 

The world is seemingly full of influencers – they were there before social media, only now they use that platform to let people know that’s what they’re doing. It begs the question ‘where were they before social media’? They were there – maybe not in such numbers, but they existed not because they said they were influences so much as their behavior, values, and character impressed others enough to listen and/or follow them. You found them in communities, at work, in the news, and wherever people congregated. Others listened to them not so much because they asked but more because they acted in ways that impressed. Because when you’re righteous, you don’t have to tell people that you’re righteous. Growing up, I remember newsmen like Walter Cronkite, who just told the news, not what they thought of it. Astronauts like John Glenn, who stretched the boundaries without bragging. Scientists like Einstein, who created new frontiers but didn’t promote them. Athletes like Willie Mays and Bart Starr who played for the love of the game rather than the money. The list was endless until it was ended by seemingly shameless self-promotion. Do what’s right without talking about or promoting it and people will remember and admire you. That’s how to be righteous today.

 

Shaquille “Shaq” O'Neal (born 1972): American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. and is a four-time NBA champion. 

If you don't think, you shouldn't talk (March hare)...

Alice: "I just wanted to ask which way I ought to go."

Cheshire Cat: "Well, that depends on where you want to get to."

Alice: "Oh, it really doesn't matter as long as I—"

Cheshire Cat: "Then it really doesn't matter which way you go."

 

That’s the point – start with the end in mind and keep your eye on that goal. Otherwise, you’re apt to end up somewhere else.

 

Alice: "I must get through!"

Doorknob: "Sorry, you're much too big. Simply impassable."

Alice: "You mean impossible."

Doorknob: "No, impassable. Nothing's impossible."

 

Look optimistically at who you are and what you’re doing. It’s all good if you believe it’s so. And you should always believe and  trust in where you want to go.

 

Caterpillar: "Who R U?"

Alice: "Why, I hardly know, sir. I've changed so many times since this morning, you see."

Caterpillar: "I do not C. Explain yourself."

Alice: "I'm afraid I can't explain myself, sir, because I'm not myself, you know."

Caterpillar: "I do not know."

Alice: "Well, I can't put it any more clearly, sir, for it isn't clear to me."

Caterpillar: "U? Who R U?"

 

Take the time to know yourself, your needs, your hopes, and your goals. It’s funny how we talk so much about the things we used to do – they’re important, but they’re not everything. Just remember that you can’t go back – you may carry forward things you learned along the way, but tomorrow is no longer like yesterday and today. Practice what you’ve learned, keep in the moment, and always be you today.

 

“Curiouser and curiouser!”

 

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832 – 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician and photographer. His most notable works are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass (1871). He was noted for his facility with word play, logic, and fantasy.

Don't go fallin' to pieces...

·      Whatever you do, do it all the way.

·      Halfway is never good enough.

 

I’m often asked for the one word that describes me; my answer is ‘inspirational’. Because the things I work on and do, I do with feeling and commitment. In business (and life), we’re often called upon to lead others and that means they must feel like doing what you’re asking. I find it works best to not only tell them what and how, but also why. Take the time to fully explain yourself and answer as many questions as people have, then let them proceed. After a while, ask if they have any additional questions or need assistance – this is a a great time to coach people who are trying to do what you’ve asked. Be sure to let them know the results expected of their work – that will give them a clear picture and something by which to be measured. You want people to feel the same way about something that you do, and that means inspiring them to make it their own. And let them know that it’s a good rule of thumb that if you can’t do something with feeling, then don’t do it. We are rarely bystanders in the work we do (and life we live), so get inspired and engaged today.

 

Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; 1932 – 1963): American singer (I Fall to Pieces, Crazy) considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century and was one of the first country music artists to cross over into pop music. Cline became a member of the Grand Ole Opry and was killed in a plane crash along with country performers Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins.

Do more than dream...

·      It’s good to have ideas.

·      It’s better to make something out of them.

 

Sitting around a table talking about what should be done is different from doing something. I’ve often told the story here of having lots of ideas about using computers to handle the masses of applications we received while opening Mirage and Treasure Island. It was a double-edged tale – it was great to get so many of them, but it was difficult to handle them efficiently. Shortly after the Mirage opened, I started looking for ways to collect, collate, and store applications using computers. Trouble was that networked computers were in their infancy back then, as were the apps that powered them. As we prepared to launch the recruitment for Bellagio in 1998, we installed 100 terminals in the employment center and asked applicants to come in and complete the application questions on those computers. The data went directly into a database designed to handle the information without any human intervention. That’s when the creative idea I had in 1990 finally became an innovation. It wasn’t perfect – inventions rarely are, but it was a start that eventually became the online applicant collection and tracking system unveiled at Wynn for its opening in 2003. If you’ve got a good idea, stick with it even if it initially looks like it might be difficult to implement. That’s the way creative thinking becomes great innovations today.

 

Theodore Levitt (1925 – 2006): German-born American economist and a professor at the Harvard Business School.

Let history be your guide...

·      Businesses large and small have a culture and history.

·      Those are to be respected, understood, and respected.

·      But they shouldn’t stand in the way of progress.

·      They should support progress when appropriate.

 

I love learning about companies that have a rich history – it adds so much to their values and culture. I was fortunate to work for my family’s business and then to join Wynn’s companies – they both had individuals and a storied past that led to continued growth and success. The key to that success was taking what was good about the past and building upon it. Sometimes that growth meant striking out in bold and new directions – those were exciting, challenging, and ultimately fulfilling, but always done with an eye toward staying true to their origins. I think people like working for companies like that – Disney is certainly an excellent example, and there are countless others. A value system that informs and drives culture can be found in nearly every company and effective leaders use those to build morale, loyalty, performance excellence, and satisfaction (employee and customer). Look for these kinds of things where you work and include them in the storylines of your business and work. It will make it more personable and tangible for your team and permeate everything you do. And inspire you to be better. Let the past help guide you into the future today.

 

Robert Allen “Bob” Iger (born 1951): American media executive who is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company.

Be a subject-matter expert...

·      You should know what you want.

·          But must understand what you want.

·              And then must communicate what you want.

·                  And take responsibility for getting what you want.

 

One of the newest (and right now the most talked about) innovations is Artificial Intelligence – AI for short. People are predicting that this has the potential to impact much of we do – some good, some not so good. So, it wasn’t surprising when McDonalds hired IBM to help find and implement uses for AI in the fast-food giant’s business. They used it to interpret customer orders at the drive thru window and transmit that information to the kitchen. Sounds simple and straight-forward, but it was a bust. Nearly 90% of the AI-led orders needed human intervention. If you’re going to be innovative, you must understand everything about what it is you’re trying to do and why. Asking someone else to interpret and make recommendations for your business is never as good as understanding and doing that yourself. Educate yourself about the innovations you’re interested in, get advice if needed, but take control of and responsibility for implementing new ideas to make sure they meet your needs, culture, and expectations. Letting others get between you and your business (employees and customers) is a sure-fire way to create confusion. Take charge. Get engaged. And make sure your intentions are well-understood today.

 

Henry Miller (1891 – 1980): American novelist (Tropic of Cancer, Black Spring, Tropic of Capricorn, and the trilogy The Rosy Crucifixion), short story writer, and essayist.

Keep going until you get it right...

·      Think about all the ideas you’ve had.

·      How many were good?

·      How many weren’t?

·      Think about it!

 

Most of us have lots of ideas, and rarely go much farther with them than that. Mostly because getting from the idea to something tangible and useful is very difficult, a task nearly impossible for most people. But every now and then, one sticks around long enough to be vetted and formulated. The vetting process should include other people – mostly to see if someone else thinks it’s worth following. If you really believe in it, then shop it around to get the benefit of a broad range of thinking. And don’t be afraid to let go of the ones that fail to gain any traction. There’s no shame in finding little or no support for your ideas – most probably shouldn’t make it. But the ones with merit need to be nurtured and ultimately developed. My paperless HR environment idea took more than 13 years to get fully discussed, amended, and developed – but I was willing to keep at it.  And in the end, it was worth it. If you have an idea – one that doesn’t die quickly, commit to finding out what you need to defend it, educate yourself to be able to nurture and support it, and collaborate with others who can support you. You’ll learn quickly that the way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away. Because the good ones are worth your time and effort today.

 

Linus Pauling (1901 – 1994): American chemist, biochemist, chemical engineer, peace activist, author, and educator. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962.