It’s hard for me to believe that six months have already passed since my book The SAIC Solution was published. This time has been a blur of book signings, blog postings, speeches, panel discussions, and get-togethers with many of my SAIC friends. I am happy that the book is selling well, and that the reviewers seem to like it. The Foundation for Enterprise Development has organized a holiday special for anyone who wants to buy autographed copies of the book for themselves or to give as gifts between now and the end of the year. Please visit this special ordering page on the FED site for more information.

I have lately been keeping up to date with a number of business blogs, including Business Week, Inc., Fast Company, Tom Peters, and a couple of others. I noticed recently Tom Peters’ comments on Coach Bo Schembechler’s book Bo’s Lasting Lessons. In case you don’t know who Bo Schembechler is, he coached the University of Michigan football team from 1969 to 1989, during which time he and his teams won 234 games. Being a graduate of the University of Michigan, and a football fan, I can empathize with Bo’s lessons. In his blog post, Tom Peters emphasized one such lesson in this quote from the book, “I can’t tell you how many times we passed up hotshots for guys we thought were better people, and watched out guys do a lot better than the big names, not just in the classroom, but on the field — and, naturally, after they graduated, too. Again and again, the blue chips faded out, and our little up-and-comers clawed their way to all-conference and All-America teams.” In the football arena, there’s no question Schembechler’s advice is sound. However, my experience in the technology field is that companies do have to hire the hotshots, if for no other reason than to attract other talented employees, financial resources, and customers. Second best won’t do it. You may not always attain the best in the way of teamwork from hotshots, being that they are more independent and not necessarily oriented toward team response. But you need hotshots, and you need team players, and you need to hire and get the most out of both.

– Bob


7 Responses to “Holiday Book Special, and Lessons from Bo”

  1. 1 Shakespeare's Fool

    Dr. Beyster,
    Your comment on Tom Peter’s blog reminded me of this quotation from
    Thomas J. Watson, Jr.
    I agree with you and Watson that talent is needed even if it doesn’t
    come packaged with all the niceties of courtesy and character. But
    I also fear that the most dangerous people are those of great talent
    little character.
    John
    P. S. I look forward to browsing your blog

    “From then on I managed IBM with a team
    of fifteen or twenty senior executives. Some
    of these men were my friends, but I never
    hesitated to promote people I didn’t like.
    The comfortable assistant, the nice guy you
    like to go on fishing trips with, is a great
    pitfall in management. Instead I was always
    looking for sharp, scratchy, harsh, almost
    unpleasant guys who could see and tell me
    about things as they really were. If you can
    get enough of those around you, and have
    patience enough to hear them out, there is
    no limit to where you can go. My most
    important contribution to the company was
    my ability to pick strong and intelligent men
    for these slots and then hold the team
    together by persuasion, by apologies, by
    speeches, by discipline, by chats with their
    wives, by thoughtfulness when they were
    sick or involved in accidents, and by using
    every tool at my command to make each
    man think I was a decent guy. I knew I
    couldn’t match all of them intellectually but I
    thought that if I used fully every capability
    that I had, I could stay even with them.

    “I was pretty harsh and scratchy myself. I
    wanted all the executives of IBM to feel the
    urgency I felt; whatever they did, it was
    never enough. I was a volatile leader,
    perhaps even more volatile than Dad, and I
    justified this by telling myself that I was
    never harder on any of my men than he had
    been on me. Only gradually did I learn the
    virtue of restraint.”

    Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Father Son & Co.
    page 290

  2. 2 Al Buckles

    Dr Beyser,
    Congratulations on your selection as a Horatio Alger winner! This is a great honor for you and the company you built. Your Omaha friends, Walter Scott and Mike Yanney are very excited and proud that you were selected.
    I think Bo’s quote fits you and what you have done.

    Congratulations
    Very Resp.
    Al Buckles

  3. 3 Sherry Sewell Webster

    Dr. Beyster,

    I wanted to attend the booksigning event in McLean but was unable to go due to family obligations. When I saw the holiday special I immediately ordered your book. SAIC has been part of my life for over 27 years and I believe that this book may be the best way to explain to friends and family why I’ve been here so long. It’s your vision and it’s the people.

  4. 4 Miles Palmer

    I have been intending to buy a copy of the book, and finally did so when I saw the holiday special announcement on ISSAIC. I look forward to reading it.

  5. 5 Shane Taylor

    Dr. Beyster,

    I’ve been wanting a signed copy, but living in Alaska makes it’s difficult to get to one of the signings. So I’ve taken advantage of the recent holiday special to get my own autographed copy. Thanks for making it available in this way since, as you know, we’re spread out all over creation growing this great company! I just passed my 24 year mark and still believe there is no better place to work!

    Thanks for giving so much to all of us.

    With greatest respect,
    Shane

  6. 6 Dr. Beyster

    Al: I was surprised and honored when Walter Scott told me I was to be a Horatio Alger recipient. I’ll post more information as soon as I find out the details. At this point, all I know is that it will be awarded in Washington D.C. sometime this spring.

    Sherry: Thank you for your kind remarks. It’s talented people like you — who join the company and stay with it for many years, turning down I’m sure some very good offers of employment — that helped to make SAIC a true success story.

    Miles: Glad you bought the book, and I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know if there’s anything I left out.

    Shane: Thank you for your kind remarks. I’m glad the Holiday Special was able to place a copy of the book in your hands. I don’t recall saying much about Alaska in the book, although I know SAIC did important work on the Pipeline and other important government projects, possibly at Elmendorf Air Force Base.

  7. 7 Dr. Beyster

    John: I agree with you — people of great talent but questionable character are particularly dangerous. They can ruin a business, and that is something I worried about as a CEO. Top executives and owners have to be constantly on guard against people like this.
    –Bob


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