Maverick 2.0 - Start of the Shift

So maybe I'm getting a little optimistic about Canada coming out of its
recession sooner rather then later (a positive week on the TSX
does that to me) but I started thinking about what the new, post-recession
Maverick would look like. I plan on having a few of these little posts on different attributes that I feel would benefit a “new” Maverick, so this is just the beginning…

For all you Simpson's fans, picture the Rich Texan. To me, that is the
old-world Maverick. The guy with enthusiasm for new ideas, businesses,
and products, who can blaze a new trail by opening his well-padded
pocket book. Successful ideas in a booming economy took less planning,
less critical thinking, because there was momentum pushing the consumer
culture to increase purchases and an equally large parachute if the idea
flopped. That was then, back when oil would "reach $250 a barrel in the
foreseeable future" (good call Alexei Miller). I’m not saying that no planning went into new ventures, but I think you could almost launch a product and then create a market for it through effective marketing campaigns.

Today the game is different, the markets aren't as stable and free cash
flow, loans, and venture capital funding has disappeared quicker than my
money at a craps table. Things have to be different. I don't believe I
could sit here today and hammer out all the characteristics, all the
attributes, that will make up the next great Maverick as there is still
too much uncertainty. I do know, however, that the next-generation
Maverick will have tighter pockets and there will be a lot more planning
going into new ideas. With a greater focus on budgets and spending control, the market will have to exist before we see product development, as executives and boards look to quantify and justify every expense. Internal research and development, customer support (note I said "support" not service, as I believe those are two very different things... another topic for another day), and most importantly effective market research will be fundamental to success.

The new Maverick will understand the necessity of these functions and
the synergies between them. In the past R&D led the way, pumping out new
products into old markets. This worked because the money was there,
consumers were on an auto-pilot spend mode. Today, I believe market
research and market knowledge (of both existing markets and possible new
markets) will be the driving force behind the ideas at the top.
Visionary leaders will have to understand the changing landscape around
them, demographics to cultural habits, and market research is the way to
obtain that knowledge. The greatest Mavericks will be those who have, for lack of a better term, the balls to stand up and shift the focus to these ideals versus those of the past.

This is just the start, there is a lot more to come. I know a lot of
what I wrote here sounds like it applies to product/service development,
but I believe it can be applied to everything from internal processes to
corporate vision and structure. New Mavericks will emerge, they may not
arrive guns blazing, but they will sure as shootin' be every bit as
visionary and successful.

[Mavericks]

Forged from Iron

I like hitting the gym, actually I love it. I find that not only is it a great stress reliever, but also a great place to do some thinking on your own. Now I'll admit that coming up with the next great idea while at the bottom of a 300lbs squat is quite possibly a dangerous scenario, but it gets the blood and creative juices flowing. When I was lifting the other day, I challenged myself to come up with 3 "lessons" that make a person successful in the gym and apply them to becoming a Maverick.

1. Build your own path
I have previously expressed how a Maverick must take his or her own unique route to reach a point of astonishing results, but I could never really get a picture in my head of how these paths could differ; Then I thought of the gym. Think about it, there are literally hundreds of exercises that can train the same muscles, but each individual will experience a different degree of success on each exercie. I find squats are the best exercise for builidng the legs, but my brother is all about lunges (and he is twice my size now). The point is, you have to try different things out and figure out what your optimal "routine" is on the path to success. Need another example? Go compare the stories of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.

2. Don't get comfortable
Once you have pounded away at the same old workout routine long enough, your body stops producing the same results; you plateau and lose enthusiasm. The key to avoiding this scenario is to "mix it up," essentially keep the body guessing and never knowing what it will do next. Not only does this keep you moving forward, it keeps you focused on a goal while generating many paths to get there and the ability to see them. Think about it in your job, if you did the same sales routine day after day you would become so comfortable with it that you would begin to miss the little things that once put you at the top. Switching it up, whether it be adpoting a different sales technique or just revamping your 30-second "elevator speech" keeps you aware of the little things that can end up making a big difference.

3. Interval style
Picture two people in a race, the first goes into a full-out sprint while the pace of the second runner would hardly make my Grandma sweat. What are the results? The sprinter may look like he is really getting ahead but soon runs out of gas and slows to a crawl. The slow jogger is able to keep going for a significantly longer period of time, but it takes so long to get to where he's going, everyone has given up on him. I guarentee you all know 2 people like those in my example, whether it be at the gym or in the office, and these people are never Mavericks. So how do you keep from being pulled to one of these polar opposites? The answer is intervals. Think about it, there is nothing wrong with pushing as hard as you can to get a new idea through, but it is equally essential to take some time to slow things down and reflect on what you did and how it worked. If you're running at 110% all the time, it is easy to miss the lessons that can be used for improvement and we burn out or lose our passion a hell of a lot quicker. A true Maverick can find the best combination of pushing hard and "regrouping" to achieve both idea communication and personal growth.

I'm sure there are many more lessons that can be transferred from the barbells to the boardroom and if you have a good one, share it with us in a comment!

Until next time... [Mavericks]

Hollywood Effect

From time to time in [Mavericks] I will spotlight an individual who I think has proven himself as a Maverick in every sense of the word. When I thought about who to profile first, Dr. Lynn Lashbrook of Sports Management Worldwide immediately came to mind...

I bet when a lot of people hear the word "Maverick" they think of Tom Cruise in Top Gun. That's where the idea for this post came from, Tom Cruise. Specifically Tom Cruise in his roll as sports agent Jerry Maguire. For those of you who haven't seen the film, Cruise plays a high-powered sports agent who has an epiphany one night and realizes that the entire industry is money hungry and corrupt. He writes a vision statement calling for fewer clients (thus less money) and more personal attention, a better relationship with the clients.

Enter Dr. Lynn Lashbrook. A successful NFL agent who represented the likes of hard hitting safety Brian Dawkins and first-round pick Mark Fields. Lynn felt a connection to what Cruise was trying to say as Jerry Maguire and felt that many sports agents in the real world have lost the ethical compass that saw the client come first and money come second. He broke away from the standard and established SMWW. Now building your own successful agency in a cut-throat industry seems more than enough to be considered a Maverick, but it is what Dr. Lashbrook did with that agency that I find even more impressive. 

Those who study business and marketing know that one key to success is either finding a new market or differentiating yourself in an existing one. Sports Management Worldwide did both. Lynn realized that there was a huge population with a passion for sports and the desire to be involved on a professional level. As a result Sports Management Worldwide transitioned from a full-service agency (which still exists and is wildly successful with over 300 agents and thousands of clients. See smwwagency.com) to an online education provider in the sports field. Interested students can take course taught by seasoned industry veterans in anything from becoming a sports agent (Athlete Management), to working in the front office, to sport-specific scouting and management, and everything in between. Lynn has built a solid faculty of professionals like Bret Polvorosa, president of GRIP, Mark Washo of the Chicago Fire, and Mike Oke of International Scouting Services. What is even more impressive about Lynn is that he cares about every student that takes a course and many graduates join Sports Management Worldwide as Agent Advisors (and now represent everything from professional football and hockey players to professional arm wrestlers and bull riders). 

Here is a guy who deviated from the mainstream of a lucrative profession to follow what he believed is ethically right and essentially created a new industry in sports education. I encourage you to check out the website and learn more about the company. To me that is the definition of a [Maverick]

The Maverick Ideal

This is only a start... 

We live in an evolving world. Business changes daily as policy makers, leaders, followers, and bystanders make decisions that effect the world around them. Do we remember all the decisions? Do we even know about 99% of them? The truth is the people and ideas we see in the news, read about in books, or argue over at the local pub are popular because they are unique; they are different; they are Mavericks.

Mavericks, true Mavericks, are shaping our culture by challenging the status quo and thinking outside the proverbial box. Does this blog intend to do that? Initially no, this blog is intended to spread these ideas, to communicate them, build upon them, and help them flourish. In the end, I guess that may create another new ideal to roll with.

As you read these posts, I challenge you to be critical, to comment, review, and revise. 

Become a Maverick