It has been almost a decade since I lost my father to cancer, but the lessons I learned watching him run large companies, creating startups, and turning around languishing businesses are still fresh in my mind. I credit him for my business ethics, “workaholism”, leadership style, and pragmatic yet optimistic outlook. He was a man of few words, but when he opened his mouth, everyone listened. In this post I will share some of the rules of business he taught me.
- Run from those who think they are smarter than everyone else and those thinking that all of their ideas are “hot”.
- The best relationships are those built in bad times.
- There is no age limit to having a mentor.
- If you feel like you are surrounded by a-holes, maybe it is you who is making people act that way.
- B.S. always floats to the top and people will find out who it belongs to.
- Youth gives you ideas, but age allows you to sense which ones are B.S.
- Air is thinner at the top, so don’t build high mountains. (Less layers of management are better)
- Be wary if no one is criticizing you anymore or if all you hear is praise. They either drank too much of your “Kool-aid” or they are looking to pull wool over your eyes.
- Only morons don’t make mistakes, because all they do is a mistake. (I know, this does not translate too well from Lithuanian)
- Let your competitors waste money on “rainmaker” salespeople. Hire the best customer service team you can afford and make best product you can.
- It is hard to swim in a wake of a big ship. Don’t follow big competitors, outmaneuver them.
- Loyalty and dedication to the company must start from the top. So do sacrifices to keep the company alive.
I would love to hear about any business rules you learned from your mom or dad. Please share them in the comments section.
Hi, my name is Apolinaras Sinkevicius, but most call me Apollo. I am the guy who takes care of the day-to-day business and technology of rapidly growing companies. 12 years in managing the "nuts and bolts" of companies and being a steward of corporate cultures makes me a seasoned operations professional and right hand person to founders and CEOs.
my dad is one of the busiest persons I’ve ever met, but never in my life have I ever heard him say or use “I’m too busy” as an excuse.
@anonymous, you remind me of a saying my father used to have: “if something is really worth it, you can ALWAYS find time for it”
Great post Apollo. I specially like the last advice. At times of crisis we always find the higher ups clinging to their positions and trying to push the people at the bottom to sacrifice. I believe this act is one of the key identifiers of a true or a fake leader.
.-= Chanda | BizDharma.com´s last blog .. =-.