Triangle - 2001 March

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2001 March

THE EXPONENT: Volume 01, Number 2

"A man (or woman) might know too little, perform poorly, lack judgement and ability, and yet not do too much damage as a manager. But if that person lacks character and integrity--no matter how knowledgeable, how brilliant, how successful--he destroys. He destroys people, the most valuable resource of the enterprise. He destroys spirit. And he destroys performance. This is particularly true of the people at the head of an enterprise. For the spirit of an organization is created from the top. If an organization is great in spirit, it is because the spirit of its top people is great. If it decays, it does so because the top rots. As the proverb has it, 'Trees die from the top.' No one should ever become a strategist unless he or she is willing to have his or her character serve as the model for subordinates." -- P. Drucker

Contents

What Kind Of Triangle Are You?: Tim Eiler minn87

Are you the kind who thinks he can just take from the organization and not add back to it? The kind that believes its okay to pay fines rather than doing your part in cleaning and maintaining the home just because you don't like that kind of work?

Maybe you're the type that decided to take Triangle up on its offer of improvement of self - intellect, social abilities, professional abilities - while making lifelong friends AND then to use what the opportunity to be a Triangle helped you get in returning something to the organization?

It could be things aren't quite so black and white. Maybe you're an alumnus who has gotten busy with the other parts of life and has always wanted to give something back to his Fraternity, but just hasn't yet made the time. Perhaps you're an active who has yet to take up the challenge to be his best, to learn how to be that man - a leader, a follower, a participant in life - through participation in Triangle. Perhaps you're afraid you'll be asked to take on more than you want or you're afraid that if you are asked to lead, you'll fail.

Unless you change, there's no room for you in Triangle if you're the first kind of man. But the other kinds are welcomed. Their hearts are in the right place and they participate, sometimes without even calling what they do participating. Their welcome is even greater when they jump in feet first. The great thing about Triangle - for actives and alumni alike - is the symbiosis it offers. As you participate, you learn more and more. As you participate, all of Triangle is increased. Both good things, don't you think?

The Soul of a Great Professional: Synopsis of Clients For Life, by Jagdish Sheth and Andrew Sobel

Behind every great leader is a great advisor. Great advisors have "certain outlooks that frame and inform their work" -- what Jagdish Sheth and Andrew Sobel, authors of "Clients for Life," call "the soul of a great professional." These outlooks are:

Abundance Mentality - They look for opportunities and growth, generate new ideas, are positive and upbeat. They have a "healthy dissatisfaction with the way things are done today." Clients like them because they "constantly energize, motivate and inspire others."

Mission Orientation - They are driven by mission rather than strictly a material orientation.

Channel Adversity into Wisdom and Confidence - They are made stronger and wiser by their mistakes, humiliations and reversals. Their comfort zone expands, "enabling them to tackle ever-more varied and difficult situations and assignments."

View Old Friends/Clients as New- They bring the same energy, creativity and drive to their existing friends/clients as they do to the new, communicating constantly with a nonstop flow of ideas.

Engage in Continual Self-Renewal

Seize Breakthrough Opportunities to Act Boldly and Decisively

Amazingly enough, I think these are also important for a leader as much as an advisor. Does this describe you? Are you able to respond positively to people who possess these leadership traits?

Strength From Weakness: (Found at CyberQuotations), Dave Prentice tamu87

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength.

Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.

"Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?"

"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.

"No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue."

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.

On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

"Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"

"You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."

The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

Hope you enjoyed this issue!!! If you have questions, feel free to email the editor ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Tim Eiler
Exponent Editor

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