Lesson Five; Initiative and Leadership

Page - 1..,  2.., 3.., 4...

 

 

A salesman for the LaSalle Extension University called on a real estate dealer, in a small western town, for the purpose of trying to sell the real estate man a course in Salesmanship and Business Management.

 

When the salesman arrived at the prospective student's office he found the gentleman pecking out a letter by the two-finger method, on an antiquated typewriter.

 

The salesman introduced himself, then proceeded to state his business and describe the course he had come to sell.

 

The real estate man listened with apparent interest.

 

After the sales talk had been completed the salesman hesitated, waiting for some signs of "yes" or "no" from his prospective client. Thinking that perhaps he had not made the sales talk quite strong enough, he briefly went over the merits of the course he was selling, a second time.

 

Still there was no response from the prospective student. The salesman then asked the direct question, "You want this course, do you not?"

 

In a slow, drawling tone of voice, the real estate man replied: "Well, I hardly know whether I do or not." No doubt he was telling the truth, because he was one of the millions of men who find it hard to reach decisions.

 

Being an able judge of human nature the salesman then arose, put on his hat, placed his literature back in his brief case and made ready to leave. Then he resorted to tactics which were somewhat drastic, and took the real estate man by surprise with this startling statement:

"I am going to take it upon myself to say something to you that you will not like, but it may be of help to you. Take a look at this office in which you work. The floor is dirty; the walls are dusty; the typewriter you are using looks as if it might be the one Mr. Noah used in the Ark during the big flood; your pants are bagged at the knees; your collar is dirty; your face is unshaved, and you have a look in your eyes that tells me you are defeated. Please go ahead and get mad - that's just what I want you to do, because it may shock you into doing some thinking that will be helpful to you and to those who are dependent upon you".

 

"I can see, in my imagination, the home in which you live. Several little children, none too well dressed, and perhaps none too well fed; a mother whose dress is three seasons out of style, whose eyes carry the same look of defeat that yours do. This little woman whom you married has stuck by you but you have not made good in life as she had hoped, that you would when you were first married".

 

"Please remember that I am not now talking to a prospective student, because I would not sell you this course at THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT if you offered to pay cash in advance, because if I did you would not have the initiative to complete it, and we want no failures on our student list".

 

"The talk I am now giving you will make it impossible, perhaps, for me ever to sell you anything, but it is going to do something for you that has never been done before, providing it makes you think".

 

"Now, I will tell you in a very few words exactly why you are defeated; why you are pecking out letters on an old typewriter, in an old dirty office, in a little town: IT IS BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO REACH A DECISION! "

 

"All your life you have been forming the habit of dodging the responsibility of reaching decisions, until you have come, now, to where it is well-nigh impossible for you to do so".

 

"If you had told me that you wanted the course, or that you did not want it, I could have sympathized with you, because I would have known that lack of funds was what caused you to hesitate, but what did you say? Why, you admitted you did not know whether you wanted it or not".

 

"If you will think over what I have said I am sure you will acknowledge that it has become a habit with you to dodge the responsibility of reaching clear-cut decisions on practically all matters that affect you".

 

The real estate man sat glued in his chair, with his under jaw dropped, his eyes bulged in astonishment, but he made no attempt to answer the biting indictment.

 

The salesman said good-bye and started for the door.

 

After he had closed the door behind him he again opened it, walked back in, with a smile on his face, took his seat in front of the astonished real estate man, and explained his conduct in this way: "I do not blame you at all if you feel hurt at my remarks. In fact I sort of hope that you have been offended, but now let me say this, man to man, that I think you have intelligence and I am sure you have ability, but you have fallen into a habit that has whipped you. No man is ever down and out until he is under the sod. You may be temporarily down, but you can get up again, and I am just sportsman enough to give you my hand and offer you a lift, if you will accept my apologies for what I have said".

 

"You do not belong in this town. You would starve to death in the real estate business in this place, even if you were a Leader in your field. Get yourself a new suit of clothes, even if you have to borrow the money with which to do it, then go over to St. Louis with me and I will introduce you to a real estate man who will give you a chance to earn some money and at the same time teach you some of the important things about this line of work that you can capitalize later on".

 

"If you haven't enough credit to get the clothes you need I will stand good for you at a store in St. Louis where I have a charge account. I am in earnest and my offer to help you is based upon the highest motive that can actuate a human being. I am successful in my own field, but I have not always been so. I went 'through just what you are now going through, but, the important thing is that I WENT THROUGH IT, and got it over with, JUST AS YOU ARE GOING TO DO IF YOU WILL FOLLOW MY ADVICE". "Will you come with me?"

 

The real estate man started to arise, but his legs wobbled and he sank back into his chair. Despite the fact that he was a great big fellow, with rather pronounced manly qualities, known as the "he-man" type, his emotions got the better of him and he actually wept.

 

He made a second attempt and got on his feet, shook hands with the salesman, thanked him for his kindness, and said he was going to follow the advice, but he would do so in his own way.

 

Calling for an application blank he signed for the course on Salesmanship and Business Management, made the first payment in nickels and dimes, and told the salesman he would hear from him again.

 

Three years later this real estate man had an organization of sixty salesmen, and one of the most successful real estate businesses in the city of St. Louis. The author of this course (who was advertising manager of the LaSalle Extension University at the time this incident happened) has been in this real estate man's office many times and has observed him over a period of more than fifteen years. He is an entirely different man from the person interviewed by the LaSalle salesman over fifteen years ago, and the thing that made him different is the same that will make YOU different: it is the power of DECISION which is so essential to Leadership.

 

This real estate man is now a Leader in the real estate field. He is directing the efforts of other salesmen and helping them to become more efficient.

 

This one change in his philosophy has turned temporary defeat into success.

 

Every new salesman who goes to work for this man is called into his private office, before he is employed, and told the story of his own transformation, word for word just as it occurred when the LaSalle salesman first met him in his shabby little real estate office.

 

Some eighteen years ago the author of this course made his first trip to the little town of Lumberport, W. Va. At that time the only means of transportation leading from Clarksburg, the largest near-by center, to Lumberport, was the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and an interurban electric line which ran within three miles of the town; one could walk the three miles if he chose.

 

Upon arrival at Clarksburg I found that the only train going to Lumberport in the forenoon had already gone, and not wishing to wait for the later afternoon train I made the trip by trolley, with the intention of walking the three miles.

 

On the way down the rain began to pour, and those three miles had to be navigated on foot, through deep yellow mud. When I arrived at Lumberport my shoes and pants were muddy, and my disposition was none the better for the experience.

 

The first person I met was V. L. Hornor, who was then cashier of the Lumberport Bank. In a rather loud tone of voice I asked of him, "Why do you not get that trolley line extended from the junction over to Lumberport so your friends can get in and out of town without drowning in mud?" "Did you see a river with high banks, at the edge of the town, as you came in?" he asked. I replied that I had seen it. "Well," he continued, "that's the reason we have no street cars running into town. The cost of a bridge would be about $100,000.00, and that is more than the company owning the trolley line is willing to invest. We have been trying for ten years to get them to build a line into town."

 

"Trying!" I exploded. "How hard have you tried?"

 

"We have offered them every inducement we could afford, such as free right of way from the junction into the town, and free use of the streets, but that bridge is the stumbling block. They simply will not stand the expense. Claim they cannot afford such an expense for the small amount of revenue they would receive from the three mile extension."

 

Then the Law of Success philosophy began to come to my rescue!

 

I asked Mr. Hornor if he would take a walk over to the river with me, that we might look at the spot that was causing so much inconvenience. He said he would be glad to do so.

 

When we got to the river I began to take inventory of everything in sight. I observed that the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad tracks ran up and down the river banks, on both sides of the river; that the county road crossed the river on a rickety wooden bridge, both approaches to which were over several strands of railroad track, as the railroad company had its switching yards at that point.

 

While we were standing there a freight train blocked the crossing and several teams stopped on both sides of the train, waiting for an opportunity to get through.

 

The train kept the road blocked for about twenty-five minutes.

 

With this combination of circumstances in mind it required but little imagination to see that THREE DIFFERENT PARTIES were or could be interested in the building of the bridge such as would be needed to carry the weight of a street car.

 

It was obvious that the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company would be interested in such a bridge, because that would remove the county road from their switching tracks, and save them a possible accident on the crossing, to say nothing of much loss of time and expense in cutting trains to allow teams to pass.

 

It was also obvious that the County Commissioners would be interested in the bridge, because it would raise the county road to a better level and make it more serviceable to the public.

 

And, of course the street railway company was interested in the bridge, but THEY DID NOT WISH TO PAY THE ENTIRE COST. All these facts passed through my mind as I stood there and watched the freight train being cut for the traffic to pass through.

 

1. A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM took place in my mind.

2. Also, a definite plan for its attainment.

 

The next day I got together a committee of townspeople, consisting of the mayor, councilmen and some leading citizens, and called on the Division Superintendent of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, at Grafton.

 

We convinced him that it was worth one third of the cost of the bridge to get the county road off his company's tracks.

 

Next we went to the County Commissioners and found them to be quite enthusiastic over the possibility of getting a new bridge by paying for only one third of it. They promised to pay their one third providing we could arrange for the other two thirds.

 

We then went to the president of the Traction Company that owned the trolley line, at Fairmont, and laid before him an offer to donate all the rights of way and pay for two thirds of the cost of the bridge providing he would begin building the line into town promptly.

 

We found him receptive, also. Three weeks later a contract had been signed between the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, the Monongahela Valley Traction Company and the County Commissioners of Harrison County, providing for the construction of the bridge, one third of its cost to be paid by each.

 

Two months later the right of way was being graded and the bridge was under way, and three months after that street cars were running into Lumberport on regular schedule.

 

This incident meant much to the town of Lumberport, because it provided transportation that enabled people to get in and out of the town without undue effort.

 

It also meant a great deal to me, because it served to introduce me as one who "got things done."

 

Two very definite advantages resulted from this transaction.

1. The Chief Counsel for the Traction Company gave me a position as his assistant,

2. and later on it was the means of an introduction which led to my appointment as the advertising manager of the LaSalle Extension University.

 

Lumberport, W. Va., was then, and still is a small town, and Chicago was a large city and located a considerable distance away, but news of Initiative and Leadership has a way of taking on wings and traveling.

 

Four of the Fifteen Laws of Success were combined in the transaction described, namely:

​

1. A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM,

2. SELF-CONFIDENCE,

3. IMAGINATION and

4. INITIATIVE and LEADERSHIP.

 

The Law of DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR also entered, somewhat, into the transaction, because I was not offered anything and in fact did not expect pay for what I did.

 

To be perfectly frank I appointed myself to the job of getting the bridge built more as a sort of challenge to those who said it could not be done than I did with the expectation of getting paid for it.

 

By my attitude I rather intimated to Mr. Hornor that I could get the job done, and he was not slow to snap me up and put me to the test.

 

It may be helpful to call attention here to the part which IMAGINATION played in this transaction.

 

For ten years the townspeople of Lumberport had been trying to get a street car line built into town. It must not be concluded that the town was without men of ability, because that would be inaccurate. In fact there were many men of ability in the town, but they had been making the mistake which is so commonly made by us all, of trying to solve their problem through one single source, whereas there were actually THREE SOURCES of solution available to them.

 

$100,000.00 was too much for one company to assume, for the construction of a bridge, but when the cost was distributed between three interested parties the amount to be borne by each was more reasonable.

 

The question might be asked: "Why did not some of the local townsmen think of this three-way solution?"

 

In the first place they were so close to their problem that they failed to take a perspective, bird'seye view of it, which would have suggested the solution.

 

This, also, is a common mistake, and one that is always avoided by great Leaders.

 

In the second place these townspeople had never before co-ordinated their efforts or worked as an organized group with the sole purpose in mind of finding a way to get a street car line built into town.

 

This, also, is another common error made by men in all walks of life-that of failure to work in unison, in a thorough spirit of cooperation.

 

I, being an outsider, had less difficulty in getting co-operative action than one of their own group might have had.

 

Too often there is a spirit of selfishness in small communities which prompts each individual to think that his ideas should prevail.

 

It is an important part of the Leader's responsibility to induce people to subordinate their own ideas and interests for the good of the whole, and this applies to matters of a

• civic,

• business,

• social,

• political,

• financial or

• industrial nature.

 

Success, no matter what may be one's conception of that term, is nearly always a question of one's ability to get others to subordinate their own individualities and follow a Leader.

 

The Leader who has the Personality and the Imagination to induce his followers to accept his plans and carry them out faithfully is always an able Leader.

 

The next lesson, on IMAGINATION, will take you still further into the art of tactful Leadership.

 

In fact Leadership and Imagination are so closely allied and so essential for success that one cannot be successfully applied without the other.

 

Initiative is the moving force that pushes the Leader ahead, but Imagination is the guiding spirit that tells him which way to go.

 

Imagination enabled the author of this course to analyze the Lumberport bridge problem, break it up into its three component parts, and assemble these parts in a practical working plan.

 

Nearly every problem may be so broken up into parts which are more easily managed, as parts, than they are when assembled as a whole.

 

Perhaps one of the most important advantages of Imagination is that it enables one to separate all problems into their component parts and to reassemble them in more favorable combinations.

 

It has been said that all battles in warfare are won or lost, not on the firing line, after the battle begins, but back of the lines, through the sound strategy, or the lack of it, used by the generals who plan the battles.

 

What is true of warfare is equally true in business, and in most other problems which confront us throughout life.

 

We win or lose according to the nature of the plans we build and carry out, a fact which serves to emphasize the value of the Laws of

 

1. Initiative & Leadership,

2. Imagination,

3. Selfconfidence and

4. A Definite Chief Aim.

 

With the intelligent use of these four laws one may build plans, for any purpose whatsoever, which cannot be defeated by any person or group of persons who do not employ or understand these laws.

 

There is no escape from the truth here stated!

 

ORGANIZED EFFORT is effort which is directed according to a plan that was conceived with the aid of

1. Imagination (combined with Leadership) guided by

2. a Definite Chief Aim, and given momentum with

3. Self-confidence and

4. Initiative.

 

These four laws blend into one and become a power in the hands of a Leader.

 

Without their aid effective leadership is impossible.

 

You are now ready for the lesson on Imagination. Read that lesson with the thought in mind of all that has been here stated and it will take on a deeper meaning.

​

Lesson Five; Initiative and Leadership

Page - 1..,  2.., 3.., 4...

 

NEXT LESSON - IMAGINATION >

​