Lesson #2: Being Stubborn Is Fair Play On The Road To Success
Lesson #2: Being Stubborn Is Fair Play On The Road To Success
When Marvel Comic executives first told McFarlane that he could not draw his villain with a sword being thrust through its eyeballs, that it was too gruesome for Marvel viewers, McFarlane was not going to have any of it. Right then and there, in what others might have seen as an impulsive move, McFarlane decided to quit his job. He was willing to give up the security of a steady career to start his own company simply because his bosses would not let him have his own way.
“Once I decide what I want to do, I either go, [or] well before I come, I like to decide if I’m not going to do it,” says McFarlane. “If I’m going to do it, well, if I have to, I’ll start the company for myself.” And, that is exactly what McFarlane decided to do; he started a company for himself.
McFarlane is an artist, first and foremost. But, he has not gotten to where he is today by just drawing great comics. “We’re not built as artists to think about the other stuff,” he says. “But I found that if you don’t learn business, you’re not going to have opportunities to drive the art.”
However, as an artist in business, McFarlane has remained adamant that his art stay true to his vision no matter that the business cost. “As an artist, one of the things I want to do is show my art, to the most people possible, and [have it be] actually art that I want to show,” he says. “And if they don’t want to give me the vehicles to do it, then I’ll create my own vehicles.”
When McFarlane first came up with the idea for his company, McFarlane Toys, to create Bob and Doug McKenzie action figures after two key characters on the Canadian sketch comedy show “SCTV”, other company executives were unsure of the decision. It might not have been along the usual lines for the company, but McFarlane carried through on his plans regardless.
“Bob and Doug McKenzie comes first off from me being Canadian, and second, from me being the owner, right?” says McFarlane. “I get to pull rank every now and then. I own this company. I'm making this; I don't want anyone else to give me an opinion.” In fact, McFarlane says that rarely does he humour his colleagues’ criticisms. “About 85 percent of what you see is just because I get on the phone and [say], ‘Let’s go do this,’” he says. “I don't do any market research or test groups or focus [groups]. I just go, ‘It's my company; would I buy it, personally?’”
Lesson 2 Being Stubborn Is Fair Play On The Road To Success
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“You know, I’m lucky enough that I’m just sort of stubborn and sort of immature,” says McFarlane. “That thought of, ‘Todd, how come you’re successful?’ never occurred to me. I don’t listen to anybody. I’m like a five year old kid. I’ll hold my breath if I don’t get my way, and it served me.”
When Marvel Comic executives first told McFarlane that he could not draw his villain with a sword being thrust through its eyeballs, that it was too gruesome for Marvel viewers, McFarlane was not going to have any of it. Right then and there, in what others might have seen as an impulsive move, McFarlane decided to quit his job. He was willing to give up the security of a steady career to start his own company simply because his bosses would not let him have his own way.
“Once I decide what I want to do, I either go, [or] well before I come, I like to decide if I’m not going to do it,” says McFarlane. “If I’m going to do it, well, if I have to, I’ll start the company for myself.” And, that is exactly what McFarlane decided to do; he started a company for himself.
McFarlane is an artist, first and foremost. But, he has not gotten to where he is today by just drawing great comics. “We’re not built as artists to think about the other stuff,” he says. “But I found that if you don’t learn business, you’re not going to have opportunities to drive the art.”
However, as an artist in business, McFarlane has remained adamant that his art stay true to his vision no matter that the business cost. “As an artist, one of the things I want to do is show my art, to the most people possible, and [have it be] actually art that I want to show,” he says. “And if they don’t want to give me the vehicles to do it, then I’ll create my own vehicles.”
When McFarlane first came up with the idea for his company, McFarlane Toys, to create Bob and Doug McKenzie action figures after two key characters on the Canadian sketch comedy show “SCTV”, other company executives were unsure of the decision. It might not have been along the usual lines for the company, but McFarlane carried through on his plans regardless.
“Bob and Doug McKenzie comes first off from me being Canadian, and second, from me being the owner, right?” says McFarlane. “I get to pull rank every now and then. I own this company. I'm making this; I don't want anyone else to give me an opinion.” In fact, McFarlane says that rarely does he humour his colleagues’ criticisms. “About 85 percent of what you see is just because I get on the phone and [say], ‘Let’s go do this,’” he says. “I don't do any market research or test groups or focus [groups]. I just go, ‘It's my company; would I buy it, personally?’”
Lesson 2 Being Stubborn Is Fair Play On The Road To Success
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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