June 04, 2009

Knuckleheads And Geniuses

One of the good things about working in advertising is that we touch lots of different kinds of businesses. If you have a curious mind, you are in a position to be constantly stimulated.

In my current capacity I have to know something about the automobile business, the restaurant business, insurance, wine, beer, spirits, travel, golf, dairy, energy, and finance. And I have to know enough about these businesses to speak credibly about them with experts -- my clients.

It keeps me on my toes. A friend of mine once said that if you're in the ad business long enough, you'll use everything you know.

Because we touch so many different industries, and because we're at the intersection of art and commerce, we also come into contact with a great many different types of people.

Despite all I have read by management gurus, I have noticed no correlation between personality type and business success. In my experience, none of what they say about the personalities of successful people is true in the real world.

Some are delightful, charming and open-minded.
Some are nasty little pricks.
Some are brilliant and creative.
Some are dumb as dirt and devoid of imagination.
Some are independent thinkers.
Some jump on every bandwagon.
Some are magnetic.
Some are repulsive.
Some are like compassionate mothers.
Some are like alcoholic fathers.

The only universal traits I have found are these: powerful ambition and a strong ego.

Duh.

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