ARE YOU A “HAVE TO” OR “WANT TO” MARKETING MANAGER?

I’m taking the remainder of the summer off from writing DISPATCHES and MARKETING MATTERS. This article is a republication from 2018. It is as relevant today as it was then. I hope you find it informative and thought provoking.

Bedros Keuilian, founder and CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp, spoke with lifestyle entrepreneur Lewis Howes about transforming himself from a “have to” to a “want to” leader.” 

A “have to” manager is one whom others must follow due to the manager’s authority. The reality is they’d rather not follow and, therefore, do the minimum of work to get by and eventually quit the team. 

As the name implies, the “want to” manager inspires people to follow and contribute to improving organization or brand performance. The “have to” manager presides over a dysfunctional team s/he has created, whereas the “have to” manager leads a high-performance team.

This past weekend I accompanied my wife to a memorial for her late rowing coach, Michael O’Gorman, which was held following the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia. Michael passed away at age 53 of a massive heart attack. To honor him, several members of his former Chicago Rowing Club (CRC) women’s team entered the regatta and won silver medals. Michael would undoubtedly have been proud of them.

I’m thinking about this because he was a “want to” coach. The women he coached didn’t have to follow him, particularly for such a demanding sport. Instead, they wanted to follow his coaching and perform to the best of their abilities. His teams trained hard, often twice a day. The first session had them on the water at 4:40 am. The second session brought them back at 6:30 pm. 

The team that entered this regatta were among his earliest masters’ rowers and came back to train in the few remaining weeks following his death to the start of the regatta. And because they came from different parts of the US, they had only one session in the boat the day before the race. They recommitted themselves to honoring Michael’s memory and each other to have a good showing at the regatta.

One of the women told me that when the coxswain called out “1500 meters to go”, as each woman pushed off with her legs, pulled with her back, labored with her lungs, and gave all of her heart, she yelled, “for Michael.” They wanted to win for him. 

I asked these winners, some of whom have joined new teams in other cities, about their rowing experiences. They told me it hadn’t been the same. They no longer had “want to” coaches. They said, “You wanted to do your best for Michael because he treated everyone fairly, and you knew where you stood with him. If the boat went faster with you in it, then you were in the boat. If not, then you were out”. 

Also, they shared that Michael was “selfless.” He was out there twice daily, every day, without pay. He did it for the love of the sport, to enable these women to develop to their full potential, and for the sweet smell of the victories they would achieve.

His legacy is impressive. In addition to taking silver at this regatta, his CRC teams medaled in all the major regattas they entered over the years of his leadership. Additionally, the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta has created a legacy trophy in the name of Michael O’Gorman for freshmen men and women crew winners.

Do your brand teammates feel like they “have to” or “want to” follow you? Make your marketing matter more; become a “want to” marketing manager.

If you found this article helpful, please encourage your team to subscribe to Brand Development Network International blogs DISPATCHES and MARKETING MATTERS. They provide thought-provoking information that can help bolster your team’s and brand performance. All it takes is to register at www.bdn-intl.com. 

Also, please follow me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/richarddczerniawski/, where I share my perspectives and thought-provoking questions from 50 years of successful worldwide brand marketing experience in weekly articles titled THINK ABOUT IT.

Make your marketing matter more. Please my most recent book, AVOIDING CRITICAL MARKETING ERRORS:How to Go from Dumb to Smart Marketing. Learn more here: http://bdn-intl.com/avoiding-critical-marketing-errors. It will help you avoid critical marketing errors and, importantly, suggest actions you can take to make your marketing matter more.

Peace and best wishes in making your marketing and you matter even more,