Some of my best advertising strategies were never implemented because I foolishly designed them around “what I would do” if I owned my client's company. But I didn't own his company. He did. Do you want to build a reputation for creating extraordinary ad campaigns? Just follow this 2-step process:
1. Find a business owner with passion; a raging bull.
2. Drive this unreasonable bull in the direction it most wants to go.
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends upon the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw
Driven by passion, every unreasonable bull must do what he was meant to do. (And God help anyone that comes between the bull and the doing.)
What is it that you were meant to do?
In business, the only bulls that can't be helped are the passive, docile ones that have lost their sense of purpose. These passionless cattle are called “steers.” You'll often find them resting comfortably between two buns in a bag at a drive-thru window.
I try not to work with steers.
Bullfights are onerous to me because they distort the true nature of the bull. Contrary to popular belief, a bull is not a ferocious creature; it's merely passionate. To make him fight, the weasely little picador pokes and prods and jabs the captive bull with sharp little barbs until he just can't take it anymore. All the bull wants is to be left alone to do what bulls do best. But the picador taunts and threatens and badgers the bull until he finally does what the picador wants him to do. (Sort of reminds you of a really bad boss, doesn't it?)
You'd be surprised at the number of people who complain to me about their bosses. I always give these people the same advice: “You've heard of people calling in sick. You may have called in sick a few times yourself. But have you ever thought of calling in well? It'd go like this: You'd get the boss on the line and say, 'Listen, I've been sick ever since I started working here, but today I'm well and I won't be in anymore.' Call in well.” -Tom Robbins
But today's memo isn't about quitting your job; it's about finding your passion. Is your boss really a picador, trying to enrage the powerful bull that is in you? Or is it your bosses' secret hope to awaken a bull that's been acting like a steer?
Don't be a steer.
It's much more fun to be a bull.
Roy H. Williams