I recently did an interview with Brandon Allen on the Build Your Soul Purpose podcast.  The interview went for just under 25 minutes.

Here is the link in case you want to check it out!

The PDF and Kindle versions of “The Supermanager” are now available for free at the following website:

http://www.freemanagementbook.com

Society is powered by an economic engine that produces products and services that enhance the human experience. The mind, labor, and components of the Earth comprise the intellectual, physical, and natural resources that serve as the ingredients for these creations.

A great paradox of business is that one person can do very little and one person can do so much.

One finger on one hand can only lift so much weight and can do very little. But the ten fingers on two hands working together can lift vastly more weight and have far greater usefulness.

In a business context, one person can’t build and sell lots of cars. One person can’t operate an airline. And one person can’t run a typical fast-food restaurant.

Business is about teamwork. Business is about teams. And those teams are led by managers.

In most circumstances, one person working alone can only do very little. But one person who is a manager can do so much. The power of the team is unleashed by the power of the manager.

Great products and services come from great teams which come from great managers.

In early 1990 just a few weeks after my 16^th birthday, I started working at the Little Caesars Pizza fast-food restaurant located at the intersection of Main Street and the Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. One of the employees that I got to work with a lot was an assistant manager named Ken. Within a few weeks, I started to develop a strong bond with Ken. I loved working for him.

In life, major differences in outcomes are often the result of a consistent implementation of simple actions over a long period of time. Momentum in the direction of a specific outcome builds very slowly but very surely with each simple action that is taken. The little things are the big things.

I could spend a very long time explaining why Ken was such a great manager. But instead I will just focus on six words.

A simple and common task that Ken would often ask me to complete was to get him a container of sauce when he was making pizzas. The conversation would usually go something like this:

“Hey Greg, could you get me a container of pizza sauce?”

And then after I would get the container of pizza sauce for him, he would say:

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

This brief interaction would have had a much different meaning if the words could, you, thanks, I, appreciate, and it were omitted. These six words were the difference between respect and disrespect, high and low morale, and pride and resentment.

Those six words that Ken said were the little things that were the big things.

The financial and human resources under the guidance of great managers usually appreciate in value. This can lead to the creation of more wealth, more jobs, and more happiness and fulfillment.

On the other hand, unpleasant situations at work can infect the sanctity of our homes with negative energy. A virus that starts at work can spread to our families and beyond. Most of us know what this feels like.

Managers influence our lives tremendously in a variety of ways. I’m so deeply grateful that Ken has had such a positive influence on mine. And like all of the other great managers out there, his presence uplifts the world.

Thank you, Ken.

Thanks for those six words. Thanks for uncovering and igniting my passion for management techniques that maximize employee morale, motivation, and productivity. Thanks for continuing to uplift the world today as an electrical engineer who is the head of your department.

Thank you, Ken. And thanks to all of the other great managers out there.

Do you have a story about a great manager in your life?