The 1

It’s funny how one person can change your mindset and inevitably the direction of your life.

It’s mid-1997, I’m not happy with my job and I’m thinking of quitting.

I let my boss know that come 1998, I’ll probably be gone.?Yes, we had that kind of relationship.??

It was a great company, I had a great boss but, I wasn't happy doing what I was doing. Worse still, the position I desired was currently occupied.? So, it was time to move on.

Fast forward >> 3 months or so, and the current occupier of the position I coveted decides to leave the company.?Great news!? Wait. Not so fast.?

It was an International VP of Sales position in a $3B company and many of the division Presidents wanted to look outside the company for a new leader.

Then, it happened!? One of the division Presidents, the guy with the biggest profit contribution to the company, said, “I want Victor.?I believe he’s the right guy for the job.”?

His name??Lynn Davis.

From that moment on Lynn fought on my behalf until he won over the other 6 division Presidents.?Not an easy task! I was now officially the Vice President of Sales for all of Latin America.? (Sidenote: Current revenue at the time: $14.1M)

There was a big catch. I had to move into the region.? So, after talking it over with my wife, we packed up the kids and moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

But before I got on that plane, Lynn called me into his office for a final chat before I left and it went something like this,

“Amigo, I’m betting on you.?I fought hard to convince the others that you were the right person.?I believe in you.? So,...whatever you do, I mean whatever you do, DO NOT sell less than $14.1M.? Don’t let me down!”?

I felt the impact of those 4 words.

Fast Forward >> 2.5 years later we were at $98M in annual sales. We (myself and the team) were delivering value (great products to clients) and receiving value (great commissions).?Win-Win.

Lynn was that inflection point in my career, my Malcolm Gladwell Outlier effect. He changed my life and that's no small statement. ?

He knew I was that poor kid from the ‘hood who was hungry to win.? He helped me build my confidence in my ability to succeed in business, more specifically, sales.? He knew I would do everything not to let him down.??

I just received the news that Lynn recently passed away and I am truly sad. Lynn was tough.? He was fair.? He was funny.??Yet, his greatest attribute was his loyalty to the people who were loyal to him.?He always had my back, especially at the beginning when I was off to a shaky start.??

So, as I sit here, on the back patio, of a beautiful house, in a beautiful neighborhood on a beautiful day, I pay homage to the man who gave this Puerto Rican kid from the streets of Chicago his vote of confidence and the opportunity to win.? For that, I am eternally grateful.?

It only takes 1 person to believe in you; to change how you see yourself.??Lynn was my 1!

Victor Antonio

#the1 #outliers #value #winwin #leadership #confidence #salesleadership