The mysterious tale of the Russian dolls
>> And why it reveals the second most important thing in business.
I have, several times, shown a video of David Ogilvy discussing business and, incidentally, moaning about me.
Somebody on my youtube channel recently asked why David has a Matryoshka - a Russian doll - in front of him.
Those dolls told a lesson no business owner or manager should ever forget.
To explain why let me remind you of the two most important factors in your success.
- Find something people want and need - and you're on your way.
- But you can't do it alone: the key to success is to get good people.
A good idea plus good people means you can't lose.
This brings me to the dolls.
Those dolls were given to every new office manager at Ogilvy & Mather.
I doubt this tradition is continued: big businesses lose their way.
Here's the lesson the dolls revealed.
When a new office manager opened the dolls, one by one, inside the smallest was a handwritten message from Ogilvy.
"If we hire people smaller than ourselves we will become a company of dwarves. Hire people bigger than ourselves and we will become a company of giants."
I cannot emphasise how important that is.
Nor can I emphasise anything more strongly than that companies fail because their leaders are afraid to hire people better than them.
When I ran a business I never hesitated to hire people better than me but also pay them more than I got myself.
If you'd like to see the whole video of David on management, just look below. What he says applies to any business.
I doubt you have anyone in your business as inspiring as he was to me and many others.
But what astonishes me is that few people today - even Ogilvy people - have read Ogilvy on Advertising.
Idiots.
It is the best and most entertaining modern book on advertising.
Best,
Drayton
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