I confess a weakness for "pathetically stupid" comedy. Animal House, Naked Gun 2 1/2, National Lampoon's Summer Vacation; you know the type. Even after 20 hears and hearing his jokes again and again, I still find my funny bone especially vulnerable to the humor of Steve Martin as he stands on stage with an arrow through his head.
One of my favorite bits from Mr. Martin involved him being a "success coach" and giving financial advice; "Yes, you too can be a millionaire and NOT pay taxes!" With cavalier confidence, the direction continues - "First, get a million dollars; Then..." It never fails to make me laugh. I think what strikes me as so funny about this is that, in giving his sage advice, he completely glosses over the hardest part.
A lot of advise for leaders found in many of the books and seminars today are like this joke. The "million dollars" - the hardest part of leadership, and the part that takes the longest amount of time is completely glossed over. Most "how to" guides on organizational development completely ignore or at least quickly gloss over the most important quality of a leader - maturity. Without this quality, all the technique in the world will be in vain.
Some things, important things, take time. They are worth slowing down for and cultivating daily over a long period of time.
Once you "get a million dollars; then..."
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