Risk & Business Magazine JGS Insurance Risk & Business Magazine Summer 2018 | Page 18

BAD HABITS OF SMART LEADERS
> star general from the US Army. We were
surrounded by other two- to four-star
generals. Each of these men and women
had graduate degrees and were chosen
to be two- to four-star generals over
thousands of competitors. He asked
me an interesting question: “Marshall,
who is your favorite customer?”
I replied: “Sir, my favorite customer is
smart, dedicated, driven to achieve, has
incredible integrity, gets results – and is
a stubborn, opinionated know-it-all who
never wants to admit he or she is wrong.”
I looked around the room and asked:
“Do you think any of the generals in this
very room may fit such a description?”
He laughed and replied: “We have
a target-rich opportunity!”
IT IS INCREDIBLY
DIFFICULT FOR
SUPER-SMART
PEOPLE TO HEAR
SOMETHING
WITH WHICH
THEY DISAGREE,
WITHOUT PROVING
THAT THE OTHER
PERSON IS WR