As clearly pointed out, by one of our competitors in “we are all best friends ….” comment section — I was “disloyal” to my previous company…
Therefore, I wish to explore the root of this “disloyalty…”
For this entry and discussion on”disloyalty” … I am going to use myself as the example … the purpose is to try and positively influence anyone that might be able to relate to my story … in fact, we can ALL relate to this discussion, whether you work for naseba or Halliburton….
As clearly explained several times throughout this blog … I did not quit my previous company because I was looking for “greener grass…” I did not quit to secretly start my own company ….
I did not quit … I was “uninvited back” because I had become a “total bitch.”
“Total bitch” is a theme that I have hammered throughout this blog … but its very important for me to get people that I am close to, esp. some of my key people to understand…that it is the “root” to disloyalty.
Like many people in this industry … when I joined my previous company in Tokyo, it was my first real job.
and I started to sell very quickly …
with my quick deals in a ‘under performing’ office came some sort of “power” within that office.
It did not matter that I had never been a manager, thus had zero management experience …I knew better than the boss.
It did not matter that I had never been in the corporate world, thus did not understand company protocol … I knew it all.
With all my sales came a “superficial power” which at the time, I was in my early to mid 20’s and I did not know how to handle this quick success and big pay checks.
Sincerely, I wanted the best for the office and the company … I was a very loyal and a sincere guy, but with my sales success, then my teams sales success, and ultimately my offices success — I became uncontrolablly arrogant.
My CEO met me once a month … and naively/ungratefully, I completely took the CEOs time forgranted ….
I expected my CEO to take the time to meet me … like a spoiled baby.
International travel … I traveled the world and I took it completely for granted …
“all companies send their staff around the world …right??”
child like expectations….
I expected my CEO to take my calls … and I called whenever I wanted …
I expected my CEO to reply to my emails … and I hammered him with emails when ever I wanted … often times suggesting to him on how to do his job … but this is not the way it works in the “real world.”
I might have been the best sales person in the company, however, arrogantly, because I knew how to sell on the phone, I believed I knew everything.
Upon reflection, being the best sales man allowed me to get promoted to GM quickly …. get a nice salary, as well as rewarded with office override, bonus commissions etc … just for doing our job as a GM …. its not the real world.
The real world …
The GM of a division of G.E. He is paid a salary and given targets .. there is no override or commission payable just because he hits his targets … This is why he is paid a nice salary … that is his/her job to ensure the company hits targets.
But I was too spoiled to think of it this way …
With my success and large pay checks … I became “unmanageable” … I thought I knew more than my multi-millionare CEO …
After all, I was great at selling on the phone … training young kids to sell over the phone … building teams…
HOWEVER, the truth is I was a fucking nobody.
Why does this industry create so many “super bitchs??”
I became difficult to manage … I became super arrogant … I spoke to the CEO and via email super disrespectfully …. after all, I was the best conference sales man in the company …
A few years ago, at naseba I had a super star sales man (there has been a lot of misunderstanding of who I am refering to, but its - William Blake) … one of the best I ever worked with …with the big commissions as well as all the time I was giving him, he became a “super bitch…” and ultimately I fired him, definately one of the best sales people that has ever worked for me.
Poetic justice … this “S.B.” had started just like the old Scott, very dedicated and hard working … super naive to the business world because naseba was his first real job. He won over the CEO (me) by working harder than everyone else … and making huge sales …
Just like I did in the beginning of my career — he started to sell a lot … the CEO (me) gave him a lot of his time … the CEO even took him to dinner and became very close to this sales director … exactly like my previous CEO did with me …..
Ultimately, this person “greatness” was destroyed by him becoming a spoiled baby…
As I type, I can think of easily 10 to 20 great employees that currently work OR have worked for me over the past few years –once they (start/started) achieving/excelling (doing what they are paid to do) and I begin to praise them …. suddenly they think they are the next Jack Welch… and become intolerably unmanageable.
or better yet…
… A kid from India … who comes straight from a call center in Mumbai … has no real corporate experience at all … gets recruited, trained and supported … even given several global travel opportunities … succeeds, sells and then betrays all the people that helped him get success– suddenly the kid thinks he is the next Lakshmi Mittal …
Many people reading this can change the roles in this blog… from the old Scott and Marcus …. to you and your current boss, whether that boss is me or not.
All talented employees can relate to everything that I have discussed from my past…in this blog
Do not fall in the trap of believing that you are more important than you really are …
Do not become intolerable… no matter what your title is or how good you might think you are at your job.
That gympee from one of our competitors IP addresses that left several negative comments on my blog …who are you to give me any advice on management???
You think because you can sell a 1,595 euro conference on the phone that you know more about management and the runnings of a global company?
WAKE UP… you are a nobody … and I am not saying this maliciously … but WAKE UP and stop thinking that you are more important than you really are.
(the only reason I mention this person in this blog is because a long time ago, I was just like him … thinking I knew more than my bosses … and this person is a good example for the reader)
Of course life has worked out for me and I am proud of the great success of naseba … but there is NO WAY I would have achieved what I have thus far, if I had not first reflected and ultimately changed.
I was not disloyal to my previous employer in setting up naseba …
I was disloyal to my previous employer by becoming a “super bitch” when I worked for him… and thinking that I was someone more important than I really was….
7 Responses to “ode to Marcus Evans…”
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November 14th, 2007 at 1:38 am
A little arrogance can help by pushing us towards ambitious goals- but it is no armour against cold, hard reality- and the reality is that in the grand scale of things, there are few people out there who aren’t nobodies…. and most of the somebodies have replaced arrogance with confidence, and have risen above petty envies.
Then again, I think that getting run over by the reality truck is a vital part of the maturing process. Anyone who hasn’t had their arrogance crushed at least once by the real world is either a. very immature, b. improbably lucky, or c. a total prat.
I’m not sure if gimpie the nonspeller is a. or c., so I’ll vote for both.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
<p>sensational blog today. but I do not think the average reader is going to accept the fact that they need to reflect on their own behavior. the average reader might feel like a “victim.” It is never our fault — it is that evil Scott Ragsdale’s </p>
<p>You have always been very successful since I have known you and with your success has brought people that mooched off you as well as people that thrived off of you. </p>
<p>But why do you always have these “stalker” types that do not let you go? They screw you and go to the otherside - see that it is not as gorgeous as the brochure said it was, and then in turn get mad at you and then speak poorly, and betray you. I have witnessed many people do this to you.
Now tell us about what is real “leadership.” How did you do pull off naseba so successfully, so quickly? I think it is an amzing success story and will help your people to understand what a “leader” is in your eyes. </p>
<p>For those that are reading this — Scott might be able to guess who I am, but I do not work for naseba.</p>
November 14th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
“victim” is definately a theme that i need to explore one day in this blog.
Its so much easier to blame someone else for our troubles … it is never our fault …
thanks for your input –i will do a special entry on my opinion of ‘what is a manager’ ‘what is leader…’
but the secret is definately to lead by example ..
who is John Galt?
November 15th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Damn…..I wake up this morning and see a lot of action has happened on this blog …
Guys - if Scott Ragsdale is so bad … and naseba was not a perfect fit for you, why are you reading his blog every day? This is for those of us who no longer have the privledge, yes privledge to work for Scott Ragsdale any longer think about what i am saying,
we can all pretend that Scott is terrible - too strict and dominating, but at the end of the day, I am certain most of us that worked for him will admit the best and most focused they ever were professionally and personally was when they were working for Scott.
Over the years, since those 13 months I worked for Scott well before he started naseba … I have been chasing that AWESOME!!! office enviornment, and team ambiance that Scott always created. I have had several jobs since and I have never found any better.
<p>it is crazy what scott and his team have created in just 5 years. but what is more crazy is that people like the Rajat comment is suggesting that Scott is not achieving.
January 25th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Scott,
I have never met or spoken wiht you, but througout my tenure with Marcus Evans I had always heard of your impact within the company.
I was 18 years old when I started in the company and my General Manager at the time was Cyrus Daruwala.
Listening to the stories that Cyrus had told me about your success was always quite inspirational. As Cyrus used to say “That Scott is one cocky bastard, but there is no disputing that he is one of the best sales people out there!” I was always so impressed how you were such a ‘Maverick’ within a company full of drones.
Like yourself (but on a much smaller scale) I let my success get the better of me and it eventually led to my conclusion in the company. I later did return to work for them in the USA and had learnt much from my mistakes in the past.
I have moved on since then and have started a company in a much ‘older’ industry. However, from time to time I always like to check on what ‘Marcus Evans’ best sales peron has been up to. Congratulations on your endeavor with Naseba and congratulations on your evolution as a person and as a manager.
I must confess that I find your style a lot bolder, more self-promoting and much more ‘American’ than mine(I guess it is the British training and Scottish family that keeps me a little more reserved). But nonetheless I have always been amused by your style and the results it achieves.
I wish you continued success and throughout my career, I will always keep an eye on yours.
Cheers,
Alexander
November 3rd, 2008 at 6:10 am
Scott,
Intresting reading……..and your story is oh so common with so many of us that reached those lofty hights with ME.
You were not the only ” Super Bitch”…infact I believe ” Super Bitch ” was more evolution in the grand designs that was ME…..
It is good to have come out the other side, to a real understanding and to learn from the past.
The sad thing is there are still too many Ex co - workers still in ME with out the understand……unaware!
Your site is great,
Take care.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Hey Mr.Scott its me Jordan one of your newest employees at Naseba Dubai Br.,whom is going to make it happen! I am still here in my home country for nearly a month now waiting so eagerly to get back to work waiting on the visa( do not know why its taking so long). How ever, I really wanted to thank you for this piece of writting, you have really touched me. I am 20 years old now and have been were, I was a super bitch in my previous job in Aati furniture in Dubai, I was selling my ass off and was number one salesperson in AlTayer group,didnt care about anyone there and was making my bills. It is hard to say but, now since you have wrote down the meaning of such an explinaton Of what is a superbitch, I was 1. I have been raised to be a very good person, inorder not to be in these characteristics thats why my future lead me to Naseba. I just wanted to say once again that I am recently going through what you have gone through. I have never seen someone to put emotions and life experiences in words as you do! This is why you have touched me. I am young and active and DO NOT want to be a superbitch or anyother bitch lol anymore. I have a family to take care of and this is all is what is in my concern, But Mr.Scott in my opinion I think it was good for you to have been a superbitch in your previous company, inorder to learn from your mistakes because God wanted to give you a gift and wanted to make sure that you would handle it with care and caution(Naseba). I have never seen someone take care of there employees as you do, NEVER! There is much to say but, because of your superbitchiness and how you learned from it and rose,not only you are one of the most successful people on this planet(wealthy) also you have guarenteed your seat in Heaven. God Bless You!
-All the way from Amman, Jordan.
Mohd M.Soky
International sales, Naseba Dubai,UAE.