CBS executive asks: How do you want to be remembered?
— -- A little self-promotion can't hurt in this economy, and books in the Me Inc. and The Brand Called You genre continue to sell. As president of creative affairs and development for CBS, Terry Wood has made stars of Rachael Ray, Dr. Phil, Judge Judy and others who seem remarkably like the rest of us before they found fame. Wood spoke to USA TODAY corporate management reporter Del Jones about the lessons from seemingly regular people who became stars. Following are excerpts, edited for clarity and space.
Q: Leadership expert Tom Peters says that everyone should sit down and ask themselves: "What do I want to be famous for?" Do you agree?
A: I might modify it a bit and say, "What do I want to be known for? What makes me different?" I don't use the word famous very often. Famous can be overrated, but if I'm known for something, and that defines who I am, I can take it to the bank.
Q: How do people like Rachael Ray, Dr. Phil and Judge Judy make the leap from being accomplished professionals to being famous? Luck?
A: Timing helps, but I'm a big believer in what you do with the opportunities that are given.
Q: Rachael Ray admits that she isn't the best at what she does. There are better chefs. What sets her apart from the Rachael wannabes?
A: What I love about Rachael is it's never just about the recipe. It's how she connects the food to her passion. She took a simple idea of making food for your family and said, "Hey, I can make it easier for you." People have a lot on their plates. So, if they are going to spend time with you or your product, they need to know what's in it for them. It's very basic.
My daughter was 6 when she pointed Rachael out on the Food Network. She circled her face and said, "Mom, I like her right here." Rachael has the ability to connect with someone 6 or 86. Have a simple plan, like Rachael's premise of 30-minute meals. It was easy to understand, easy to follow and made a lot of sense. Your idea can't be complicated. Explain it in a sentence. Make it you and deliver it with a passion.
Q: When people first begin their careers, their parents tell them hard work is the secret to success. Is that enough to advance the average person beyond the cubicle?
A: You have to know your audience, whether you're an accounting temp or lighting up a TV screen. Know how to fit in and connect with the people around you. Be a sponge. Try to know as much as you can. What makes the office or the company run successfully? I notice people who add something to the mix. Personality stands out. You never know when an opportunity will come your way. You can't sit with your head down in a cubicle and expect to grow. You need to do the job well and also learn to create the opportunities for success.
Q: So establishing a personality is more important than hard work?
A: Personality is about balance. You have to know when to dial it up and when to pull back. That's about reading the room and figuring out how to fit in. It is important that people understand what you're bringing to the table, whether you're the quiet person or the loud person. Your boss needs to be able to look at the room and say, "I get what he or she does." Maybe it's humor. Maybe it's new ideas. Think about what you bring to the table and do it appropriately.
Personality can be a lot of different things. It doesn't mean someone who is just loud or gets all of the attention. Personality means that you add something. I like the quiet soldier who gets it done, and I like the hard-chargers who will take on anything I throw at them. It's my job to balance having all of that in the mix. When doing a job interview, I'm not looking for a type, but for a team, to have the right player in every position.
Q: OK, what about business executives who have achieved success? What can they learn from TV personalities?
A: TV personalities draw the audience in by commanding the screen and making you want to watch. A good leader does the same thing: inspires you, draws you into the process. Leaders must face their audiences, not sit in their offices. They have to be bold and step out there and lead and get people excited about working for them.
Q: Surely, you don't recommend that executives take time in the middle of the day to watch Judge Judy or Dr. Phil?
A: The way those personalities connect, I think a lot of leaders in business could learn from it. Leaders have to cut to the chase and make their points, so I think they can learn from watching these celebrities. Many do. If they aren't able to watch on their DVRs, their wives certainly tell them about it.
Q: What should you do when the company asks you to do mundane assignments that interfere with your personal brand development?
A: Don't work somewhere you don't fit in and if it doesn't fit your personal plan. It's a huge part of your life. I don't think you can sit back and complain when you're asked to do something.
Q: The stars you work with must be confronted with many projects. How do they decide what to do and what not to do? Money?
A: A lot are asked to do endorsements and other appearances on camera. They have to think about how that affects the daytime brand for their shows. Judge Judy, Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray shouldn't be doing things that can harm the brand that is central to their everyday job. That's pretty easy, but money can distract people.
Q: What about websites? Do we all need one?
A: You can't control what comes up about you on Google searches, but if you have a website, it might right what's wrong out there. It might put some balance to some information that's incorrect. Trust me, in the tabloids or on the Internet, Phil has been divorced many, many times, and it's not true. Same for Rachael. Not true. It's all about breaking through the clutter. But you need a specific reason to be there. You need to be able to talk to the user in a way that makes him want to come back. Clear, concise information that's attractive and easy to navigate. It's the same formula that works on television. It's about information you want from someone you want to spend time with.
Q: Stephen Covey recommends that we imagine ourselves at our own funerals and ask what would we like people to say in our eulogies. Is that something you recommend?
A: It's a good exercise to think about how you want to be remembered. You want to think about how you impact the people around you: "What did I do with the time that I had?" My business can be a very insecure business. That's the funny thing about television. You know you're vulnerable. People tell you every day in the ratings whether they like you or they don't. It can create insecurity.
You should be checking yourself routinely to ask how am I doing, how am I doing in the workplace? When you're the boss, you can really ruin someone's day with how you act and treat people. That little exercise of wondering how you might be remembered might make you think about how you act day in and day out.
Q: What specifically do you do differently as a leader?
A: I deal with creative people who are under a lot of pressure. I have to put myself in their shoes. I try to think about how they're going to be on the receiving end of what I say. How can I make them feel better about what I have to tell them? It's a pressure-oriented business, and people need to know that it's OK if they make a mistake, that I still support them.
The best decisions will be made when people feel they have the freedom to screw up. I never like to operate by fear. You really have to have confidence in them, let them soar. It may sound very "self-help," but I'm the product of how I've been managed over the years.