There is a saying in English: “One father is worth more than a hundred schoolmasters.”
Fathers have many important lessons to teach their children. Father’s Day is on Sunday, June 15, and it reminds me of the valuable lessons I learned from my father, Jack Mackay. I have shared these lessons in my books and columns, but here they are all together for all the fathers out there.
My father was the head of the Associated Press in St. Paul, Minn., for many years. He lived by deadlines. When he told his 10-year-old fishing partner to be at the dock at 7:30 a.m., I had to be there on time. Time Management 101.
When I started my career selling envelopes, I asked my dad how I could make twice as much money as my colleagues. He asked me how many sales calls my peers made every day. I said they made about five calls a day, and I could match that.
“No good,” he said. “Do what they do and you’ll make what they make. Figure out how to make 10 calls a day and your income will double.”
We made a plan, which became a life plan. I learned when the buyers were in the office and adjusted my schedule accordingly, sometimes working from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday mornings. I stopped making cold calls, got a cellphone early on, and learned many time-management tips from my father.
TRUST is the most important five-letter word in business and life. When I was just 8 years old, he told me: “Son, would you like to learn a lesson that might save your life someday?”
“Sure Dad,” I said.
“Just slide down the banister and I’ll catch you,” he said.
I slid… and landed on the carpet. He told me, “Never trust anyone completely. Keep your eyes open and your wits about you.”
My father also encouraged me at a young age to keep track of all the people I met on Rolodex cards, now on my computer. He was a great networker. He knew where to get stories, much like I learned where to get sales.
Perhaps the most important lesson my father taught me was that your best network will come from what you do best. For me, that was golf. After college, when I joined the sales industry, where I had been a varsity golfer at the University of Minnesota, my dad suggested I join Oak Ridge Country Club, which was too expensive for me. So, I offered to play for them and try to win them a championship. After six months and many meetings, I was accepted to the club where I gained access to many major companies in town.
My father also taught me that the big name on the door does not mean much. You need to know who the decision-makers are.
He also warned me against revealing how I vote. That’s why it’s a secret ballot. Democrats think I’m a Republican, and Republicans think I’m a Democrat.
My father excelled in finding a good story and pursuing it with fervor. He instilled in me the same drive, determination, and persistence in sales.
After a skiing accident that left me in the hospital with neck traction for 35 days, he told me, “You can endure any pain as long as you know it will end.”
My father taught me many more life lessons, such as:
• Success depends on results, not effort.
• No one ever died from swallowing their pride.
• If you burn your bridges, be prepared to swim.
• Education is like exercise. Stop, and you lose the benefits.
• You can’t soar like an eagle if you’re dressed like a turkey.
• If you win, stay humble. If you lose, say even less.
• We are judged by what we finish, not what we start.
Mackay’s Moral: One person can make all the difference in the world—a father, for example.
