Choose Calm Tenacity
In the last reading, I shared about an extra-curricular college program that played a huge role in shaping me into the man I am today. That’s where I learned my first life lesson - how to Ask Active Questions. Half of the total class grade was based on this one criteria.
The other half of my grade was dependent on me securing a summer internship with a company tied to my major.
That’s how I ended up working for the Quaker Oats Company, selling their products into grocery stores. It’s in that environment that I learned a second life lesson.
Of the hundreds of stores I visited that summer, one had the reputation for scaring off sales reps. The manager was a bear. He was really short—both in attitude and height. He stood on a raised wood platform at the center of his store so he could tower over everyone—which helped with his height but made the attitude even worse.
When I walked in, I did my best to act like seeing a short man standing in a tower of wood was normal. I introduced myself, handed him my sales sheet, and hoped for the best. As I made my pitch, he stared at me while slowly crumpling my sales sheet in his palm. Then he threw the paper ball across the aisle.
I had a choice. I could be offended. I could walk out defeated. Or I could try calm tenacity.
In a rare moment for me at the time, I chose the calm tenacity. I looked up at him and said, “Wait here, I’ll be right back.” I walked over to the wadded paper, picked it up, smoothed it out, and re-approached the mighty platform. I took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s try this again. But this time, I’ll hold the sheet.”
He raised an eyebrow and cracked a smile. The angry bear became a teddy bear. From that point on, he was one of my favorite store managers. But I had to pass his test first. Would I be intimidated or irritated by a little man in a big tower—or would I respond to his gruff demeanor with a gentle strength
You’re likely facing a test now. Rather than choose offense or avoid the situation, there is another option. You can choose calm tenacity.
I’ll share a final lesson tomorrow. This one involved my time being Cap’n Crunch—including a photo from my short-lived career as the breakfast cereal mascot. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it.
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