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Business Rules #11:
Take Credit, Even When
It's Not Due.
November 19, 2004
(PAGE 4 of 4)
When the smoke cleared, I knew the decision that had to be made. I dismissed Stacy, in fear that her overly analytical thinking would slow down the design team. I explained to the remaining four that I wanted my clothes to be timeless and beautiful, edgy and hip. The chosen person would serve as the face of the company, seeing as I’ve never designed anything in my life. It would the dream job for a designer: to take a clothing line from sketch to full production and promote the clothing—and the LaVelle brand—herself. It would take someone with maturity, brains, and the energy to fill up a room.
In the end, I chose Anne, who at nineteen years old can already design anything and has the personality to get done what needs to be done. She fought hard for the job but did so in a calm-and-succinct manner. She will be a great learner and will do what it takes to make us a success. She has the leadership abilities—and she will need them. I hired the remaining three candidates to work under her and serve as her team. Anne is going to have her hands full, but she’ll do just fine. I believe in her. She has the ability, and she’ll make it work.
Besides…if she doesn’t, I’ll fire her. On the spot.
In case you missed my whole point of this story, I’ll make it simple: a young designer is going to have all the financial backing and marketing support that she needs to build a line from the ground up and launch it into the stratosphere. She has worked hard to demonstrate that she can create the line from scratch with the help of her team. Now I’m not going to go out and say I designed the line myself, but if someone comes up to me and says, “Hey LaVelle, I love your suits!” what do you think I’m going to say? That’s right. I’ll take the credit and simply say, “Thank you.” Is it ethical for me to take credit for her work? Or how about when I take credit for a condo’s conversion and renovation? I didn’t put up any plaster or demolish any walls. Hardly. It’s all perception. The LaVelle name is on it. I take the credit. It would be dumb for me not to. But I try to make sure people know that there is a hardworking team out there making it happen.
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Your employees deserve credit when credit is due. Keep them motivated, keep them feeling good about coming to work, and they will respect you for it. If you don’t give them due credit, they’ll leave you high and dry for someone who will.
Your competitors, as in Jennifer’s case, don’t merit you correcting someone who’s praising you. Because at this level of the game, that’s what they are: competitors. They are not your friends or family or anyone else with whom you have to play nice. They are your competition. Out here, it’s survival of the fittest! You are either the hunter or the prey. It’s that simple.
Welcome to the jungle.
LaVelle Ward
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But I try to make sure people know that there is a hardworking team out there making it happen.
