Knowledge Will Take You To The Top

A few weeks ago at the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting I had the pleasure of hearing Joe Scarlett speak.  Joe is the former Chairman of Tractor Supply Company and was responsible for the company’s turnaround and huge success under his outstanding leadership.  After retiring from the company after 28 years of service, Joe decided to found the Scarlett Leadership Institute at Belmont University in Nashville.  Joe is passionate about developing leaders for the future.  His topic at the luncheon was “Knowledge You Can Take to the Top”.  During his presentation he identified six ways leaders could learn and expand their knowledge.

1.                  Good mentors – He had several good mentors during his career.

2.                 Listening – To employees, customers, peers, and anyone else you can learn from.

3.                 Study those you admire – Learn from other successful people.  Being in retail his        entire career, he admired Sam Walton and read everything he could about Sam        and Wal-Mart.

4.                  Professional associations – Use them to meet people and expand your network.

5.                 Network – Networking is essential to learning and growing a business.  Look for        opportunities to meet new people and develop relationships with them.

6.                 Reading – Reading is one of the best ways to keep learning.  Make it a habit to read    good books, business magazines, and newspapers each day.  People say they           don’t have time to read, yet they waste time watching TV when they could be        reading.  He actually shared his recommended reading list with the audience.

 It is great to see a successful leader like Joe who, despite his success, is committed to learning as a way of life.  Did I network with him after the lunch?  You bet I did, but he handed me his business card before I could hand him mine.