John Hope Bryant at HOPE Inside Memphis @ First Tennessee Bank
Today I wrote on a topic that has been in the back of my mind for at least a decade now — removing the ‘but’s from your life, and certainly from behind your name. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I was under estimated coming up as a businessman, but I never let it bother me. I just made sure I had a strategy for it.
And then when my philanthropic efforts became very substantial, some people began picking on what I call ‘nothing items,’ such as ‘how nice my suits were,’ or ‘the car I drove,’ or whatever they could find to tease out concern. I decided to shut it all down, years ago, simply by building a house on a foundation that could not be misrepresented.
I decided that I never wanted a ‘but’ uttered behind my name. Or at least, not a substantive one. If they do, they would have to make it up, because all the numbers — around how we ran our business, spent our money, or served people — would be strong as a rock.
I tell this story this week in my LinkedIn Influencer series, as a sort of ‘lesson for leader.’ You can find it here. Share it with friends if you find it valuable. Hope you like it.
Let’s go…
John Hope Bryant
Founder of Bryant Group Ventures, and Operation HOPE