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by Maggie Bellville, Partner, CarterBaldwin
You may be familiar with Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story.” It’s a radio show that focuses on famous people and tells you a fascinating aspect of their “backstory”.
So with that in mind, I offer the backstory of Pat Esser – or at least a part of his story that you may not know.
You may know that Pat was named to replace Jim Robbins as CEO of Cox Communications when Jim retires at the end of the year. What you probably don’t know is that there was one thing that Pat did better than anyone else in his career at Cox, and he did this one thing with great consistency. And though I have no inside information on this, my sense is that this one thing is what led the Cox board to place their company in Pat’s hands.
To understand what Pat did better than anyone else in his career at Cox, you need to know the rest of his story…
Pat started out in local ads sales and worked in such off-the-beaten-path places as the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa, Omaha, Nebraska and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In fact, his first position with Cox was in ad sales, where he helped launch local news in seven markets.
When the time came for Cox to name a SVP of its Western Operations, they didn’t choose someone already in operations. They chose Pat.
Why? Because even though he was in ad sales, Pat got to know all aspects of the business. He listened to operations people when selling ads or launching networks. He learned the business. He read everything he could on best practices and operating philosophies. His sense of urgency, competitive spirit, and winning attitude won the loyalty of those he led, and it showed in his results.
In the process of learning Cox’s business, Pat learned a critical lesson for any future CEO: that no corner of the cable business (or any business for that matter) exists in a vacuum. In the cable world each aspect of the business it is in fact part of a larger organization whose purpose is to connect people with one another and better their lives by delivering more information and entertainment than they can ever possibly need. Parallel lessons can be drawn in any industry.
In short, Pat spent his entire career not only doing his current job, but doggedly preparing himself for his next one. And that one word – preparation – is the key to the rest of Pat’s story; the part of his remarkable career that perhaps you didn’t know about.
Of course, success is more than just an individual effort. As I’ve heard Pat say many times, he wouldn’t have been where he was at any point in his career without the investment Cox made in him, or without the wisdom of the mentors who guided him on his way.
I talk to CEOs all the time about what they’re looking for when hiring senior executives; about what talents and skills they’re seeking. Without exception, they are looking for someone who can step in and do the job; someone who can take charge and help move the company forward. And although they don’t always use these exact words, they want someone who has prepared themselves for the opportunities that await.
To be successful in any career, it’s important to develop both a vision for your career and a plan to get there. Just like a coach preparing for a big game or a general preparing for battle, your plan should include weeks, months and even years of preparation.
Even though your job may not require it, put yourself in your boss’ shoes. Think about how you might do his or her job. Ask yourself questions about strategy and direction. Analyze the decisions your company has made, learn the rationale behind those decisions, and then ask yourself: would you have done the same thing? And if not, then what would you have done?
Pat Esser may be the next CEO of Cox, but you shouldn’t focus on Pat’s job, as much as how he got it. That’s where the lesson lies.
Because that’s the fascinating part about the rest of the story.
Maggie Bellville is a partner in the Atlanta-based executive search firm CarterBaldwin. She can be reached at .
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