Broadcast Education Association
Speech Given by Lowell W. Paxson, BEA2000 - BEA Awards Banquet, April 9, 2000

 

IN 1947 JACKIE ROBINSON BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO PLAY IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.  I THINK IT’S REASONABLE TO LOOK BACK AT HIS IMPRESSIVE CAREER AND NOTE WHY HE BROKE THROUGH a RACE BARRIER THAT OTHERS COULDN’T PENETRATE.  CERTAINLY HIS EXCEPTIONAL ATHLETIC ABILITY PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE, BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT SET HIM APART FROM OTHERS.  JACKIE ROBINSON HAD A PASSION FOR THE GAME OF BASEBALL AND WOULD nOT REST UNTIL HE LIVED HIS DREAM OF PLAYING IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES.

 

            IF YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT LEADERS, YOU’LL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THEIR PASSIONS.  WHAT WAS THE PASSION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.?  ABRAHAM LINCOLN?  MOTHER TERESA?

 

            EVERY GREAT LEADER HAS A PASSION THAT HE OR SHE HAS PURSUED.  OUR PROBLEM IS THAT THE DISAPPOINTMENTS AND THE BUSY-NESS OF LIFE CAN CAUSE OUR PASSION TO BECOME DORMANT.  LIKE A HIBERNATING BEAR, PASSION SLEEPS HARMLESSLY WHILE THE REST OF LIFE GOES ON.

 

            GOD HAS UNIQUELY WIRED EACH OF US TO POSSESS SPECIAL DESIRES AND APTITUDES.  THE VISION YOU HAVE FOR YOUR LIFE, FAMILY, AND CAREER CAN BE EXPRESSIONS OF YOUR GOD-GIVEN PASSION.  TAKE THE TIME TO ROUTINELY DAYDREAM ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD BE DOING IF YOU COULD HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO.  WHAT WOULD YOUR LIFE LOOK LIKE IF YOU WERE DOING WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO?  WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU IMPLEMENTED YOUR DREAMS?

 

            ENTREPRENEURIAL leaders are FULL OF PASSION AND ARE change masters.  They see the way things are and move forward to change them.

 

            KEEP IN MIND THE VISION HAS TO BE SHARED WITH A BROADER CIRCLE OF PEOPLE.  WHEN I BEGAN TALKING PUBLICLY ABOUT MY DREAM FOR A NEW TELEVISON NETWORK THAT WOULD PROVIDE FAMILY PROGRAMMING, FEW SAW THE NEED.  AFTER ALL, THEY REASONED, THE FAMILY CHANNEL ALREADY FILLED THAT NICHE, AND CERTAINLY AMERICA DID NOT NEED ANOTHER TV NETWORK.  WHEN I SPOKE OF BUYING STATIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY FIRST AND THEN COMING UP WITH THE NETWORK PROGRAMMING, THE EXPERTS QUESTIONED MY UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH.  THEY BASED THEIR CONCERNS ON THE FACT THAT NOBODY HAD EVER DONE IT THAT WAY BEFORE.  THEN THERE’S A FRIEND OF MINE WHO SAYS, “SOME PEOPLE MARCH TO A DIFFERENT DRUMMER, AND SOME PEOPLE POLKA”.

           

            VISIONARY LEADERS NOT ONLY IMAGINE WHAT COULD BE AND SEEK TO BRING IT INTO REALITY, THEY RALLY OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THEIR DREAMS.  THEY CAUSE PEOPLE TO FIND SIGNIFICANCE IN PERFORMING THE MOST MUNDANE TASKS BECAUSE THOSE TASKS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE DREAM.  I BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT WILL GIVE THEIR LIVEs MEANING.  SKILLED LEADERS IMPART A VISION THAT DOES JUST THAT.  THEY ENABLE OTHERS TO FEEL THEIR LIFE MATTERS BECAUSE THEY ARE LINKED WITH AN IMPORTANT CAUSE.

 

            AS YOU SEEK TO DEVELOP YOUR DREAMS, YOU’LL DISCOVER THERE ARE PLENTY OF DREAM ROBBERS—INDIVIDUALS AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WILL DISCOURAGE YOU.

 

            I’VE ALWAYS ENJOYED THE HUMOROUS REMINDER THAT THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD:  THOSE WHO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, THOSE WHO WATCH THINGS HAPPEN, AND THOSE WHO SIT AROUND AND SAY, “WHAT happened?”

 

            martha WILLIAMSON, the executive producer of touched by an angel, likes to tell the story about the all-important insurance physical exam she and della reese had to undergo before they could begin shooting tOUCHED BY AN ANGEL.  thE entertaining experience convinced her that della is more than a great actress.  she is also a great dreamer.

 

            while martha waited to be examined, della was in a second examination room.  after martha had sat for a lengthy period of time, a nurse opened the door and stepped into her room.  the nurse was visibly nervous and spoke in a hushed tone, “miss williamson, we have a problem with ms. reese.”

 

            as her mind swirled with pessimistic thoughts the nurse went on:  “miss reese refuses to sign her insurance form.”

           

 “in the blank where it say ‘anticipated length of employment,’ i wrote ‘six episodes.’  miss reese won’t sign it until i change it to say ‘ten years.’  she says it’s ‘a god thing.’”

           

             martha, who had dreamed of a show that would tell people that god loved them, knew in a moment that della reese had a dream of her own.  della reese believed god had brought them all together and her vision was of a show that would last at least ten years.

 

            “i guess you’d better change the form,” martha told the nurse.  “if della says ten years, then that’s what we ought to plan on.”

BY THE WAY, TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL IS IN ITS 7TH YEAR.  DELLA REESE’S 10 YEARS IS LIKELY RIGHT.

           

 

            webster tells us that an  opportunity  is a favorable juncture of circumstances.”  in other words, an opportunity occurs when the elements needed for progress come together at the same time.

 

            seizing these opportunities is crucial.  philosopher george santayana once said that those who do not study history are condemned to repeat it.  while his words are on target, i think there is a more ominous danger.  i’m speaking about the danger encountered by those who do not see the shape of the future.  they don’t run the risk of repeating yesterday’s mistakes, but of missing tomorrow’s opportunities.

 

            too often leaders base their decisions on past history rather than future opportunity.  bob murley was a very dear christian friend who helped me during a difficult time in my life.  he would often recite this profound truth:  on the plains of hesitation bleach the bones of countless millions; when given an opportunity, they sat down to contemplate it, and there they died.” 

 

            i didn’t find success, it found me.  i don’t mean that i sat around waiting for opportunity to knock on my front door.  i mean the greatest opportunities i have encountered weren’t the ones i went looking for.  instead, while doing something as seemingly mundane as collecting money from delinquent accounts, i saw an opportunity to sell merchandise over the radio and was able to see the potential for HOME SHOPPING ON TV.  visionary leaders are not so trapped by the way things have always been done that they miss the opportunities that stare them in the face.

 

            all of the success i’ve experienced in the business world occurred because i grabbed opportunities that others didn’t see.  or, if they saw them, they waited too long and the “juncture of favorable circumstances” passed.

 

            with every opportunity also comes the responsibility to develop it.  all it takes is one good opportunity to transform your life and THE world.  since that’s the case, i want to share with you some principles that are crucial to making the best of good opportunities.

 

            once you’ve identified an opportunity and decided to pursue it, don’t waste a second.  utilize what i call stupid speed.  some of the best opportunities develop with lightning speed and require equally quick reaction.  those who are paralyzed by fear of failure will miss them every time.  don’t worry about making mistakes. 

 

            people familiar with what we’ve done over the last several years are astounded at the speed with which we operate our company.  since late 1993, we’ve made history by purchasing more television stations and building them from construction permits faster than anyone else has ever done.  and we’ve positioned pax tv to become a major player in network television.  today paxson communications owns more television stations than anyone else in the united states.

 

In the final analysis, it doesn't matter how strong a leader may be, he or she must have a team of skilled players to win the game of commerce. How important is each member of the team?  Or, to put it differently, how important are you? Several years ago the wall Street Journal dedicated an entire page to the subject.

 

How Important Are You?   More than you think.

A rooster minus a hen equals no baby chicks.

Kellogg minus a farmer equals no corn flakes.

If the nail factory closes what good is the hammer factory?

Paderewski's genius wouldn't have amounted to much if the

piano tuner hadn't shown up.

A cracker maker will do better if there's a cheesemaker.

The most skillful surgeon needs the ambulance driver who delivers the patient.

Just as Rogers needed Hammerstein you need someone and someone needs you.

 

            The presence of DREAM ROBBERS who can cause a visionary to give up the cause or get side-tracked are plentiful.  I’ve certaunly encountered my share of them.

 

A while back someone asked me, "Bud, did you ever get discouraged when you encountered the naysayers and others who tried to take the wind out of your sails?" Frankly, I didn't.  I simply figured out how to LISTEN TO THEM AND strengthen our company and moved on. However, in the process I learned some principles that enabled me to move on more effectively--concepts that helped me defeat the dream robbers.

 

Shortly after we announced our plans for PAX TV the critics almost stumbled over each other in an effort to predict our failure. Tony Vinciquerra, THEY WERE QUOTED IN THE PRESS EVERYWHERE.  the executive vice president of Hearst/Argyle Television said, "Frankly, I'm baffled as to what he's going to do.  it may be rough going for Paxson in the future." Bob Wright, president of NBC, said, "He's just taking an absolute flier. I think it’s probably a pretty high-risk venture."

 

NOTE, A YEAR AND A HALF LATTER, BOB WRIGHT CAUSED NBC TO INVEST 415 MILLION IN TO OUR COMPANY TO BECOME OUR 32% PARTNER.  MEANWHILE, HEARST ARGYLE IS DOING A JOINT SALES AGREEMENT WITH US IN DETROIT AND FRESNO.

 

AFTER 5 YEARS THE WB IS TURNING PROFITABLE.  UPN IS 5 YEARS OLD AND HAS NOT TURNED CASH FLOW POSITIVE YET.  PAX TV TURNED CASH FLOW POSITIVE IN 16 MONTHS.

 

When it comes to handling critics, I've found a four-step strategy that's proven helpful.

 

#1.  ANTICIPATE

Nobody likes to be sucker-punched. Yet the only way to avoid such a blow is to expect it. The same is true of criticism.  The most effective way to handle criticism is to know it's coming.  Anybody who has the courage to move into uncharted waters needs to anticipate a host of naysayers who will forecast his or her failure.

 

I find it helpful to realize that many critics who are supposed to be experts aren't as expert at their predictions as they would like to believe. For instance, Irving Thalberg, the MGM executive who warned Louis B. Mayer regarding Gone With the Wind, "Forget it, Louis, no Civil War movie ever made a nickel"?,  After Mayer took that advice he said, "Irving knows what's right."  Mayer missed an opportunity of a lifetime.  David 0. Selznick produced the film in 1939.

 

experts are frequently wrong!  Because I know that, I refuse to let the doomsayers deter me when I'm convinced a course of action will bring success. Instead, I anticipate their criticism.

 

#2.  ASSESS IT

You might conclude that I deal with naysayers by expecting their criticism and then tuning it out.  Such isn't the case.  Instead, I listen to what they have to say and carefully assess it.  Sometimes a critic will point out a legitimate issue or weakness that needs to be addressed.

 

#3.  ADAPT

I like to compare adjustments to the navigational device on a smart missile.

 

Effective leaders learn how to do the same thing.  They assess criticism and make whatever adaptations are needed so their company will hit the target.  At PAX we've discovered that in most situations the criticism we experience isn't well founded.  But even though we might know that, it's still wise to cultivate a willingness to adapt when necessary.

 

#4.  MOVE ON

Regardless of whether or not we make any adaptations, we definitely move on once we've assessed the criticism. And we don't look back! I believe this final step is crucial in not allowing critics to rob you of your dreams.

 

Few men illustrate this principle better than Monty Roberts from San Ysidro, California. When Monty was a senior in high school, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to do with his life.  That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch.  He wrote about his dream in detail and even drew a diagram of a two-hundred-acre ranch, showing the placement of the buildings, the stables, and the track.  He then sketched a detailed floor plan for a four-thousand-square-foot house that would sit on the ranch.

 

Two days after handing in the paper he received it back with a big red F on the top margin along with a handwritten note from the teacher--"See me after class!"

"Why did you give me an F?" he asked.

"Because your dream is unrealistic.  You have no money.  You come from an itinerant family.  You have no resources.  Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You'll have to buy the land, pay for the original breeding stock, and later you'll have to pay large stud fees.  There's no way you could ever do it.  If you'll rewrite your paper with a more realistic goal, I'll reconsider your grade."

 

How did Monty respond to the teacher's criticism and concern?  How did he respond to her lack of faith in him and his dream?  He assessed her words.  He talked with his dad.  Finally, after considering her criticism for a week, he turned in the same paper without a single change.

 

As he handed it to the teacher he said, "You can keep your F and I'll keep my dream."

 

Having done that, Monty did something else.  He moved on.  In fact, today he lives in a four-thousand-square-foot house in the middle of his two-hundred-acre horse ranch.  And what about the paper he handed in to the teacher?  He had it framed and it now hangs over the fireplace in his ranch house.

 

Setbacks are different dream robbers from critics, and more dangerous.  A setback occurs whenever something takes place that actually brings your business, or life, to a halt and then moves it back several steps.  Once a setback occurs, you'll need to regroup, refocus, and restart.  And the restart needs to be with a determination that that particular setback will never occur again. 

           

Everyone and every business will encounter setbacks.  We can't avoid them altogether. But we can learn not to allow the same setbacks to hit us twice.

 

            don’t misunderstand me.  dealing with dream robbers AND SETBACKS isn’t as easy as a few simple steps.  they may bruise your ego and tarnish your reputation.  WHEN you realize they have no power over you unless you give it to them, you’ll be okay.

 

            We're all familiar with roadblocks.  They're the barricades that block roads to keep travelers from moving forward.  Usually they're put in place to protect people from danger.  In business they're often just the litter of life.  They're the bothersome problems that can slow things down or bring progress to a standstill.

 

Getting past a roadblock involves a combination of perseverance and mobility.  It requires a willingness to hang in there, combined with the ability to get around the problem.

 

Oftentimes the key to getting past a roadblock is refusing to give up.  Frequently, great ideas fail, not because they wouldn't eventually work, but because their champion surrendered.  He got tired of dealing with the roadblocks and so he sat down, never to fight again.

 

A story is told about Thomas Edison, who invented, among other things, the electric lightbulb.  A lightbulb works because a current is passed through a resistant material.  When that material gets very hot it glows, creating light.  The difficulty is that certain materials quickly burn up, even if kept in a vacuum where there is no oxygen.  It took Thomas Edison a long time to discover this, and along the way he experimented with many different materials.  One night he returned home and announced to his wife that he had just finished the ten thousandth experiment.

 

Now remember, not only did Edison have to cope with the repeated failures, but he also had to cope with those who criticized his idea and his experimental methods.

Anyway, when he arrived home and made that announcement, his wife asked, "Did it work?"

"Nope."

“Aren’t you discouraged?" she asked.

"Discouraged?  I now know ten thousand ways that won't work!" 

Edison refused to allow one roadblock after another to discourage or dissuade him.  He hung in there.

  

¨                              DREAM

 

¨                              INVOLVE PEOPLE IN YOUR DREAM

¨                              WATCH OUT FOR THE DREAM ROBBERS, THE SETBACKS AND THE ROADBLOCKS

¨                              HANG IN THERE AND CHANGE OUR WORLD