The most successful people are initiators. They don’t just dream about things. They don’t just think about things. They don’t spend all their time planning, refining and trying to be perfect. They don’t necessarily wait for just the right time. Truly successful people don’t have time or inclination to just dream or think or plan or refine or wait for just the right time. Successful people are all about making things happen. The sooner, the better!
The most successful people also accept the inevitable reality that a high majority of people will stand on the sidelines, sit in the stands or watch from near and far in order to second guess and most likely criticize every decision and every move of those who make things happen. Moments, years or even decades later, the few decisions, strategies or tactics that proved most successful are quickly dismissed by former critics. Still on the sidelines, Monday-morning quarterbacks and critics, with absolutely no skin in the game loudly proclaim, “Any dummy could or should have known to do that… it is so obvious.”
An excellent example of a very successful initiator who is loved by few, hated by many, if not most, and is constantly and severely criticized by almost everyone for something is once again in the news. Probably more than almost anyone alive today, this person long ago accepted the inevitable reality that a very high majority of people will stand on the sidelines, sit in the stands or watch from near and far in order to second guess and most likely criticize every decision and every move he makes. And, he is no doubt loving every minute of it now!
Virtually all of these same critics would readily agree that this man is extremely successful, given the personal and professional mission, goals and aspirations he has chosen for his life.
In a ceremony that included fireworks, skydivers and other appropriate features, a beaming Jerry Jones cut the ribbon at the new Cowboys Stadium on Wednesday, May 27, 2009, opening a 3 million-square-foot building with a price tag of $1.15 billion. $1.15 billion for a stadium! That’s a lot of dough, particularly for a former Arkansas oil patch hustler whose first several business ventures all failed. Whether you love him, hate him, criticize him, admire him, agree or disagree with his mission and values… Jerry Jones makes things happen!
Jerry leveraged everything he had in order to purchase the Dallas Cowboys, including Texas Stadium for 140 million in 1989. The current value of the Dallas Cowboys, including their new stadium, is somewhere around 1.6 billion. That is an increase in value of over 1.4 billion in 20 years. The return on investment is nothing less than incredible, particularly given that most of the purchase price was borrowed money. The Dallas Cowboys are now the highest valued football team in the NFL.
Some interesting numbers regarding Jerry’s new (make big things happen!) Cowboys Stadium:
- At almost 3 million square feet (104 million cubic feet), the stadium is the largest in the NFL
- The total site is approximately 150 acres; the stadium site is 73 acres
- Over 1.5 million cubic yards of excavation since the playing field is 50 feet below grade
- 21,000 tons of steel and 14,000 tons of roof structural steel
- 11,000 tons of cooling
- 22 escalators; 18 elevators
- The 661,000 square foot roof system is the largest domed roof in the world
- The main score board is the largest high definition video board in the world, stretching high above the field from the 20 yard line to the opposite 20 yard line
- Each end of the new stadium has retractable glass doors that are 120 feet high and 180 feet wide – the largest of their type in the world
- And oh yes, for those of you familiar with the former Texas Stadium, there is a hole in the roof… now retractable of course
Jerry now flies around the world in his private jet. Like him or not, he created what he has and what he has accomplished. He came from nowhere. He had nothing. Now, with one or two phone calls, he can probably personally access anyone in the world. By making things happen he has created fame, fortune, power, significant influence and many outstanding accomplishments within his areas of interest (including a number of philanthropic interests such as The Salvation Army). And most important, Jerry absolutely loves what he does. He literally loves it!
How could a former college football lineman… later an Arkansas oil patch hustler with several failed business ventures to his credit, make all of this happen? The answer is extremely complicated yet very simple. Jerry does not wait for others to make things happen nor does he allow the inevitable criticism to keep him from making his dreams become reality. He makes things happen. Through thousands and thousands of failed, mediocre and somewhat successful decisions and strategies (making things happen) a few became home runs. Jerry then makes more things happen, building on those rare home runs.
Regardless of the critics and Monday-morning quarterbacks, Jerry Jones knows and consistently practices one of the critical keys to personal and professional success… Make Things Happen!
On a personal level, what important things did you make happen last week, last month and last year? On a professional level, what important things did you make happen last week, last month and last year? How about today? What will you make happen today?
And so it is with you and every human being on our planet…
Good Things Happen
When You Make Things Happen
