7 Little Sentences. 7 Big Thoughts.
I’ve been fortunate. Most of my life I’ve been surrounded by people with smarts.
by Greg Hague
My kids say this is my “smart guy” photo.
It started with my dad, Chubby. He taught me a ton and made me want to know more. I learned that big concepts can often be expressed in just a few words. Chubby was a master at that.
Over 30+ years, I’ve assembled quite a collection of these nuggets of life. I call them “Chubby Rules,” named after my dad. I thought I would pass on a few of my favorites. Some are my own. Most are what others have said or I’ve read. If you’ve heard them, a reminder can’t hurt. Most of us know what we ought to do. We just need a nudge.
1. You can accomplish anything if you don’t care who gets the credit.
When I was younger I was close to obsessed with wanting others to recognize my efforts, to give me credit for what I had done. When they did, I worked double hard to prove they were right.
2. When you tell others you trust them, they usually bust their butt to prove you are right.
The key is not to just trust others; it’s letting them know.
I hate it when a client, partner or friend says, “Greg, you decide, I trust you will do what’s fair.” What a burden! I would have been fair. Now I have to be unfair — to myself.
Tex, a dear friend, once wrote this reference for me, “I would trust Greg with my wife and my checkbook.” Tex treats everyone that way unless they prove they’re not deserving. It’s a big reason he’s built one of the largest businesses in the nation.
3. I am not that good; I am that prepared.
I’ve learned that in business, law, parenting and life, having a natural “gift” is nice. Knowing your stuff 10X better than them smokes talent most every time.
4. When you look forward to lunch, you need a new job.
My last few years in the real estate business taught me that. I had done it too long. I was burned out. The highlight each day was “where are we going for lunch.”
Fast forward, today. I’ve learned that when you are excited about what you do all day, lunch is just something that just gets in the way.
5. Most people look for a great job. Too few look for a great idea.
No explanation needed.
6. The solution to worrying is to start doing.
Worrying is a worthless exercise. With any problem, the worst thing you can do is to do nothing. Better to choose wrong than choose nothing. At least if you choose wrong, you’re more likely to know what’s right.
7. A problem is a set of facts compounded by emotion.
Clients often don’t need my law knowledge; they need my non-emotional analytical ability. From outside their emotional “forest,” I look at the cold facts, set out their various courses of action and let them choose. They may not like any of the alternatives, but the best one is usually obvious. And, it’s always better than staying lost in the woods.