Charlie wanted to be re-membered by history. He wanted to be like any number of his heroes-people noted for overcoming obstacles, for surpassing expectations, for winning great battles, in foreign wars or even in domestic financial conflicts. He was profoundly impressed when executives made their companies' earnings-or, at least, their companies' reported earnings-grow year after year. Stock prices often followed, but even when earnings declined, those executives were rewarded handsomely, even if only for their favoring earnings growth.

He knew that heroes required memorable statements, quotable quotes. So he practiced delivering sage commentaries that he hoped someone would record. He learned to describe the weather as if it were an earthshaking unique event.

In studying corporate, political and military history, Charlie became aware that the people who made history were remembered for their wisdom, their forward thinking and, most important, their achievements.

Hailed as the "Man of the Year," or "Executive of the Year," or "Statesman of the Year" or "Corporate Hero" (or female equivalent), such an individual was featured in print and TV interviews where every cherished word was densely packed with depth of knowledge and profound understanding. Interviewers posed questions that invited these heroic figures to declare their wisdom and hail their own achievements, always behind a cloak of modesty. (Executives declined interviews with reporters who asked embarrassing questions.)

Many listeners and readers felt that the heroes didn't say much worth remembering, but that may have been because those listeners and readers lacked the necessary profundity of understanding.

Because of their stature, these visionaries were appointed to high government posts, usually posts that might influence the welfare of the companies that made them wealthy. They became advisers on national policy, where their advice, only by the sheerest coincidence, heaped greater wealth on the companies that had already rewarded them beyond mere mortal comprehension. This was only fitting for people of such stature.

These people had set themselves great goals and achieved them.

But, then, a surprise: Charlie noticed that they did not always achieve their goals. A general might boldly promise to capture or kill a despised despot. Failing that, he would announce that he had achieved great success in killing some soldiers. The despot was forgotten.

A CEO might drive his company into the ground, but if the board of directors looked on him with favor, they would heap more millions on him.

If an executive promised earnings growth of 20 percent and earnings actually declined, he would declare great success elsewhere, perhaps in consolidating the company's strengths for future growth. Or if it were necessary to increase earnings so as to boost the value of stock that he wanted to sell, an executive would rearrange some numbers on the financial statements to show that a loss was actually a profit. This often required the cooperation of an auditor, whom the executive had hired.

Finally, Charlie discovered the secret of success. Whatever the status, whatever happened, paint a bull's-eye around it and declare that this had been the goal.

http://www.eet.com