Here’s something they don’t teach in business schools.
Once you have success, you will be disrespected. You will be unappreciated. You will be taken for granted. If you think gaining a level of success will eliminate that, you are in for a rude surprise.
If you are a true leader, you are going to pour your heart into a certain person, or a group of people. It might be done personally with your time, your content or your community. Someone will come into your world struggling and in desperate need of help. And you will be their beacon of light.
You might provide a system for them to finally gain organization and time freedom. You might provide the solid kick in the pants to finally get them moving. You might provide sage advice through your years of experience that reframes their mind to turn a negative into a positive. Suddenly, this person experiences a shift. Their negative, confused mind all of a sudden has clarity. Instead of doubt, they experience confidence. They no longer spend hours, days and weeks rambling through the crazy cycle going on in their head. They have a goal, they have a dream and they are going after it with precision focus. You did your job and helped guide them towards their success.
At this point, something disappointing might happen.
They become Tommy Gunn.
Wait, you might be asking. Who is that?
Tommy Gunn is a fictional movie character, but the part he plays is a part that many play in real life. Gunn is a young boxer in the film Rocky V, often known as the weakest of all of the Rocky movies. But there is an understated lesson in this movie that is often overlooked.
Gunn was a strong but lost young fighter. He had the potential but little direction. So he seeks out Rocky Balboa, the former heavyweight champion of the world, to see if Rocky could mentor him to become a champion.
Balboa accepts and agrees to train the young fighter.
It’s a match made in heaven. The brute strength of Gunn combined with the seasoned experience of Balboa leads to a dynamic combination. The uncertainty and confusion is gone as Gunn develops the confidence that gives him that needed edge. The boxing world started to take notice after each knockout of the next opponent.
Balboa is thriving as well. Something had been missing from his life after his boxing career ended. He missed the excitement of the ring as well as the competition, but there was something else he got from working with Gunn. He loved that he could use what he had learned to help others. To guide the person that he used to be. He saw so much of himself in Gunn, and he remembered that it was his late manager Mickey who did for him what he was now doing for Gunn. And Balboa always credited Mickey for what he brought to his life.
Now he had the opportunity to do the same for Gunn.
But this didn’t have the storybook ending that Balboa was hoping for.
Instead of feeling appreciation for Balboa for his success, Gunn became arrogant. He started listening to a shady promoter who pushed for a quick payday instead of following Balboa, who wanted Gunn to gain more experience before fighting for the title. Gunn didn’t like that approach as he thought he was leaving money on the table. Gunn unceremoniously left the heartbroken Rocky behind.
Gunn wound up winning the championship but was dismayed when the press gave him little respect because of the way he treated Balboa. The reporters unfavorably compared him to Rocky and Gunn became resentful. Without the wisdom to give it clear thought, Gunn sought validation.
He tracked down his former mentor to challenge him to a fight, which Balboa initially wanted no part of. But after Gunn hit Paulie, Rocky’s brother-in-law- Balboa finally accepted.
The movie ends with Rocky standing over a beaten Tommy Gunn. His body, reputation and future knocked out by his own ego- and Rocky’s fists.
As a leader, you will experience what Rocky went through. You will put your heart and soul into helping your clients or mentees. You will often go above and beyond what they paid you for. You will have guided them towards the success they once dreamed of. The wise ones are grateful. They appreciate what you have brought to them, they will give credit and they will often go from being a mentee to a true friend.
But there are those who act like Tommy Gunn. They were once so desperate for your guidance. But once they reach a level of success, they will discard you. They will forget where you helped get them to. They will feel like they have it all figured out. And they will rarely, if ever, give credit. They become Tommy Gunn.
Having experienced this myself, it was hard in the beginning to not feel resentment. As time went on, I saw it as simply a part of the gig. Eventually, I saw it as a blessing. Because responding, as Tommy Gunn did, reveals character. And if someone’s character allows them to respond in that manner, it’s not something I care to be involved with. That was an evolution that comes from the saying by Bob Beadine which is, ‘go where you are celebrated, not where you are tolerated.’ As a leader, it’s vital to learn this path.
But if you are the mentee, it’s vital that you don’t become Tommy Gunn.
Have an AMAZING day!
Vincent
P.S.- I will be speaking about taking one idea and creating multiple streams of income from it at the Stronger Business Summit in Athens, Georgia this Thursday. If you are in the area and would love to attend, check it out here!
