From the course: Leadership Stories: 5-Minute Lessons in Leading People

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From the course: Leadership Stories: 5-Minute Lessons in Leading People

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No excuses

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- Near the end of Bob McDonald's career, he was the CEO of Proctor & Gamble, and later served as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the Obama Administration. But, in 1971 he was a first year cadet at West Point. And along with all the traditional hazing first year's go through, Bob learned pretty quickly there were only four acceptable answers when addressed by a superior officer. Yes sir, no sir, I don't understand sir, and no excuse, sir. And as Bob explains it, imagine I've shined my shoes and my trousers are pressed and I go out into formation. Well, while I'm in line there, one of my classmates runs past and steps in a puddle and splashes mud all over my shoes and trousers. Well then an upperclassman walks by and notices, and he gets up in my face and yells, "McDonald, why are you in formation with mud "all over your shoes and trousers?" Well, as a West Point cadet, I go through all the four possible answers in my head. I could say, yes sir, but that would just restate the…

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