MARY KAY ASH: More Than a Pink Cadillac (by Jim Underwood)

Jim Underwood, Ph.D., is an award winning author, business professor and strategy and leadership consultant. More Than a Pink Cadillac: Mary Kay Inc.’s 9 Leadership Keys to Success is an important book for all entrepreneurs, large and small. Even since Mary Kay’s death in 2001 her company remains one of the best run and most successful companies in the world. Her business philosophy and strategies have been taught at the prestigious Harvard School of Business.

I joined the company as a consultant in 2000 during a period of recuperation from illness that had taken me from my usual entrepreneurial pursuits. Although Mary Kay was no longer personally attending the Seminars, her presence was and always will be powerful. She began her business from her kitchen table with a passionate dream of making life better for the women in her community. She had $5000. The odds were overwhelmingly stacked against her. Mary Kay Inc. is now a debt-free, multi-billion dollar company in over 30 countries with a sales force of 1.7 million.

For myself, I felt privileged and proud to be on the “team”. It gave me a different perspective on business from where I had been. It showed me that a principle-based business can achieve phenomenal success without ever compromising the values and the mission. Often mistaken for a MLM, this company is, in fact, a solid direct-sales business where all consultants receive equal opportunity and some of the best commissions and incentives of any company in the world. Mary Kay was posthumously named the Most Successful Woman Entrepreneur of the 20th century.

Here are her 9 Leadership Keys to Success (from the book):

Create and Maintain a Common Bond
Create the Future: Think and Act Strategically
Make Me Feel Important
Motivate Others with Recognition and Celebration
Never Leave Your Values
Innovate or Evaporate
God, Family, Career: Foster Balance
Have a Higher Purpose
OK Never Does It: You’ve Got to Be Great!

The Six Virtues of a Great Leader

Humility
Seeking the Best for Others
Expect Excellence
Integrity
Be Impatient with the Status Quo
An Indomitable Spirit

Mary Kay’s guiding philosophy was the Golden Rule. And, P & L stands for more than Profit and Loss. It stands for people and love.

“Your career will blossom with the amount of care and love you send into the lives of others.” Mary Kay Ash

This is a book worth reading whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned entrepreneur and simply one who wishes to become a great leader in all areas of your life.

Love & Peace
Sharon