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Great Speaking Vol. 2 Number 10b
Speaking Leadership Skills from a Man Who Came to America
in a Dung Filled Cattle Boat
Alert Tom if you are getting duplicates
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GREAT SPEAKING
Special Memorial Issue
July 7, 2000
Publisher: Tom Antion tom@Antion.com
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(C) Anchor Publishing 2000
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IN THIS ISSUE
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Leadership Tips from My Dad
Sam Antion, Sr. March 27, 1907 - July 2, 2000
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I've been bragging about my dad ever since 1973 when I did
my graduation speech. I've even done professional speeches
about one of the techniques he used to make me tough when
I was just a baby (see below). Until I was preparing his
eulogy this past week, I have never actually written down
all the leadership skills he taught me. As I was working
on them, I thought that they would be a good example that
anyone could use both in their life and from the platform.
I only saw dad speak in public once and that was at his
50th wedding anniversary, but I witnessed the leadership
skills listed below, my whole life.
Here's Dad's Memorial Top 10 List
Leadership skill # 1
BUILD IT STRONG
Dad would always build things more sturdy than they needed
to be so that he would never have to worry when an
extraordinary force was applied. He knew that whatever he
built would stand up to the test. This applied to both
character traits and real hammer and nail construction.
In fact, without his insistence on this leadership trait,
I would not be here today.
When I was 16 years old a drunk driver doing nearly
100 mph (161 kph) ran his car off the road smashing it into
the corner of our living room. I was the only one in the room
when it exploded around me. Had this been a normally built
house the car would have burst thru the wall and killed me.
Leadership skill # 2
DON'T TAKE SHORT CUTS
Dad was an electrician by trade. When doing his wiring he
would always route the flat wires he worked with in a nice
symmetrical and evenly spaced pattern. He would never just
cut across the shortest distance to save wire and make his
costs a little cheaper. I remember as a child watching him
and asking him why he did this when it would be a lot shorter
to just run the wires directly between two points. He said,
"When someone looks at this job years from now they will
know that a professional did it and also, if they ever
have trouble, they will be able to track down the problem
easier because I did a nice neat job."
I can't remember dad ever being out of work one day in my
whole life. When everyone else was laid-off, he was always
in demand.
Leadership skill # 3
DON'T WASTE THINGS OR PEOPLE
Think a rock isn't worth much? Read on. At the age of 73
dad was purchasing some used lumber that someone had
advertised in the paper. When he went to pick it up he saw
a large number of boulders in the front yard of the place
where he bought the lumber. He asked what they were going
to do with the boulders. The man said, "I just want to get
them out of here." Dad spent two weeks hauling them back to
our house and another two months cutting them up with a
chisel and a hammer. He then built a beautiful stone
fireplace and chimney for one of our rental properties.
Also, I can't tell you the number of nails I removed from
used lumber that dad made me straighten and use over again.
I still do it to this day. A bent nail with a little help
can be very useful again. Sometimes people also need a
little help to do the job they were meant to do.
Leadership skill # 4
BE SELF RELIANT
Working as a team is great, but when the team isn't there
you just don't sit down and wait for help. Dad built pretty
much every building and rental property we own. I remember
being so busy with football and other activities that I
didn't get to help him too much (I probably would have slowed
him down anyway). One day while he was working on remodeling
one of our buildings he asked me to go to the automotive
parts store to get him about 20 feet of clear gas line tubing
and several bottles of Coca Cola. I wondered what he was up
to because he never drank Coke and our car was working fine.
I came back with the tubing and the Coke and stood back and
watched as he did his thing. He plugged one end of the tubing
and started pouring Coke in the other end (I was sure he had
lost his mind after spending three months building the
chimney). He said, "When you boys aren't around it's hard
for me to make things level because I can't be at both ends
of these long 2x4s. So I'm going to nail one end of this
tubing on one end of where I'm working and take the other
end of the tubing with me to the other end of the board.
He knew from his physics studies that liquids seek their
own level. He could see through the clear tubing to the
Coca Cola inside. The level of the Coke on one end of the
tubing would be exactly the same level as at the other end
of the tubing and that's where he would nail his board and
it was always perfectly level.
Leadership skill # 5
STUDY
Dad only went to the 5th grade and that was after skipping
two grades, so he really only had three years of formal
education. At ten years old (the oldest boy with father
deceased) he was head of his household and shining shoes
to support the family. He saved part of his tips and ordered
an electrical engineering course from the American School.
At 13 he had his own electrical contracting company and
installed the first electric light in Carnegie PA. He also
bought his younger sister the first electric washing tub
in Bridgeville, PA
He would read, read, and read some more every time he
wanted to learn how to do something. When he retired around
the age of 73 he sat down and read the ENTIRE World Book
Encyclopedia. Now that's a lot of reading! Still at 94 and
being legally blind he listened to hours and hours of
biographies and books on tape, and newspapers on tape
provided by the Library of Congress for blind people. He
knew more about current events than anyone. If you want to
learn how to do something, study and try it out until you
get it right.
Leadership skill #6
YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WORK
FOR IT
This was the 1910 version of "Just do it." I don't want you
to think I wasn't given tons of things by my parents,
because I was. But the most valuable thing was that I was
conditioned from a very young age that the world didn't
"owe" me a living. I had to earn it. I got a serious work
ethic that I will always carry with me. If I want something,
I go after it. I won't step on people to get what ever it is,
and I won't cheat or steal, but I will work until I get it
or don't want it anymore.
This would be a foreign language to many of today's youth.
Leadership skill #7
GIVE BEFORE YOU GET
During the depression work was more than scarce . . . more
like non existent. Even my dad was out of work. He told me
that he said to himself, "I'm a really valuable worker and
I'm not going to sit around here and do nothing when there
is work out there to be done." He knew there was a fruit
shipping warehouse not too far from where he lived so he
went down to the loading docks dressed for work and just
started helping the men load apples. Eventually the
foreman noticed him and asked the other guys who he was.
They said they didn't know but that he just started loading
apples. In fact, he was doing the work of three men. The
foreman was so impressed he hired him on the spot and he
hired several of my dad's cousins who were willing to
prove themselves first.
Not realizing I was being influenced by my dad, I used to
do the same thing when my landlord in college would work
on our house. I would go out and help him just to learn how
to fix things. This same landlord gave me the biggest
financial break of my young career when he guaranteed the
financing and sold me his largest rental property when he
retired to Florida and I hadn't even graduated from college
yet.
Leadership skill #8
YOU CAN OVERCOME OBSTACLES
This is one of my favorites. I have a visual that I use
in a segment of a program called "You are Unstoppable."
The visual depicts a baby crawling on cushions with a red
ball on the other side of the cushions.
http://www.antion.com/baby.htm Dad told me that he would
put my toys on one side of the room and put pillows in
front of me to teach me to overcome obstacles. Anyone that
knows me sees all the time that I'll figure a way to get
something done if it is worthwhile getting done.
Knowing that you can't be held back no matter what happens
to you is a very powerful feeling to have inside. It gives
you an unbridled confidence. Both my parents aligned to
make me feel this way. Most of you don't know this about me,
but 14 years ago I lost everything and was totally broke,
sleeping on a mattress in a vacant house, injured and unable
to walk, and living off credit cards. The powerful feeling
burned inside of me to overcome this obstacle which I did
by coming up with an idea for a unique entertainment company
that in turn helped launch my speaking career.
Leadership skill # 9
STICK BY YOUR SPOUSE
Well I haven't had much chance to try this one out yet, but
when I do get the chance . . . I will. :) My dad stuck by
my mother even when, as a know-it-all teenager, I knew she
was clearly wrong. Maybe that's why they made it 57 +
years. (I'll have more to say on this one if I ever get
some real life experience. hahahaaha)
Leadership skill # 10
RISK EVERYTHING FOR SOMETHING REALLY WORTHWHILE
Did you ever wonder why many people don't achieve their
goals? Could it be because they were never really willing
to commit fully to them? . . . They always gave themselves
easy outs so if the going got tough they could bail out
easily. Around 1946 with a house full of kids and more on
the way Dad took every nickel he had, went 50 miles out of
the city and bought 156 acres of land, a bull dozer and
enough fuel to run it. He did not want his kids being
raised in the filthy air and tough streets of Pittsburgh, PA.
He built a truck stop and motel and eventually warehouses,
rental cottages and our house on National Route 40 one mile
east of Claysville, PA His work can still be seen there today.
All the kids grew up healthy and strong and not one ever
got into any trouble (except the time I ran away from home
and ate grass soup and hotdogs for two hours before I gave
up and returned home)
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Well even though Dad was only on stage once that I know of,
his leadership principles are influencing tens of thousands
of people through me and because of all the people he
touched over the years. I spent the 4th of July this week
at the funeral home viewing which, to be honest, I thought
was going to be a pretty barren site . . . .especially at
his age because all his friends had died off. . . . I
couldn't believe it. . . . People were everywhere. People
that I'd never seen before or even heard of were telling
me stories of when they were down and out 60 or even 70
years ago, my dad was the one that helped them, or gave
them a chance, or encouraged them.
I just about fell on the floor when some one told me that
around 1923 my dad took on the responsibility for an
entire family of kids who had an old drunk for a father.
Dad worked all week for 50 cents to buy a big sack of
potatoes to feed six kids and himself for the week. I was
told that Dad taught the boys of the family trades so they
could go out and find work and that these people thought
the sun rose and set on my Dad. I had never heard a word
about them before my Dad's viewing on July 4th of this year. . .
. Oh one more lesson that maybe I didn't learn too well
from Dad . . .don't boast . . . just do good things.
WHAT'S THIS GOT TO DO WITH GREAT SPEAKING TOM?
Well, I'm hoping if you read this far that you saw some
value in my Dad's leadership teachings. I'm hoping that
when you take the stage that you walk up there as a good
example for the many people you will touch in your career.
My Dad didn't have the stage in the conventional sense
like we do every time we speak. He "lived" the stage. In
fact, he "was" the stage that good leadership stands on.
Your living example both on the stage and off will be what
ultimately makes you a "Great Speaker." I can teach you
the techniques, but you must provide the good example 24
hours a day / seven days a week. . . . not just when you
are on the platform.
Thanks Dad
Love
Your little "Heapy"
SPEAKERS: Feel free to use any of the examples you see in
this issue of "Great Speaking." Even if you just substitute
the term "this old man I heard of" for Sam Antion, that's
OK. His leadership legacy will live on.
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