The Sale. Джон Гордон
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top American employers and best places to work. Thousands of people applied to work at Turnbow each year. Matt had always felt destined to work for the family business and never considered other career options.
Matt's older brother, Luke, graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School. Luke and two of his friends started a company called Crypto‐Magic, an innovative blockchain technology. A few years after starting the company, they sold it and made millions. Luke was set for life. Matt had always looked up to his older brother and yearned for the life he had. Recently, Matt had felt bombarded by the steady stream of pictures on social media, highlighting Luke's world travels with his wife and three kids in exotic locations where Matt wished he could take his family. Matt believed that if he could just make more money, he would have the level of flexibility and financial security that his brother had.
When Matt started with Turnbow, his goal was to make millions by his 30th birthday; but now he was 39, his marriage was struggling, he was rarely home, the big sale had eluded him, and he felt like he would never measure up to the picture of success he had created in his mind. To add insult to injury, most of the people he worked with didn't even like being around him. He came across as arrogant, and most people felt that he wasn't willing to talk to them unless he thought they could be useful to him in some way. Many employees in the company rolled their eyes at Matt's behaviors at work and avoided him whenever possible. Because Matt's grandfather was the founder and CEO of Turnbow, no one was willing to call him out or hold him accountable for his actions. Even worse, they believed the only reason Matt still had a job at Turnbow was because he was Jerry's grandson. Matt truly loved his grandpa and was always on his best behavior when he was around him; but around other employees he was a different person.
Matt's fellow employees saw him as an ego‐driven individual who took advantage of others and didn't live up to his commitments. At a recent work event at a local bar, Matt told his team he would pay for their tab. Toward the end of the night, Matt announced that he had to get home to his kids and left without paying the bill, and no one was even surprised. The minute he left, the team seized the opportunity to complain about him and express their mutual disdain. Matt always tended to say one thing but do something else. Although he was competent in his job, his lack of character had seeped into many areas of his life. He fell short of every standard and principle that Turnbow was built on.
Matt knew deep down that things were not okay, but he had no idea how to rectify his situation. He was blind to his own actions and was unaware of the ripple effect his lack of integrity was having on his work team and his family. They all knew that something had to change.
Chapter 2 The Company of the Century
From its humble beginnings, Jerry founded Turnbow Technologies with an intentional set of principles and values. He didn't see employees as a liability on the expense sheet. He saw them as an asset. He didn't just hire people; he invested in them. He encouraged his employees to weigh in and be part of the decision‐making process and found that this led to greater buy‐in and engagement. The more he cared about his people, the more they cared about their jobs and the company. Together they built a culture, a team, and a company that would improve the aviation industry and the world. As the company became successful, Jerry stayed true to his core values and beliefs and didn't waver, despite the company's extensive growth.
As Turnbow gained more recognition, everyone wanted to work for them. They were featured in magazines and on television, and a common theme prevailed—there was something different about this company. Jerry and Turnbow truly wanted what was best for others and didn't just focus on the bottom line. In the early stages of the company's formation, Jerry had to let a number of talented people go—even some close friends—because they lacked a key component that Jerry required of all of his employees; always produce results with integrity. Jerry was willing to take a chance on employees or promote individuals if he knew they had the integrity and character that aligned with the company's values.
Multiple companies in the aviation sales industry made headlines because of sub‐standard parts they supplied to airlines and aviation dealers. These companies took shortcuts, sold inferior products, and failed to perform testing and certification to ensure the airworthiness of the parts. But not Turnbow Technologies. Jerry wasn't someone who chased quick opportunities for money or personal gain. He maintained a long‐term view of where the company was headed, and he believed that if each employee did the right thing with the right values and intentions, Turnbow would grow exponentially over time. He wanted his clients to come back to Turnbow again and again because of their great service and integrity. And they did.
Jerry had a simple philosophy when it came to bringing people onto his management team. He promoted and partnered with people who displayed a great attitude, whom he could trust to do their jobs right. Jerry was known for saying, “You only control two things in this life, your attitude and your effort.”
On a major television talk show, the host said to Jerry, “So, you have created one of the most successful companies in your industry, thousands of people apply each year to work for you, and your company makes a difference in the community and in the world. What is the secret to your success?”
Jerry explained, “Well, at the end of the day, people and integrity come first. When you start a business, you must remember that character counts. While we are an aviation tech company that delivers high‐quality parts and products, we are really in the integrity business.” He took in a confident breath. “Every day, our goal is to deliver results with integrity and have a great time serving others. When you have that kind of daily focus, exceeding the expectations of those you serve, success will come. The reason our company has had success for decades is that we hire great people who truly love their jobs and love the people they serve. We invest in our employees and, in turn, they serve our clients.” The audience broke out in applause. The public image was good.
Matt watched Jerry's television performance from his hotel room. He loved his grandpa and, as a kid, had always wanted to be like him. But as he got older, he often forgot the character lessons he'd learned from him. At times, Matt distanced himself from his brother, grandpa, and other members of his family because he felt inferior to them. He felt he didn't measure up. Matt had the natural talent to be a great leader, but his values and character didn’t fit the company culture that his grandpa had worked so hard to create. Matt dreamed of having a more significant role at Turnbow someday, but everyone, including his grandpa, knew he could not be trusted in a leadership role. If no one wanted to be around him, how could he ever lead others and positively inspire thousands of employees at Turnbow? Matt kept his dream buried inside.
Chapter 3 The Future of Turnbow Technologies
Now in his early 80s, Jerry was regularly being told by his closest friends and advisors that he needed to start thinking about who would replace him as president and CEO when he was ready to retire. Jerry knew that the best thing for Turnbow was to have a succession plan in place, identifying a new CEO who could lead the company for years to come. The industry was evolving at a rapid pace, and cutting‐edge leadership was imperative. Jerry insisted that he would be patient in finding the right person.
Jerry had always hoped that someone in his family would succeed him in running the business. His only child, Bruce, had been a local TV news host for 21 years and had no desire to join the family business. That left his two grandchildren, Luke and Matt. Luke had made all the money he could ever want and loved his life of freedom. He didn't desire the corporate life and was happily raising his kids in Florida.
Matt was his only other option, but Matt was not ready to be a leader. Over the years, Jerry had heard many worrisome stories about him. He loved his grandson and wanted to make sure that he had a good job at Turnbow, but for the sake of the employees and the company at large, Jerry recognized that Matt was not prepared for a leadership role, especially not one as vitally important as CEO.
Jerry gathered his leadership team and formed a search committee for his successor. He was adamant that the search could take as long as necessary to