My good friend, mentor, and partner, Bill Lee (1943-2021), was a remarkable man. We wrote a great book together that is standing the test of time, Chasing Excellence. I still think about him every day so I thought I would write a two-part series on some of his best materials that never made it to publication. First some background: Bill founded Lee & Associates in 1979 in Orange County, California, and now we have over 70 offices nationwide. We are now one of the top 5 largest commercial brokerage companies in the US. He was not only a great broker, he had a vision…and his vision has blossomed.
One of the things he taught (and gave full credit for the idea to Coach John Wooden) was his pyramid of success. He wrote the first version on a napkin and I loved it so much that I turned it into a graphic (see below) alongside his invaluable tips for achieving success in Commercial Real Estate. I’ve pulled out three of the most important takeaways (in my opinion) from this graphic and expanded on them below.
— Reflect and Adapt: To succeed, you must learn from the past and adjust for the future. This principle is crucial in navigating the evolving Commercial Real Estate landscape today more than ever.
— Delegate Wisely: Assign different tasks to the right people. You can’t do everything alone, which is why I’m so fortunate to have my incredible team at C2.
— Embrace Competition: Foster a competitive spirit within your team. After Bill Lee had retired for a decade, I asked him what he missed the most and he said: the competition. Winning a deal, losing one, and making transactions happen. He LOVED competition.
Bill Lee was truly exceptional, and his absence is deeply felt. However, his legacy endures through the wealth of knowledge and wisdom he left us. Below is just one example. I hope you can share his wisdom with your team and associates.
Click here to view the full-size graphic.
Click here to view the full-size graphic.
