A few years ago, Mick Mixon was our guest during a Business Class interview. At the time, he was color commentator for football and basketball games for the University of North Carolina. Now he is the Voice of the Carolina Panthers.

It was close to Father’s Day and so we talked about lessons he had learned from his father that had shaped his career. Here is one of them.

He said his Dad emphasized the importance of work. So Mick spent his early years doing everything from babysitting to working at Roses, Western Auto, Iveys, Chapel Hill Tennis Club, Finley Golf Course and WCHL.

The first year that Mick made $1000, his Dad sent away for the proper tax forms. Mick was 14 at the time. The forms came, Mick filled them out and his Dad checked for accuracy. At school a few days later, Mick asked one of his buddies what he put down for the value of his bicycle. The friend had no clue what Mick was talking about.

From a very early age, Mick’s dad taught him the value of work, the importance of saving money, living below your means, overall fiduciary responsibility. All highly beneficial business skills.

I often hear people complain, “Why won’t they take responsibility?!

Forrest Mixon taught Mick Mixon to take responsibility by giving him responsibility – lots of it!

So – for those of us in management positions asking, “Why won’t they take responsibility?”
Maybe we should ask ourselves, “Why aren’t we giving it?”
Or if we think we’ are giving it, might be worth it to ask ourselves, “How, when and in what ways are we taking it back?”

copyright 2009 – Jan Bolick, Business Class Inc