When I went to the football game Sunday to watch the Titans play the Buffalo Bills, I had no idea that the owner of my favorite NFL franchise would be giving me the finger:  yeah, literally; not just me, but everyone else in the stadium.  I saw him do it right across the way in his box.  I was overwhelmed, stupefied.  What was he thinking?  Bottom line is, he wasn’t thinking!

So that leaves me to two points on my blog today.

1. You’re only one dumb decision away from having to pay a $250,000 fine for giving your fans the finger! Ouch!
2. Bud Adams learned something about ownership that all the rest of us better know and that is, when you own something you still don’t have the right to do whatever you please, whenever you please, however you please!

Everything; every company, every organization, both profit and non-profit, is held in the public trust. Which basically means that you depend on other people’s good will to survive. Even Bud Adams, the owner and originator of Pro Football has learned that he cannot, with impunity behave in any way he may choose – even if it is emotional, even if it is regretful.

So remember this.  Wherever you work, whatever you do, profit/nonprofit, publicly held, or mom-and-pop business: it is what we think about you, how you serve us, how you make a difference, how you complete something in our lives that will determine whether you will succeed. And in the process of asking us to help you be successful in your product or service, be polite.  Don’t give us the finger.