Cash Is King

CHAPTER 8Resiliency

When Bob started at Owens, the company made only electric motors. They had no retail or consumer business. The motors they made ended up in the products of other midsize companies. It was a sleepy yet profitable business. There was one production shift from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Management arrived about 6:30 in the morning and the front offices were empty by 4. Bob, eager to please his leaders, was always first in and last out…but that still meant he was home in time to play with his young kids before dinner.

There were few crises to deal with and there was never a need to take work home. That is, until one of Owens's most important customers discovered a major design flaw in the motors they were buying. Jumping at the chance to prove his worth, Bob volunteered to go to the customer, Worthington Tools, to see what the fuss was all about. That's when Bob met Grant.

The Day Grant Became Bob's Mentor

Grant was 10 years his senior and had just been promoted to Worthington's vice president of product development. Worthington Tools had been around for more than 60 years and had an old‐school business culture. The head office was not connected to a factory like Owens. Instead, it was nestled into a leafy part of town next to a golf course. The offices had wood paneled walls, working fireplaces, and scary‐looking oil portraits of past Worthington executives.

Bob sat for nearly an hour in the reception area waiting on Grant. Finally, he was told to go upstairs to ...