I was reading Think and Grow Rich (again) and in one of the chapters it talks about a Chicago newspaper that printed in their paper that the brilliant Henry Ford was an “ignorant pacifist.” Ford brought a suit against the paper for libeling him. While in court they put Ford on the stand an proceeded to ask some really ridiculous questions. Ford who finally grew tired of the questioning said, “Why would I clutter my mind with such nonsense when all I have to do is push a button and I can summon to my aid men who can answer any question?” Every person in the courtroom realized what Ford had done with that response. It didn’t come from an ignorant man, but of a man of education. Through the assistance of his Master Mind Group Henry Ford had at his command all the specialized knowledge he needed to enable him to become one of the wealthiest men in America.

Scott Tomer has been the keystone of YTB for quite some time. I’ve watched in amazement as he’s grown, especially in the last several months. The type of pressure and obstacles that have been laid down before him would break many. The strength and calmness I’ve seen and heard in him has been a real lesson in leadership.

I’ve seen people ridicule and scorn Scott for his comments of having only 2 hours of college education. (It was a Monday from what I’ve been told, and the Steelers were playing so it could have been three or for hours if it weren’t for Monday Night Football.) People often question what type of qualifications Scott has to be CEO of his own company, and point to his lack of education to dismiss his title. By Scott’s own admission, being a CEO of a public company has it’s challenges. Many “T’s” need to be crossed, and “I’s” need to be to dotted during daily operations, and being in the public eye, many sit on the sidelines to criticize any decision that’s made. (Easy being a “Monday Morning Quarterback” isn’t it?)

As I’ve watched this company grow I’ve seen many specialists who’ve been hired by the company to help Scott, his father Coach (J. Lloyd Tomer) and Kim Sorensen. Andy Cauthen was one of the first I can remember, and has made a tremendous impact to our company as COO and President. His attention to detail and energy keeps everyone on their toes. Both Gregg Fritsch and David Lash came on board 18 months ago with an expansive background in travel and have been key in the Convergentware upgrade the company is currently experiencing. James Tackett came to YTB with over 20 years of experience producing quality marketing materials for Direct Sales companies that list from A to Z.

If the company isn’t hiring outright, they are outsourcing with industry leaders like Marc Manicini with YTB’s E-Campus training, or bring in supplier specialists with companies like Carnival and Princess to conduct sales events, or form partnerships with MailPound to help promote our product offering.

YTB International’s (YTBLA) most recent addition was publicly announced last evening with a new Co-CEO, Robert Van Patten who came to YTB with 25 years of senior management experience. Robert will oversee many of the administrative, accounting and corporate governance of the company to free Scott up to do what he does best, build. Another piece of the Master Mind Group has been put in place to take YTB to the next level.

There shouldn’t be any mistake that Coach and Scott are Reps at heart. While I realize this makes some cringe, and others even angry because they fear the word “recruiter”, I have my doubts if either Scott or Coach have any concerns on how others perceive the word or the profession. The appointment of Robert Van Patten will not only free Scott up to do what he does best, but put the reigns in the hands of someone who has the experience and temperament to deal the day to day issues of running a publicly traded company.

That’s what good leaders and companies do. They find key poeple and put them in roles that enhance the entire organization. Nobody can be an expert in everything, and those that recognize and accept that someone else could be better suited for certain roles is a great sign of leadership. By bringing in and allowing others to capitalize on their strengths and expertise benefits everyone involved.

There are those who believe that if you want something done right, do it yourself, which is nothing more than ego getting in the way. If you can let go enough to allow others to work in their element, you end up working more in yours, and ultimately end up getting more done. If a company truly wants to grow and expand, core people are needed in the right place to handle the details that suit them best.

Robert Van Patten has been put in place for his specalized knowledge to aid in his area of experitice and contribute to the building and growth of YTB.

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Tags: Bob Van Patten, CEO, Scott Tomer, YTB International, YTBLA

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 at 6:00 am and is filed under Board of Directors, Bob Van Patten, Home Office, Scott Tomer, Upgrades, YTB, YTB News, YTBLA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.