I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Fribourg, a Cincinnati based dude who is wicked smart and whom I had the pleasure of meeting for about 2 hours for lunch. I thought you might enjoy reading what I learned about.
Joe Fribourg is a master. In his early 30’s he is shipped to another country to look into the purchase of Cintas’ next business. He reports directly to the CEO of Cintas and is thrust into reporting data that is above his head! After months and years of pressure, insomnia, worry he finally made a deal that catapulted him into the next parts of his career. His career led him through lots of learnings and experiences that have culminated in sitting across from me at Currito and rattling off concepts that are blowing my mind! Enjoy.
Concepts:
- Up and out vs. Down and In
Up and out is getting your head out of the business and looking to the horizon to see what’s coming, where we are going, etc. assign a couple of specific horizons to consider. End of the month (look here often), next six months (once every month), one year (once every three months). Eventually those broaden.
2. Show up as the owner (Vice President).
This is probably the biggest. If you do this…most of the other points follow. Have an owner mindset even if you’re the number 2, 3, or beyond guy. An owner mindset will affect your thinking drastically!
3. Lead or play with the boys
I have to be more aligned with the leader of the company (Unless a moral or ethical failure) in order to move the company forward, in order to lead. Boys complain, don’t change, and hold the company back.
4. The two things I should be doing with my time:
a. Focus on doing the things only you can do (What can you NOT pass along?)
b. Prepare someone to be doing the things I do (There is always something to pass on!)
***Unlocks finding the next important thing to do to move the company forward.
5. Pass responsibility NOT Accountability
Just because you passed a responsibility doesn’t mean you are done with it. You are still responsible for making sure it happens. Keep the person accountable.
6. Focus on the goal of the task you pass.
Show the person you’re teaching how you do a task. Highlight what the end goal is. This is because the person may change part of the process in a way that they find most convenient. The most important thing is that they consistently get the same result as you.
7. People trust you as you coach and pass new responsibility to them
When coaching properly it’s an opportunity for the other person to trust you. You are teaching them something they don’t know. They will mess up and that’s embarrassing. Choosing to embarrass yourself voluntarily with the person training you is a leap of faith. Thus, an increase in trust.
Dakota Beerman 
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