The Chicago Way (or Sean Connery, Startup Guru)

This is one of my favorite scenes from The Untouchables. In it Sean
Connery’s character, Malone, an experienced street-wise beat cop tells
Kevin Costner’s idealistic Elliot Ness about what it will take to be
successful in winning his war on crime. “And THEN what are you
prepared to do?”

I keep asking myself about this. What am I prepared to do to make my
company successful? Professionally? Personally? Am I prepared that
when someone brings doubt, to come back with passion and focus? When
the competition brings out a new feature, am I going to make sure we
launch a whole new product? Lose a team member to “the next big thing”
and am I going to find someone to help make the team stronger than it
was before? Distractions eliminated or ignored. Challenges overcome.
As Connery’s character says “When they pull a knife, you pull a gun.”

Yes.

I think the minute that you as CEO of any company, startup or
otherwise, can’t say to yourself and everyone around you that you’re
prepared to go “all the way” to lead your company’s success then you
shouldn’t be CEO anymore. There’s no shame in that. You just have to
know what you’re willing to do to make your company successful.

“I’m making you a deal. Do you want this deal?”

Yes.

“Do you know what a blood oath is Mr. Ness?”

Yes.

“Good ’cause you just took one.”