Success Through Strategic Innocence

“Kaiser fostered the belief that natural and engineering laws did not apply to his organization either. Some of the most often told Kaiser stories involve dicey work on dams where "the boys" triumphed not only over nature but over skeptical engineering "experts." Kaiser described much of his success as "we didn't know enough to know we were licked." 21 This was the success of an innocent. After all, if you do not know what the rules are, they cannot hold you back.”

“Kaiser's abilities in self-promotion would later intertwine with an image of innocence. Part of this image came from the East Coast media, as a way of patronizing a westerner. Part of it had to do with the nature of the contracting business. Not all of the risks were immediately obvious even to an experienced contractor bidding on a job. The unforeseen seemed to be the rule rather than the exception, to the extent that unexpected risks resulted in one of the industry's rules of thumb, as related by a Kaiser associate: "It is an axiom among contractors that you never can get a second job next to the one you are doing. Another and a new man always wins. This is probably due to the original contractor knowing too much of the bad conditions of which the new man knows nothing."”

“Azcárraga knew not only what a few personal remarks meant to certain employees, but how effective they proved if spoken rarely but with emphasis. In the course of some conversation he might comment to an actor that such-and-such new venture was causing problems, or to a sales agent that a certain program was a disaster. He could reveal vulnerable details; he could even sound depressed or say: “I don’t know what I’m going to do.” The employee, flattered to have earned Don Emilio’s trust in a matter about which he knew little, would reiterate absolute confidence in Azcárraga’s leadership. Then the boss would drop a brief but memorable compliment like: “You know what? No one had told me what you’re telling me,” and the result of the brief conversation was the employee’s admiration and loyalty strengthened.”

“Emilio Jr. made other loyal friends among the TSM executives, learning from his father what was required to establish himself as “the boss.” There was, for example, Aurelio Pérez, who came to TSM in 1955 after having been head of production at Channel 4. That year Pérez got married and felt flattered when Emilio, who was seven years younger, agreed to be his best man. When Pérez returned from his honeymoon, Emilio told him that he was aware that, since his father had died, Aurelio now had to support two households, his mother’s and his own. Therefore, Emilio had decided to grant him a raise. Anticipating his employees’ needs and showing them gestures of generosity, in private, was a gift that the young Azcárraga inherited and that he would practice throughout his life.”