Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn had the communicators at the IABC conference in San Francisco in June in the palm of his hand, as I mentioned talking about highlights of the conference. He seals the deal with this interview in the The New York Times published August 15. If you haven’t seen it yet, go read it!
One of the comments that captures his down-to-earth personality:
“You’re never as good as they say or as bad as they say. When I was made CEO on June 24, I didn’t wake up that morning smarter. I didn’t wake up with a massive I.Q. expansion.”
I particularly love how he weaves stories into his conversation:
“Let me tell you a quick story that I think will illustrate it the best…” (and it does)
and the enthusiasm he displays:
“I love my gadgets and I’ve got to tell you why.”
which launches into a heartwarming story about virtually watching a basketball game with his sons, which ends:
“The only thing I can’t do is put my arm around them.”
As I said at the conference, he pretty much had us at hello!
Oh, man, how many people are that honest and that down-to-earth? What a tremendous role model for everyone at every level of every organization!
No kidding – and he also had shoutouts to his communications people too!
Hmmmm shoutouts — this means he mentioned them? (and I’m not trying to be cute here — I honestly had never heard it until the last round of elections in the U.S.)
Yes, he gave credit to his communications people for doing a great job, too. From http://www.urbandictionary.com, “positive public acknowledgement of a friend.” Also called “props” for proper respect or recognition. Don’t think either has made it to an official dictionary yet, though!