Is it the Hat, or the Boots?

Yesterday afternoon I was privileged to tour one of my customer's ranching and cattle feeding operation. What struck me about it was the simplicity of the operation and the sophistication of the operator. Every part of their organization was designed for functionality. There weren't any frills. There was no show. It was just efficient and effective.

I think that is where a lot of folks miss the boat. They're more worried about what other people think than about doing their job the best it can possibly be done. In the cattle business that's sometimes referred to as "all hat and no cattle." What that means is that they talk big, they put on a show and they want you to think they are really something when in reality it is empty. There's really not much there. Most of the successful folks that I know are the other way. On the surface there's nothing that really distinguishes them from the crowd except possibly a slight air of confidence. If you dig deeply though, you find a lifestyle of success that is evidenced in results, not show. They are the folks that in this business it can be said, "have a little cow manure on their boots."