I recently had the opportunity to interview Shaesby Scott. He’s one of the few interviewees who I know personally. He’s one of the people I was thinking of originally when I conceived the idea of my book. Those people you know that get what they want but do it with authenticity and integrity. That are accomplished but incredibly grounded. That are passionate and are full of life but not hedonistic.
Shaesby’s originally from Louisiana. While always in touch with his artistic tendencies, his focus in his late 20’s was his job in Brazil in the finance department of a family oil business. And then over time he realized that jewelry design captured his passion for artistic expression, business and sculpture. He soon started Shaesby Jewelry and within a few years was supplying the most prestigious jewelry retailers in the U.S. And through this incredible journey, the most noticeable thing about Shaesby always is his focus on his family.
Anyway, we covered a lot of things in our interview. At one point, I started to unearth a major quality of life driver for Shaesby which is the value of emotional intelligence in getting what you want. He gave me an example. In his understated manner rather than tell me some examples of his excelling in this arena, he shared a scenario where he was falling short. While it may not be the most serious application of emotional intelligence in Shaesby’s life, it was a very telling exchange:
I would say that I have gotten better over time at reading situations and anticipating outcomes. This helps me be more effective. I’m still improving; let me give you an example. Recently I gave permission to this construction company to have access to one of our lots to help them access an adjacent lot. Since then, trucks have been wreaking havoc on my lot. I got all pissed off and was telling my friend how disrespectful that was, making a mess of our lot, after I was so cool with them etc.. His response was great. He simply said, “Dude, what did you expect?” Work in process…
Clearly the most successful executives across industry have this attribute. To get things done and effect change at a high level, successful leaders try to think several moves ahead. They know their “audience” and will tailor their communication and approach to situations based on a consideration of what drives the people involved. As a result, they not only advance their interests successfully but simultaneously minimize waste of their most precious commodity, time.
On a personal basis, in taking the time to understand human nature and to think a little bit before jumping in to deal with high stake situations, people like Shaesby have a more harmonious and productive journey in life. It allows one to avoid missteps that leads to unnecessary stress, repair, and use of time. And most important, it helps one get what they want through anticipating human behaviors and acting accordingly.