Long time ago, I got a call from a CEO, says, “Wow, that worked like a champ. Thanks.”

I had no idea what he was talking about, so we chatted. Apparently, he had had a problem and I had told him to look at something on The Musings of the Big Red Car website, he did, he applied it, and it worked. Problem solved. Bravo!

Then, I asked him the money question, “Do you know WHY that worked?” 

Painful, awkward, ask-Dad-to-marry-his-daughter-style silence ensued.

“CEO, do you know WHY that worked?”

Hey, you have to know WHY stuff works to be able to really learn from the experience.

As it turned out in this particular situation, the CEO and I were able to discuss it and he got to the WHY — rather easily as it turns out.

He calls me this week and says, “OK, I used the WHY to do something related, but different. The logic worked like a champ.”

When you know WHY stuff works, you can apply that logic to disparate, but similar things. If you don’t know the WHY, stop, analyze it, learn. Great CEOs know the WHY.

Know the WHY.

Trust me on this one.

But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car. Be good to somebody who needs it, including yourself. Do you know why I want you to do that?