This year the Indy 500 will celebrate 100 years. The event is on May 29th. There's going to be a stamp. There's also a racing analogy that I turn to often in this business: If you're an account person in 2011 one of the best traits to have is that of a race car driver. It's one of the traits that, I believe, separates elite account management from the rest. And I don't mean just going fast.
Running an account is one of the trickiest things in the business. It's supposed to be planned out but everyday is a bit unpredictable. Some assignments require speedy action--getting around the track lightning fast. Others require slowing down in order to successfully make the turns. The magic is a balance: If you're always running agency teams in fifth gear you're going to hit lots of walls, but if you never punch it into overdrive you're going to miss opportunities and lose. One must do both.
Being a race car driver is about leadership. Knowing when to pick up the pace and produce and when to slow down and map out the strategy. Knowing when to do what comes from the gut.