Milk or a Manhattan? (Opinion)

Like practically anyone who became a football fan in the 1970s, I liked Roger Staubach.

Even if you didn’t root for Staubach’s Dallas Cowboys, it was hard not to respect him. He let his play do the talking, and carried an All-American image even the most ardent fans of his archrivals had to respect.

Still, my favorite quarterback of that day was Ken Stabler. Staubach was the more accomplished quarterback, but Stabler had a certain edge that piqued my interest.

Maybe it was his uncanny ability to connect on all the deep balls, maybe it was the late-game comebacks. Maybe it was that he looked more like Waylon Jennings than an NFL quarterback, and had an outlaw image to match.

Bottom line, Stabler just seemed more interesting than Staubach. I’ve grown to feel the same way about entrepreneurial types.

There’s just something about entrepreneurs and their successes that’s more interesting than those who scale the corporate ladder rung by rung. I was reminded of that as we put together this issue focusing on entrepreneurs.

Perhaps serendipitously, I also recently read a Fortune magazine Q&A with Southwest Airlines founder Herb Kelleher that stirred my fascination with a more maverick approach to success. Kelleher’s business acumen apparently is matched by his taste for bourbon and cigarettes, among other things.

The 82-year-old entrepreneur-turned-magnate shared a few keys to his success in the piece, including the importance of instilling a simple set of values for guiding a company and treating employees right. He also offered this leadership gem: “Be there when they’re having problems, and stay out of their way when things are going well.”

And that sounds sage whether you’d prefer your quarterback like Stabler or Staubach, your nightcap a Manhattan or warm milk.