‘Money Follows Excellence’

02/12/2013 11:09 AM

By Kelsey Budd ’14

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. This simple adage is what helped propelled Bradley’s Executive MBA alumnus Bill Lamb ’03 towards the success he has achieved today.

Lamb, general manager and president of WDRB/WMYO in Louisville, Ky., recently published a book discussing his secrets to success learned in the office and in the classrooms of Bradley.

Called “Money Follows Excellence,” the book argues that managers must ensure the pursuit of excellence always comes first in their organization. Instead of fixating on short-term goals, business leaders should worry about being the best at what they do and developing a positive culture in the workplace.

“I believe now, more than ever, that it is critical to create a positive culture because, for us, it has become a strategic weapon,” Lamb said. “If our strategy is to create an incredible culture, that isn’t something that can be easily duplicated by our competition.”  

Lamb began his career as a disc jockey but quickly advanced in the broadcast industry, working in radio and television sales, sales management and eventually becoming president and general manager for WMBD in Peoria.

With hopes of taking his career to the next to level, Lamb enrolled in the Executive MBA program at Bradley. In the program, he participated in a leadership evaluation and was confident he passed with flying colors. Only later did he discover he fell far short of his own expectations.

Lamb did not, however, grow discouraged. Instead, he used the setback to solicit advice from professors, asking them what he was doing wrong and where he could improve. 

From that point on, Lamb focused on specific concepts and developed skills that would help him cultivate what he thought would be an effective management style. He attributes much of his current success to the material taught in the EMBA program along with the professors who mentored him.

“The only way I can repay my mentors and the people who took their time to teach me and guide me, is to do the same for other people,” Lamb said. “The book became an extension of that.”

Lamb said the biggest reward of writing his book has been receiving positive feedback from people and impacting people’s outlook on how to improve their business.

Lamb said he has dreamed of writing a business book since he was 22 years old, but waited to write one until he had gained enough experience in the working world. He began the writing process by examining the business principles he implemented in Louisville that had made it so successful. Lamb used these key components as the pillars for his book.

Lamb said he raised the expectations at his television station in attempt to shape a better culture. He made various changes to improve communication among the staff and make sure everybody worked toward the same goal. This cultural transition, which is explained in depth in the book, paid off when Lamb’s television station was named “One of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky” by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce two years in a row.

Lamb’s book can be purchased online at Butler Books or Amazon.com.