HERE ARE A FEW LESSONS LEARNED WATCHING BOB BUCKHORN RUN HIS CAMPAIGN:
1. Bob Buckhorn never listened to the naysayers. That’s easier said than done. When you are running for political office, people have no problem telling you to your face “You’re not good enough,” “I’m voting for the other guy,” or “You lost 3 times before; why should I vote for someone who never wins?” In instances like these you must know who you are, what you stand for, and keep moving forward, never giving credence to the critics.
LESSON: Critics will always be around. It’s how you handle the criticism that counts!
2. He stayed on message and never veered off page. When asked questions during debates, Bob had his talking points down to every word. He also had well thought out answers to complicated issues. When he was questioned about his past mistakes, he owned up to them and even used humor to poke fun at them. Being able to admit when he was wrong made him instantly likeable.
LESSON: Consistency is key when trying to articulate your message. Humor, when used appropriately, can help you win over past critics.
3. Bob Buckhorn wasn’t afraid to lose. Here’s what Mayor Buckhorn was quoted as saying in the Tampa Bay Times to a reporter. “I didn’t fear losing, because I’ve felt losing,” he says. “I know what it feels like, and I know it doesn’t kill me. So when you really have no fear of losing, it changes your perspective.”
LESSON: When you no longer fear losing, you can focus on what you need to do in order to achieve your ultimate success.
4. He communicated a vision. When other candidates were communicating a vision for the city, they were often talking about the past, the far-off future, and using political acronyms confusing to the layperson. Mayor Buckhorn was using examples and ideas we could all relate to, as well as explaining acronyms and talking about the near future, making everybody feel that what he was looking to accomplish was easily attainable.
LESSON: Make sure your message is one that people understand and one they can easily envision.
5. He got to know the voters. This might sound basic, but getting to know your clients (in Bob’s case, voters) in a local geographic area is vital. Many politicians go door to door to talk to the voters, but Bob Buckhorn took this to a whole new level. Literally knocking on over 23,000 doors and talking to as many city voters as he could, he shared his vision for the future of our great city and connected with the people who we would be representing.
LESSON: You’re never too big to get to know your customers one on one. In business, people vote with their
dollars. The moment you forget that is the moment you no longer have a business.
6. Bob managed his team directly. All the other candidates had managers running their campaigns. Bob was his own campaign manager with a core group of dedicated volunteers. This squarely put the responsibility of his success on his shoulders. It also allowed him to be more nimble than his opponents, since there was no large chain of command needed to get things done.
LESSON: Being small has its advantages. One of the most crucial advantages is speed of implementation, which can allow you to take market share quicker than others.
7. Even with a shrinking budget, Mayor Buckhorn still finds ways to get things done. Recently, Mayor Buckhorn got TECO Peoples Gas and Tampa Electric to help underwrite a majority of the cost for a downtown lighting project that will help transform the cityscape at night (which eventually brings in more business downtown, which eventually brings in more people, etc., etc.) This creativity is an extension of what helped get him elected as Tampa’s 58th Mayor!
LESSON: The mentality used to win when all odds are against you make for a special kind of leader, as long as you never forget what it took to get there.
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