Ray Zinn: Hello, Rob. Good to be with you.

Rob Artigo: Today we’re talking a little bit about something other than business, although it relates to business in many ways. It’s deeper and more troubling if you think about it. Why is there so much hatred in the world right now? Is it simply human nature, or is there more to it? And what can leaders do about it? So let’s start there. Is hatred part of human nature?

Ray Zinn: Well, it depends upon which side of the fence you’re on. So hatred comes from being selfish. And so I think that selfishness, by some degree, is human nature. I mean, when a baby is born and they get it to cry. In other words, they spank its bottom or whatever they do to get… Because it makes them breathe more deeply. When a baby’s hungry, it cries, and it’s very irritating. You could say from that standpoint, crying is a part of hatred, as you would, because we’re expressing our dislike or our need for something.

Ray Zinn Cont: So again, hatred is really built around the characteristic of being selfish. And so you could say that selfishness is part of our nature. We look out for ourselves, and that’s the problem of focusing on ourselves rather than focusing outward. And so hatred revolves around, you’re upsetting me. You’re doing things that I don’t want you to do because it’s affecting me, and I’m more important than you. And that’s the problem with hatred is it’s very egocentric, very self-centered, and it revolves around your needs rather than the needs of other people. So when you show you’re more interested in them than you are in yourself, that’s looking outward. It’s when you think that you’re more important than someone else, that’s looking inward.

And so the problem that we’re facing in the world today is there’s a perceived difference in our feelings about each other, depending upon what political party you belong to. We have to quit throwing stones. As they say, people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. And we all have glass houses. We all have pitfalls and areas that we should improve and we should be aware that we’re not the only ones with issues or concerns. And we got to quit throwing stones, period. If we stop throwing stones, then nobody’s going to get their house broken.

So that’s the first thing. Quit all this bashing. I know that they talk about athletics, they talk about bashing the other team. I don’t know why that’s a feeling of making that team stronger or better or whatever, but it’s really not necessary. The athletic events that I’m most interested in are the ones that they don’t bash. Gymnastics is one that tends to not have a lot of bashing. Games like, oh, let’s see, trying to think of some others where they’re not doing a lot of… Race cars. There’s not very much bashing there.

It seems to be the ones where there’s one-on-one conflict, the battle. In gymnastics, you’re not really battling, you’re just performing. But in tennis, there’s a battle. Soccer, there’s a battle. Football, there’s a battle. Baseball, there’s a battle. Basketball, there’s a battle. So the ones that don’t seem to be you’re performing… Golf is another one that’s less contentious. And so you’re not really battling, you’re just performing. It’s the athletic events that are where you’re more of a performer than you are a battler tend to have less bashing.

So we have to quit looking at each other as we’re battling. We’re performing. That’s good. So perform. Be a performer. Show your capability by what you’ve done. Not that you’re beating somebody or you’re overtaking someone, but that you’re actually accomplishing something. Whether you’re a book author or a singer, or you’re a dancer, or you’re a good mother or a good father, a good student, that doesn’t require a battle. That just requires performing. So let’s go to being a performer, whether you’re a politician or you’re an athlete. Be a performer. Track and field is another one I should say that that’s more a performance as opposed to a battle. I’m saying the way we overcome hatred or we minimize it is just be a performer. Perform it. Show us your capability by what you’ve accomplished, not how much you can beat up someone else.

Rob Artigo: I think of being accomplished is better than being a conqueror. And I think that’s what I’m hearing from you. What turns that natural tendency in humanity into widespread hatred we see in society, politics, and even work places. What turns that? What’s the turning point? I think that might be what we’re referring to right here is changing your own mindset.

Ray Zinn: Quit throwing stones. Just perform. Just go do your job. As I said, people live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. We got to quit throwing rocks at each other.

Rob Artigo: Is there a difference between healthy disagreement and hatred?

Ray Zinn: Yes. I ran a semiconductor company for 37 years. I loved my competitors. I didn’t hate them. They were strong, very arduous competitors, but they didn’t throw stones. At least the ones that I competed against. They just performed. They just showed that they had a better product than I had or I showed I had a better product than they had. But I didn’t hate them at all. Actually, I need a good competitor because that strengthens my products. I become better if my competitors become better. So same thing as a political party. Each party should be better at what they’re doing, and that strengthens each of the parties. Be a performer, not a battler. That’s why I should say.

Rob Artigo: Yeah. For our listeners who are entrepreneurs, executives who are just trying to lead their families through this climate, from what I’m hearing from you, Ray, is start with not throwing stones.

Ray Zinn: Exactly. Quit throwing stones. Stop the rhetoric. Stop the bashing. That doesn’t serve any purpose.

Rob Artigo: Well, Ray, thanks. I know that our listeners, they come in, they tune in here because you have a powerful perspective. Obviously good advice. So grab a copy, listeners, Tough Things First book and also The Essential Leader. Visit toughthingsfirst.com for more episodes, the blogs. ZinnStarter Mentoring Program is delineated there. Talked about, discussed. Drop your thoughts on this topic in the comments. And remember, do the tough things first, right, Ray?

Ray Zinn: Absolutely. Just a real side comment. It made me feel good when my competitors had said, “Micrel’s a great company.” That made me feel better about saying, “And so is Linear Technology,” or Maxim, or my other competitors. I said, “These guys have great products.” And I wasn’t afraid to say something good about my competitor. And so I wasn’t a battler. I was a performer. I congratulated them on their performance. If we look at an athletic event and the performers give each other a hug and congratulate them on their win, to me, that’s the way it should be in a good competitive environment.

Rob Artigo: Being a gracious winner in that sense.

Ray Zinn: Right.

Rob Artigo: Thanks again, Ray.

Ray Zinn: Thank you.