Years ago, I travelled quite a bit for work. I would find myself in cities large and small and, because it was someone else's money, I would stay at nicer hotels than I do now that I have to pay for it myself.

Another indulgence when travelling was that I would get an ice cream sundae every night. Sure, it wasn't good for my figure, but I sure like ice cream.

One time I was at a show at the Moscone Center and staying at the San Francisco Hilton. On my way back to the hotel, I figured I'd stop at the diner in the hotel and take a sundae back to my room.

What followed was a very interesting conversation. When I told them I wanted it to go so that I could take it to my room, the hostess denied me service because it was the job of the room service union to let me eat in my room. The union she was apart of couldn't serve me.

I was so taken aback that I questioned her more. I even tried to get my sundae by saying, "Ok, then I won't take it to my room." To which she replied, "But now that I know you are taking it to your room, I can't give it to you."

I was really shocked and I must have looked it because she followed up by saying, "We just can't do someone else's job. It wouldn't be right. You wouldn't want someone to do your job, would you?"

I had just come from a show where I was doing everyone's job and everyone was doing mine. We didn't have the option to wait for someone else to do it.

When I went to the concierge to complain, the attitude was, "Well, yeah, that's how it goes."

In battle when the boots hit the ground, the best laid plans go out the window. Imagine if the soldiers all threw up their arms at that point and said, "Sorry, it's not my job!"

When people start a new business, what would happen if the owner simply said, "No, I don't think I'll call that upset customer because that's sales' responsibility?"

The best leaders in history were never afraid to get their hands dirty. They never worried if it was someone else's job to get done. They only worried that the job got done. If someone else didn't step up, they stepped up.

All my life, I've taken the attitude that it is my job. If I don't do it then I assume it won't get done. I try to instill that attitude in my employees and I am proud to say that they tend to do a great job. If they all waited until someone did their job instead of making sure things got done I can't possibly imagine how our business would grow. If our business doesn't grow then their profit sharing check would be much smaller than it should be.

It's always your job. If something doesn't get done, it's your fault. Don't wait for anyone else.

Oh, by the way, that was the last time I stayed at the San Francisco Hilton.