Steven L. Good's take on real estate is slightly different than most. The chairman and CEO of Sheldon Good & Company International, a Chicago-based real estate auction group, traveled to The Citadel to lead the second installment of this spring's Leaders on Leadership Program, and set out to not only reveal his profession, but to tell MBA students the ethical value inherent in his work.
Good, an attorney whose work in Washington D.C. has included stints with the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Attorney, has been involved in the sale of more than $4 billion in real estate. He has been vital in the expansion of Sheldon Good & Company, which is ranked the largest firm in the country conducting real estate auctions. Good recently penned his first book, "Churches, Jails, And Gold Mines: Mega-Deals from a Real Estate Maverick," which describes his company's rise to its current stature.
Sheldon Good was started in the early 1980s with 20 people. It has now become a borderless company, Good said, which has been a key to its success. How did it get there? He said it was through identifying a niche, identifying clients to fill that niche, and expanding geography and asset classes. While doing this, it was integral that the company maintained a high level of performance.
"In a service business," Good said, "You are only as good as your last deal."
Good said his company has excelled at listening to clients, many of whom represent some of the brightest minds in the world. Through these clients and partnership opportunities, Sheldon Good was able to grow from a family business to a partnership. Even through the transition, one thing the company has done to ensure success is develop career paths for its employees and cultivate a team culture. There has also been a sense of collaboration whereby, instead of competing with some competitors, Good said the company has collaborated with them.
Through his 45 minute talk, Good provided several comments that tied together his thoughts on ethics and success: "You can't do a good deal with a bad guy;" "The papers are only as good as the guy behind them;" and "We all get by with a little help from our friends."
Before parting with the students of The Citadel's MBA program, Good offered one last insight into success: "If you have a clear vision, share your vision, and it will come back amplified."
Good is a member of The Citadel School of Business Advisory Board.
The Leaders on Leadership Forum is held each spring and fall, and features talks aimed at MBA students in The Citadel's School of Business Administration regarding leadership and ethics.
