Eagles pres. reveals secret of his success

Harry Gambel hasn't had a vacation in five years, but you won't hear him complain. He believes it is the dedication that his employees see in him that makes them want to work harder. Dedication is one of the crucial aspects of management that contributes to the creation of a successful organization, Gambel, president of the Philadelphia Eagles, said last night in a speech sponsored by Delta Sigma Pi, the co-ed Wharton business fraternity. "I don't think the answer to over-worked people like me is to hire more managers," Gambel explained. "I think a dictatorship works best . . . maybe that's because I'm the one making the decisions." Gambel said that the organization must have a clear direction in order to achieve superior performance. "You know what is important to [football players] -- don't get me wrong, the money is -- but they talk with a great deal of melancholy about not having played in the Super Bowl," Gambel said. "It's the Holy Grail of football." That desire, Gambel said, will give any organization a shot at success. "If you've got players who want to be the best, who want to be part of a team, then you've got half a chance to get to the Super Bowl," he added. "The same thing is true in business." Gambel cited morale as the critical ingredient of any operation. "Without positive morale, you're not going to make it," he stressed, adding that "every member of the organization is an individual with unique needs and problems. He's got to feel important." Students said they were impressed by Gambel's speech. Wharton junior Judy Hutchison, a Delta Sigma Pi member and secretary/treasurer of Wharton Sports Executives, said she gained "insight into the business aspects of sports and what it takes to run a franchise with the current issues in sports." But some said they were disappointed at the low student turnout for the event. "I had hoped for a larger audience, but I think the people who did come got a lot out of it, and for those who didn't come, it was their loss," said Wharton freshman and Delta Sigma Pi member Courtney McLeod. Jennifer Turner, also a Wharton freshman and Delta Sigma Pi member, agreed, saying, "I don't know anything about football, and I got a lot out of it." Asked what advice he would give an aspiring sports agent, Gambel remarked, "Be a nice guy. Players need capable, qualified representatives. They're not equipped to deal with a guy like me in negotiations."