The article’s title caught my eye: “How to
get ahead, from the horses’ mouths.” Its
author, Harvey Mackay, a prominent businessman and columnist, is a man intimately
familiar with financial success; I hoped to pick up a few ideas.
The entire article consisted of quotations from
the top brass of some of America’s largest public corporations. From Warren Buffet, chief executive Berkshire
Hathaway: “Follow your passions. Find
something you love.” Keith Wandell,
former CEO Harley-Davidson: “Stay true to your values and principles.” Meg Witman, CEO Hewlett Packard: “Be clear
what matters most. And what matters most
is your family.” Mary Barra, CEO General
Motors: “Do something you love. If you
are doing something you are passionate about, you are just naturally going to
succeed.” John Gainor, CEO International Dairy Queen: “You need to treat every
employee no different than how you want to be treated.” Ginni
Rometty, CEO IBM: “Never define yourself as a product. If you do, you will lose sight of who your
customer is.”
And so the verbiage poured out. Arguably, it may have been inspirational, but
not one insightful word on how to get
ahead. Of course, considering the
source, this is as expected. Exactly how
corporate executives successfully politick their way into the top echelon is
not something many would care to divulge.
And, understandably, when they become a part of the ruling hierarchy,
they and their fellow cohorts-in-possession get
ahead by systematically draining off the company’s assets with relative
impunity. The simple fact is the principal
reason public corporations exist is so their officers and directors can draw
benefits from them.
Now, if you really want advice on how to get
ahead, here are a few tips directly from the horse: (1) Most of what life is
all about is simply attending to the details.
(2) The heart of every sound investment is a clearly predictable cash
flow. (3) Beware of gratuities, for
nothing of value comes without a price.
(4) Half of success in life is just showing up on time. (5) Hope for the best and prepare for the
worst.
Let me add a final thought. Never forget that 95% of everything is
nonsense. Much of what passes as
conventional practices and procedures borders on the insane. Try to live your life in the rational 5% and
you’ll find things tend to go your way.
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