1. They know their "competence circle"
In the investment legend Warren Buffett's article "Getting there", he explained the importance of knowing his own strengths and weaknesses. Every acquisition decision depends on it, and he knows very well that knowing which areas to avoid is as important as knowing what to focus on and pursue. He also quoted thomas watson, the founder of IBM, as saying, "I am not a genius, but I am good at finding my place and staying where I should be."
Buffett explained: "My brain is not a universal brain that can operate efficiently under any conditions. There are many things that I am not good at, and there are many investment opportunities that I don't understand. I can understand some simple businesses, but I can't understand the more difficult ones. Coca-Cola, for example, is not too complicated. This product is reliable for a long time and spread all over the world. I will try to find companies that I can master, and there are admirable managers and companies whose prices make me feel promising in the future economic development. "
John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of Patron Spirits and Johns Paul Mitchell Systems, suggested, "Do what you are best at, and then find someone else to make up for your shortcomings. For example, I am not good at dealing with details, especially accounting, so I will ask an accountant to help me. This allows me to focus on what I am good at and be more efficient. "
None of these successful people interviewed in my book are all-rounders, but they have achieved amazing success by focusing on what they are good at.
2. They control their passion
You must have heard of this before-and most of them have good reasons! The road to success seems destined to be steep, but if you love what you are doing enough, these inevitable setbacks will make you thrive and stimulate your potential step by step. This project I have done proves that if you do something just for money, or "you think you should do it"-the results are mostly not much better.
Craig Venter, a world-famous scientist (the first person to discover the human gene sequence), said: "Too many people are pushed away by the' system', they don't know what they want to do, and their careers are not chosen by themselves. If you have no passion for your work, it is difficult for you to succeed. You can show off and do what you are asked to do. You may do well in your work, but it's not a real success. Success comes from enthusiasm for one thing. "
Hans Zimmer, a world-famous composer, joked in his Getting there: "Every time I have any legal or health problems, I will ask my band ... their parents force them to be half lawyers and half doctors!"
Their career paths are changeable.
Everyone I interviewed has proved that you don't need to plan your career too much. It is important to keep your eyes open, discover new opportunities and accept new opportunities.
Craig newmark, the founder of the classified website Craigslist, started his career by accident while pursuing social goals.
Michael Bloomberg initially wanted to start his own company only after he was fired by salomon brothers, so he owned Bloomberg Information Company.
Gillian Michel's health care empire was also established after she was fired as a talent agent.
Les Munvis, president of CBS, wanted to act at first, but finally found that standing at the other end of the camera made him happier.
Monvis said: "Sometimes, things will come at you. If you can't change lanes in time, you will probably miss the opportunity ... I switched from acting to writing and found it wonderful. Soon, I made another change. I found a job in TV for the first time and became the chain development director of Columbia Film and Television. "
They will create opportunities for themselves.
Of all the successful people I interviewed, no one stood in the same place waiting for others to know Pearl. It would be great if you could get appreciation by waiting in place, but unfortunately the world has never followed this routine. If you want something important, you must find a way to make it come true.
For example, anderson cooper wants to be a foreign correspondent, but he can't even apply for a job in the mainstream media. Finally, he became a fact checker of TV 1 Channel (a channel specially serving schools).
Cooper soon realized that when you are engaged in a certain job, people will habitually regard you as the role you play in the work-sometimes, you have to take some drastic actions to change people's views on you. So he quit his job, borrowed a friend's camera and began to shoot his own story abroad. With a daily living allowance of $5, Cooper shoots as many interesting and thrilling videos as possible and then sells them to Chanel No.1 at an irresistible price. It was this bold move that finally made him realize his dream.
Cooper explained: "If I ask the producers of radio station 1 if they support me to shoot war videos abroad, they will probably sayno." . It's always easier to say no than to say no, and they probably won't take any responsibility for me. So I didn't ask their opinion at all. Every time I am particularly eager to do something, I won't ask others for advice or permission. That will only ruin my plan. "
Questioning everything
All these successful people will not blindly follow the crowd. They will think independently and know clearly that just because something is always done in some form does not mean that this is the best solution, or that other methods will not work.
For example, in the mid-1970s, Gary Hirs Berg found that people were changing the production of food, and the situation was getting worse. We feed animals with hormones and antibiotics, spray pesticides and toxic pesticides on the land, and use chemical fertilizers. No one really knows what these changes mean for children's growth. )
Hesburgh began to promote organic food. At that time, most people didn't even know what the word meant. He soon co-founded Ishihara Farm, an organic yogurt company. Hirs Berg recalled, "Our yogurt will be a little more expensive than inorganic yogurt. When I try to persuade retailers to adopt our products, they will ask,' Does organic mean there is something dirty in it?' Our products are difficult to be accepted by shops. "
Ishihara Farm earned its first pot of gold in nine years, but now it is the largest organic yogurt company in the world-all major producers in the food field have launched organic food production lines.
Hilberg said: "It may be terrible to challenge traditional wisdom, but almost all major changes begin with someone asking,' Why don't you change your mind?' There is no doubt that there is no gain. "
6. They won't give in to the fear of failure.
All my interviewees know that trying new things is an indispensable key to growth. If you are not willing to take risks, you will never get anything. Therefore, they regard failure as part of the process. Just like kathy ireland, an entrepreneurial tycoon from a supermodel, once pointed out simply: "If you have never failed, it means that you have never tried your best."
After years of failed entrepreneurship (from breweries to skin care series to some art projects), Ireland finally launched its own brand-Kathy Universal Ireland. Today, the market value of this enterprise has reached US$ 2 billion, with more than 65,438+05,000 products.
Fitness expert Gilian michaels put it this way: "No one wants to experience vulnerability, but the fact is that the depth, happiness and success you can perceive in life mostly depend on your perception of vulnerability. If you didn't ask for a date, you probably wouldn't be embarrassed to "refuse", but you'll never have a chance to fall in love. If you are afraid to apply for a job, you will never get a demanding position. If you have never started a business, you will never become an entrepreneur of your dreams. "
7. They have super adaptability.
Every interviewee has faced failure countless times, but they finally succeeded, because after being knocked down, they can stand up again and fight back hard; Or they will learn from their failure and try again. The point is, they will force themselves to move forward.
Writer Jeff Kinney spent eight years writing his first novel, Diary of a Cowardly Child, but it was rejected by many publishers. Until abrams finally decided to give him a chance, now, the publication of Diary of a Coward Boy has exceeded 1 654,38+0,500,000, not to mention movies.
John Paul DeJoria was fired, living in a car every day, living on only $2.50. But he kept trying, and finally established the John Paul Mitchell system and patron spirit.
Frank Gehry was on the verge of bankruptcy several times after establishing his own construction service company, which laid a solid foundation.
Matthew weiner, the screenwriter of Mad Men, had a good chance to travel around Hollywood with the script, but he ran into a wall everywhere. It was not until seven years later that the TV series finally made it to the screen.