Good Advice from Great Leaders

A lot of people, such as most entrepreneurs, use daily affirmations as a way to boost self-esteem and invite the positives. But these quotes by the most successful entrepreneurs could do more than just ease your everyday life, as they hold some of the secrets these businessmen live by in order to reach even higher feats. People who aspire to chart their own course, have self-employed jobs, become their own bosses, and explore areas that may be new to the masses need guiding stars to show the way, and to eliminate some rookie mistakes thousands have made before you. These quotes and their lifestyle are a compass that can ease a young entrepreneur’s journey, and help them reach higher feats even faster than the people they follow.

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“Play by the rules, but be ferocious” – Phil Knight

The man that brought you “Just Do It”, has a few more one-liners up his sleeve that can motivate young aspiring entrepreneurs. There are plenty of sayings that lead us to break the rules in order to lead a happy life, but Knight encourages all entrepreneurs and businessmen to protect fair competition by adhering to them. Rules are there to level the playing field, and to protect people. But the manner in which we play within them must be led by passion and motivation.

“Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming” – Richard Branson

While this is easy to say as an airline giant, Branson’s words speak true to the smallest of startups as well. People must be ready to change the biggest pillars of their companies when needed, and sometimes the best ideas need to wait. Or in some cases, the best ideas prove to be mediocre when tried and tested. But where there is a will, there is a way, and even if a door isn’t fully open, there’s always an opportunity for those looking for one. Simply put, the environment in which one creates the foundations for business ebbs and flows, but the true sharks of the economy are never passive.

“Every problem is a gift; without problems, we would not grow” – Anthony Robbins

Anthony Robbins is known for a lot of things, and one is his untamable spirit. And while he has a lot of words that people live their everyday lives by, this one rings true for all aspiring business owners looking for their break. The ride to the top will be filled with conflicts, issues, and friction. Even the top isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. But without an opposing force, growth is impossible. Lean into the negatives, roll with the punches, and always remain two steps ahead of the curve.

“There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas, what’s missing is the will to execute them” – Seth Godin

As we gain a deeper insight into the lives of our idols and the most successful entrepreneurs of all time, it has become clear; all of them are people with some decent ideas and exceptional will. Most of these people aren’t made special because of their ideas. What makes them great is their attitude, charisma, and discipline. Great businessmen are never passive. The greatest sharks in the sea die if they stop doing what they’re good at. Having an idea, realizing its potential, and actually materializing it is something only the greats can do. But this is something you can learn, and something you can master.

“If you look closely, most overnight successes took a long time” – Steve Jobs

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When we start our mid-twenties, most of us have an epiphany somewhere along the way. It sounds something like this: “Two years ago I was here, and then I did this, and I lived through that, and I happened to do this, and then a little of that, and now I’m here, and it all went by so fast!” We only see success once we’ve reached our destination. And what seems like an overnight success, truly are years of hard work – sometimes decades. When you build the foundation of a future, it’s like planting a seed. The roots become the invisible force that holds up the tree that the masses will ultimately see and admire. These invisible roots and the hard work that allowed them to grow and spread are much like the years spent brewing an “overnight success”.

“Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it” – William Durant

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, clouded by seemingly everything, the best thing we can do is the “next right thing”. There is only the here and the now, and building a startup, you’ll begin to see more and more situations where you need to make sudden changes, and quick decisions that you can’t mull over. All entrepreneurs have that point where they realize that they have to let some things loose, because most things just can’t be calculated, and tied to the past or the future.

“I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity” – Oprah Winfrey

A lot of successful people admit that sometimes luck just seems like the outcome of their own foundation. Opportunities are rare, and if someone’s not prepared to grab them, they’ll miss out on “luck”. There needs to be a constant foundation and preparation solely for taking advantage of opportunities that might come. Putting together these, preparation and lucky opportunities, is what makes luck and fortune.

The words of these sharks of the world ring true in both business affairs and our personal lives. The attitude in which we live our days establishes what we create actively. This can reflect our family, our house, or our business. And while nothing is free when it comes to building an empire, there are some crumbs left over by the giants that can help us reach our goals faster, and with our sanity somewhat intact.