Many of those who have succeeded , were first willing to fail .
In this generation , probably no one person exemplified being a visionary more than Steve Jobs . Steve Jobs was a college dropout who went on to co-found Apple Inc ., and had an uncanny ability to envision many of the products his customers wanted - without direct consumer input .
While not an electronic engineer or programmer himself , Jobs was able to assemble teams of talented individuals to build the things he imagined . Under Jobs ’ leadership , Apple developed popular consumer products such as the Apple II , several versions of Macintosh computers , the iPod , iPad , and iPhone . Jobs also played a key role in the development of Pixar Studios , which was eventually acquired by Disney Studios for over $ 7 billion dollars .
2 . STAY Focused
The second most important tycoon trait needed in order to succeed is the ability to stay focused . Being focused involves the ability to set aside all other distractions . If we prioritize what needs to be done , set aside distractions and put the appropriate time and effort into our work , we can achieve the best results in the shortest time .
Many people think of Bill Gates as an example of how to succeed in business . Gates attributes his success to his ability to put in deep , ‘ distraction-free ’ work until he achieves his goals . The persistent hours Gates spent programming and writing code while at Harvard led to the founding of Microsoft . Gates has now redirected his focus toward finding solutions for global problems through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation .
3 . BE open-minded
Open-mindedness is probably the most difficult of the four tycoon traits to acquire in your quest for success . Hardly anyone would confess to being close-minded , yet many people don ’ t really understand what “ open-mindedness ” truly means . To many , it simply means open to new ideas , willing to consider new approaches , listening to suggestions and / or able to accept constructive criticism . In part , this might be true , but according to Anthony K . Tjan , CEO and Founder of Cue Ball , a Venture Capital Group , being open-minded is also about being more ‘ self-aware ’ of your limitations and weaknesses so that you can constantly improve yourself .
If open-mindedness requires ‘ self-awareness ’ and being self-aware means knowing your limitations & weaknesses , then for many , true “ open-mindedness ” may be beyond our grasp . Why ? Well , it is said that you must experience failure in order to initially determine and / or define your “ limits ”.
If you ask any athlete or motocross rider , they ’ ll tell you to pursue a series of progressive goals , each more ambitious than the previous . However , many of us lack the courage to venture beyond our level of comfort or experience . We fear that once outside our ‘ comfort-zone ’ we ’ re vulnerable , and we ’ re correct . However , this is exactly how we are most likely to become self-aware of our ‘ weaknesses ’. In fact , it ’ s those weaknesses that lead us to establish our limitations . After all , limits are usually defined as the ultimate point of failure .
Ironically , failure is the corner-stone in building for success ! It ’ s what separates the Tycoons from the Try-foons . Only through failure can we truly discover if we ’ re ‘ open-minded ’, for it is ‘ open-mindedness ’ that gives rise to optimism and hope . They in turn fuel perseverance and that , combined with a healthy dose of humility and ‘ self-awareness ’, is what ultimately empowers us to achieve and appreciate success !
4 . Be a Risk-taker
The final of the four tycoon traits that people need to be a success is a willingness to take risks . People go to great lengths to avoid taking risks in business due to the cost associated with failure . But many of those who have succeeded , were first willing to fail . In fact , many successful tycoons say there is no true success without failure .
Amazon ’ s Founder & CEO , Jeff Bezos knows firsthand the importance of risk taking . He recently told a group of students at the Bezos Center for Innovation ; “ Without a willingness to fail , you cannot innovate because most innovations won ’ t work .” Bezos doesn ’ t stress over shortterm consequences if something fails . In fact , Amazon ’ s CEO continues to take risks despite the fact that Amazon has lost billions of dollars in failed experiments . That ’ s because Jeff knows that gains from one success can greatly outweigh the losses of many failures . Bezos ’ risk-taking has certainly paid off , as he recently surpassed Warren Buffet to become the third wealthiest man in the world .
These four are not an exhaustive list of the traits you need to be successful in business , but considering some of the most successful tycoons in American history share these traits , you might want to consider adopting them in your own pursuit of The American Dream .
HOT RUSSIAN BRIDES ® - MEN ’ S LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE 15