Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life

by Donald Trump

  What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

  —RALPH WALDO EMERSON

  Each Success Is the Beginning of the Next One

  That thought by Ralph Waldo Emerson has always been an inspiration to me. It gives me energy to keep going full force because I know I still have a lot to accomplish. No matter what I may have achieved—or plan to achieve—I know it’s “a tiny matter” compared to what I am capable of doing.Think about it: How can we be complacent with that kind of thought pattern going on? It would be impossible!

  When I hear people say things like, “It’s impossible to do more!” I always smile to myself and think, “I’ve just started!”—and it’s just a great way to feel. I’d like you to have that feeling, too, because it’s like having stepping stones in all the right places just waiting for you to see them.

  Sometimes it helps to minimize your achievements to yourself so that you will be eager to do more. It’s like saying, “Yeah, that was good, but I’m just getting warmed up” as a way to keep yourself challenged. The best achievers are those who are self-motivated, who are naturally curious, and who don’t need to be told what to do next. Strive to be that kind of person. Entrepreneurs are driven by their own inner forces, and it’s a great way of life as well as a great approach to life.

  What lies within us? Hopefully, a lot of great ideas and plans for the future as well as the innate sense of our ability to achieve them. I think Emerson was alluding to this idea of hope in his statement. It’s important for survival and it’s important for success. Sometimes it is what keeps us going when the odds may not be on our side. Don’t underestimate the power of some of the unseen or intangible forces in your life. Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there. The first person to give you a chance should be yourself.

  So give yourself a chance—every single day. Some people really are their own worst enemy. Don’t fall into that abyss—because that’s really what it is. Ever watched children when they are trying something new? They are excited, they are eager, and they welcome the challenge. That’s an attitude to recapture or to try to emulate. The enthusiasm that discovery provides is a sure way to make sure that everything you are doing is paving the way toward your current as well as future successes. I received a letter from my kindergarten teacher, and she mentioned that what she remembers most clearly about me is that I never stopped asking questions. I wrote back to her and informed her that some things never change—that I still ask a lot of questions. But I said that it had obviously served me well, and I thanked her, belatedly, for her patience many years ago. Every one of my questions was the beginning of the next one.

  So here’s one for you: If you had nothing at all to do, what would you do? And after you did that, what would you do? And after you did that, what would be next on your list? I call that multithinking versus multitasking. Most people have at least a few things they want to do. Sometimes one thing leads to another—that’s a form of discovery. Discovery breeds discovery, as in success breeds success. Quest-ions are thoughts with a quest.

  Can you guess what the quest is? Knowledge. Knowledge is power. That’s one reason you’re reading this essay. No one is born a know-it-all. Wouldn’t that be a little boring? I think it might be. Fortunately, at this time in history, things are moving so quickly that no one has the right to boredom. Just keeping up is the challenge we all have today. I like that challenge, because a challenge equals a success just waiting to happen.

  Let’s end this with a few good questions: What lies behind you? (What are your life experiences and education up to this point?) What lies before you? (What are your goals, your plans, your aspirations?) What lies within you? (Do you have what it takes to succeed? Do you know the full extent of your abilities yet? Do you know what the future holds for you? Do you know how your dreams will evolve?) Let’s admit it—life is full of mystery. That includes your life, which is no tiny matter. So don’t sell yourself short on something that important. Today is just the beginning.

  Learning without thought is labor lost.

  —CONFUCIUS

  There Are Times When You Should Move On

  Sometimes we have to be patient and sometimes we have to get moving. Wisdom is knowing which time is which and when to do what. I know, easier said than done. But we all know when we’ve exhausted certain possibilities—and quite possibly ourselves—in the course of finding out. Wouldn’t it be great to know everything first?

  That could save a lot of time. One way is to train your brain to do some assessing first. Do the “scenario” test: What if I quit this job, what would tomorrow bring? Maybe some adventures, but without a paycheck. What if I stayed in this job? The same old stuff but with a paycheck. What if I thought about a new career? A good plan, because you can stay in your job while you’re working your brain toward something more challenging. Sometimes that will even open up opportunities in your present job. Do the brain work first, asking yourself a lot of questions.

  If, at the end of trying to make your current situation better, it is an obvious dead end, then it’s a good time to move on. Maybe it’s just not a good fit. It’s like a relationship—on paper all the important things seem to add up, but the chemistry just isn’t there to make it work in reality. Jobs can be that way, too. Just as I’ve hired people with terrific credentials only to find out it’s simply not a good match, for them or for me.You have to cut your losses quickly. That’s a good thing to learn if you want to be successful.

  When we hear of extremely successful people, it’s usually safe to assume they’ve had some obstacles or difficulties along the way. There’s a lot of trial and error before something is effortless or polished. Michelangelo said something worth thinking about: “If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” The problem is, we usually only see the end result and not the process.

  There was a guy who was a very successful businessman, but his first passion in life was the piano. He was very dedicated and disciplined, and he achieved a certain virtuosity, but he finally realized he would never be one of the greats. In other words, he knew he would never be a Horowitz or a Gould, and he had very high standards for himself. So he quit the piano and applied himself to business and he became enormously successful. He just knew he should move on, and he did. He remained a musician in his private life and maintained a healthy balance for himself with his interests. He said if he’d remained a pianist, he would have been frustrated. He did a lot of thinking before he made his move, but he knew it was the right decision.

  It’s not always easy to move on—it’s leaving something behind in a way, but sometimes what’s ahead will be better. We’ve got to do things we’re suited for and hopefully that we enjoy. Success is a great feeling, and success should add to your health, not detract from it.

  I sometimes tell people they are not cut out to be entrepreneurs because it’s true. Some people are, and some people aren’t. It will save you a lot of time and hardship if you can figure that out first. As with anything, you have to see how you handle pressure and the risk factor. It’s similar to going through the set of questions we had at the beginning of this essay. Learn to scrutinize yourself and your capabilities, and find the time for some thought-provoking thinking. As Confucius said, “Learning without thought is labor lost.” Don’t let that apply to you. Learn, work, and think in equal proportions, and you’ll be going in the right direction.

  Men are born to succeed, not fail.

  —HENRY DAVID THOREAU

  Keep the Big Picture in Mind

  Sometimes people spend too much time focusing on problems instead of focusing on opportunities.You have to keep the big picture in mind even when minding the details or your vision could become micromanaged in an unnecessary way. I always try to keep two wavelengths going at once, which prevents brain cramps and reminds me that I’m destined for success. How do I know this destiny? Becau
se like Thoreau, I believe we are born to succeed, not to fail. If I can believe it, you can believe it, too.

  Here’s how. First of all, expect problems. Even problems can be turned around to your advantage, and sometimes surprising events can happen. When I had some financial problems back in the 1990s, I remember debating with myself whether or not to attend a black tie dinner at the Waldorf. I certainly didn’t feel like celebrating anything or talking to anyone, but I got dressed, went there, and as it turned out I was seated next to someone I really clicked with—and he was a banker. The chemistry for great things was there, and it was the last thing I had expected to happen. I had been in a negative mindset, but my disciplined side took over, and without any expectations on my part, things took a decidedly better turn just because I showed up.

  Second, you have to remain determined. If you have a big picture in mind, you will need big determination to go with it. The old saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day” is an apt one. There is no easy way—much as I’d like to tell you otherwise. But if you are doing something you love doing, it should not present too much hardship. Most of us are aware of the tremendous difficulties that faced people like Michelangelo and Beethoven, yet they prevailed and they’re still with us centuries later. It helps to know what other people have faced in accomplishing their goals. A lot of times we don’t know how much work is required until we get into something, no matter how much research we’ve done, so fortitude is absolutely necessary.

  Then we come to the unexpected—events that happen that can thoroughly alter our plans, such as earthquakes, wars, natural disasters, and so forth. Here’s when the theory of adaptability comes in. Are you able to remain flexible enough to handle catastrophes? Disasters happen, and they aren’t always foreseen. Suddenly our big picture has a new script attached to it! Well, believe me, you can handle it if you go with the flow and remain determined at the same time. The best thing to remember here is Winston Churchill’s advice to never give up: “Never, never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” We may not be experiencing the blitz, but sometimes when problems start up, it can feel like it. Prepare yourself with strength of character to withstand discouragements as well as disasters.

  People who have endured great hardship often say they survived because they kept some sort of hope going, a vision of the future, despite horrible immediate circumstances. They may not have had a big picture in mind at the time, but they had a semblance of one. Try to emulate their example; it is obviously an effective thought process for survival. Sometimes a dead end can be a new beginning.

  My father used to tell us this story he thought was really funny, although I never thought it was that funny. I think he was trying to tell us something about remaining determined. Anyway, it went like this: A guy loved soda. Just loved soda. So he decided to go into the business and named his product 3-Up. It was a failure. So he started over again and named his new product 4-Up. It, too, failed. So he started again and named his soda 5-Up. Once again, it failed. Once again, he tried again and named his soda 6-Up, and it, too, failed. Well, he decided he’d had it with the soda business, and he gave up. That was the end of my father’s story! As we all knew, 7-Up became a very successful and famous brand of soda. So that must’ve been his message to us: The soda guy simply gave up too soon!

  We’ve had some good examples, from Thoreau to Churchill to my father, so let’s pay attention to them and keep them in mind in the years to come. I think it will do us all good.

  After all is said and done, more is said than done.

  —AESOP

  Get the Best People You Can

  One of the most important things I’ve learned is to watch what people do versus listening to what they say. Sometimes, judging on what I see them doing, I think people have no idea what they’ve talked about. It reminds me of a split personality, with the mouth going one way and everything else going the other way. One big step toward success is to get the two working in tandem. You will also find out that it will save you a lot of time and energy to become solid.

  I’ve said before that every new hire is a gamble because you never know exactly what you’re getting. Some people with great credentials don’t deliver, and some people with not so great credentials turn out to be great. There is simply no guarantee when it comes to people, and watching them in action turns out to be the proving ground. That’s why on The Apprentice, the candidates are told they are entering a job interview that will last for months. It’s a great way to see potential employees in action versus listening to how great they think they are.

  One quality of leadership is knowing your subject. That also extends itself to knowing people. It’s always a good idea to assume the worst, because then you might be pleasantly surprised. I’ve had some solid gold people and some real scoundrels, and somehow it manages to balance out. But my expectations are realistic—not every person is going to be a perfect match. And no matter how much you want to trust people, you still have to be a little paranoid.

  That sounds tough—and it is—but never expect everything or everyone to be easy. To be blunt: We all have to watch out for ourselves. That includes you, and that includes me. It’s best not to trust people too much, because that’s just setting yourself up for some nasty surprises. I graduated from college in 1968, so I’ve had a fair share of experiences with people by now. If I were to tell you they were all great experiences, I’d be lying. I’ve met the gamut of personalities, and some of them had some disorders, to put it nicely. These disorders don’t always surface quickly, so it’s best to protect yourself from them to begin with. Be circumspect, if not paranoid, with people.

  I’ve had people who have worked for me for over twenty-five or thirty years, so you may be wondering why I talk about being paranoid. It’s another way of saying, “don’t take anything for granted.” I don’t take my solid gold employees for granted because they don’t take me for granted either. It’s a two-way street and it works best that way. If you can aim for that, that’s the best way to go. I have evidence that it can happen.

  On the other hand, I’ve had some complete washouts, people who managed to prove themselves to be not only incompetent but untrustworthy. That’s the other side you have to expect from time to time. To think it won’t happen to you is a big take. I have been taken by surprise by certain unexpected behaviors, so now I rein in my expectations, and my equilibrium is the better for it. A leader needs to know about people to remain a leader.

  Most of us have been exposed to the work of Shakespeare, and he spends a great deal of time dwelling on the characteristics of human nature. Some of the examples are extreme, but they aren’t so far-fetched as to be unbelievable, or Shakespeare wouldn’t still be performed today.There’s something about his work that is timeless, and the timelessness comes from his insight into human nature. One of his greatest achievements was King Lear, which is a good lesson in how good intentions don’t always work out for the best, and it becomes a virtual wipeout while showing the complexities of human relations. That’s a dark example, but it’s better to be aware than to be unaware of what the world can be like.

  On the brighter side, I think most people want to be the best they can be. That’s probably one reason you’re reading this right now—you’ve chosen the high road, the path to more knowledge and experience. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy giving speeches and teaching—I can share what I know with people who are really motivated to know more, to do more, and to improve the quality of their minds and lives. It’s a great feeling. I hope you’ll continue to expand your life every day.

  It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.

  —ALBERT EINSTEIN

  Winners See Problems as Just Another Way to Prove Themselves

  Problems are a mind exercise. Problems can be opportunities. If
you put different names on different things, it’s surprising how much that can affect your approach to them. Some people play chess. They see it as a game. It is also an art, a science, and an exercise in problem solving. But they enjoy it and are passionate about it. Bobby Fischer, the famed chess champion, answered when asked about his technique: “I don’t believe in psychology. I believe in good moves.” He also mentioned that he gave 98 percent of his mental energy to chess, whereas others gave only 2 percent. That explains his success. It couldn’t be said—or done—more simply.

  Maybe we’re not all chess champions, but we can still learn a lot about problem solving. There’s the old saying that if you don’t have problems, then you don’t have a job. They come with the territory of any endeavor. So it’s good to know how to deal with the inevitable. If the sun rises and the sun sets, there will be problems to deal with. I know people who see problems as a game to be won. I know people who see problems as burdens. That’s just giving yourself another problem to deal with.

  We’ve all heard people talk about someone who has “a lot of baggage,” meaning they’re carrying around a lot of problems with them. That really isn’t necessary, especially in this age when traveling light is the goal. Try to avoid the gravitational pull of dispensable weight.

  When I was doing the first season of The Apprentice, I had limited knowledge of how shows work, how networks operate, and how shows are rated. Was this a problem? It could have been, but I saw it all as an opportunity to learn something new. I was the new kid on the block, and it could have been daunting, but I decided to go for it. It was like a crash course. Had I known that 95 percent of all new television shows fail, I might have thought twice about it. In that case, what I didn’t know worked for me. I just put all my concentration into what I was doing, and as problems surfaced, I dealt with them. Think how boring it would be to just sail into things and have everything be perfect. You can’t prove your merit on quiet waters, whether you’re a businessman or a mariner.