They must know something. They succeeded. I haven't yet. They must possess some secret knowledge, some special wisdom, that if I could only discern and adopt, I will succeed as well.
Only, that isn't really so. There is no one path. No sure way. That may be harder to accept than putting false faith in one person's foolproof system, but there it is.
Some advice is good advice, but not all of it, and very few multi-step systems that will lead to inevitable victory. Life is too complex for that.
There are a plethora of books that purport to show you how to get rich in business. And many of them are written by those who have succeeded. They try to explain and universalize their pathway to the top, and promise if you emulate it, you too will reach their level of success.
Well, maybe. It's certainly true that it is better to work harder than not, but there is little direct correlation between how hard you work and what success you reach. If so, the world would be controlled by coal miners and construction workers. The number of people who have worked very hard all their lives and have little to show for it are legion. And there are many rich people that exist who have put very little effort in their work.
And it's true that being kind and generous to your customers and employees is a very positive thing, and can lead to success, it is no sure thing. You can be too generous and open, and if the financing isn't right, you can end before you fully launch. And there are those who rose to the top primarily by exploiting labor and customers, or have undercut and backstabbed the competition.
The most ridiculous example of trying to emulate business success was a reality competition I watched several years. I should have known better, but there was a time when I was addicted to reality show competitions, and I would try to sample all of them. This one was particularly stupid, as the supposed successful entrepreneur who was judging the competition was a know-nothing blowhard who had gone bankrupt multiple times. His only claim to fame was his ridiculous braggadocio and his fragile membership in the Lucky Sperm Club. His advice was capricious and arbitrary, and changed and contradicted itself from week to week. The man was not qualified to give advice to anyone, and you had to feel like the show's producers knew that, and only had him as the judge of The Apprentice for his comedic value. Otherwise, why put the show in the hands of such a gigantic buffoon?
Rising to the top in the business world depends on too many factors to be summarized by any one book or set of experiences. There are skills and talents and having superior ideas, and how you treat people does count for something. But there is also luck and exploitation and advantages of birth and position.
The same can be said about many other walks of life. I know I am bombarded with writing advice that consumes and often contradicts. It often leaves me paralyzed, unable to write at all, and then I realize, anything you do has to be a mix of the advice you find most helpful, and the light of the own path you blaze yourself.
Success is only a measure of an end result, and can vary depending on what you feel success is. The journey is the most important thing. And you need to take the journey that in a way that makes you feel comfortable and good about yourself, and in a way that improves and helps the lives of others.
Success is not simply a measure of money. It can be valued in other things, as well. A sense of well being, a sense of personal accomplishment, and a sense of what you have done positive for others, are also important measures of success.
Listen to and read about others. Ultimately, though, it's up to you and what is most important to you.
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