This may come as a surprise, but to be successful you must grasp the English language in written form. Obviously for some of you this presents a formidable challenge. Get over it.
Yes, texting may be more convenient and yes, constructing a well thought out, grammatically correct sentence can be challenging, however, there is no better way to identify one's self as an incompetent technical school dropout than through poor writing skills.
Your words are a reflection of who you are. They communicate your professionalism, attention to detail and intellectual capacity. More importantly, your words are the key to your success. For if you cannot write, you cannot succeed.
I, myself, happen to take great pride in my writing abilities. Correct, I take great pride in all that I do, but I find my writing to be elegant and refined, humorous and insightful, informative and intelligent. There are those who maintain that my language is often stuffy and verbose, bloated even. They argue that I too frequently utilize words that are antiquated and obese. They suggest I trim the fat, so to speak.
To them I ask, how much are you worth?
Showing posts with label success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label success. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Ross' Rules
Last week I received the following question which I have paraphrased below.
Mr. Ross,
How have you attained your enormous wealth?
Sincerely,
Mr. Charles B. W. III
I get this question all the time from eager young upstarts and IRS auditors. And while I've told the story thousands of times, the creation tale of G. Glen Ross, as I like to call it, is one I never tire of telling.
Like most children, my youth was one of hard work and intense education. Strict disciplinarians, my mother and father sent me away to an exclusive preparatory school at age four. Alone for the first time in my life, I threw myself into my studies and by age seven had mastered Latin. My gift for languages set me apart from the other students and the faculty took keen interest in my education. Over the course of the next few years I would add Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian and Old English to my repertoire. And while I enjoyed language, it was a simple book report that would change my life forever. For it was in fifth grade when I read the Wealth of Nations for the first time.
A love affair blossomed and I was consumed by economic theory and all her mysterious secrets. While the other boys we're playing lacrosse, I was studying the invisible hand and game theory. I looked at the world in terms of supply and demand and market forces. I started my first business at age eight and by eight and a half performed my first hostile takeover, forcibly usurping a candy distribution operation run by a small wiry boy by the name of Preston. Little did I know that the success of this action would form the backbone of my corporate ethos.
My college years took me to Yale and Harvard, where I studied my craft under some of the most influential minds of the 20th century. After serving as a Lieutenant in Korea, I joined a major accounting firm where I quickly ascended, becoming one of the youngest partner in the firm's history. Building on my successes, I then assumed a directorship at Phillip Morris, which I held through the company's heyday.
And while I made my mark in those positions, it wasn't until the 1970s and 80s that I found true success. Serving in various executive management positions within the defense, oil and banking industries, I was able to parlay my intelligence, personality, determination and impeccable timing into a fortune.
For some, that would have been enough. But, like a mother's love or a father's acceptance, enough didn't equal happiness. So I kept moving forward and upward and my portfolio and number of ex-wives grew larger and larger. I made millions upon millions in telcom, energy and a then little known phenomenon called the World Wide Web.
So, why am I still doing it? Because I don't have to. In fact I never had to. Work, as my friend above said, is for the middle class. They do it because they have to, not because they want to. I, on the other hand, come from wealth and privilege. I've never had to work a day in my life. But I do because I love to.
Why?
Because work is competition in its purest form and for those who thrive in its arena come the spoils of war. It is only then that man is able to know success. And that, my friends, is the key.
Mr. Ross,
How have you attained your enormous wealth?
Sincerely,
Mr. Charles B. W. III
I get this question all the time from eager young upstarts and IRS auditors. And while I've told the story thousands of times, the creation tale of G. Glen Ross, as I like to call it, is one I never tire of telling.
Like most children, my youth was one of hard work and intense education. Strict disciplinarians, my mother and father sent me away to an exclusive preparatory school at age four. Alone for the first time in my life, I threw myself into my studies and by age seven had mastered Latin. My gift for languages set me apart from the other students and the faculty took keen interest in my education. Over the course of the next few years I would add Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian and Old English to my repertoire. And while I enjoyed language, it was a simple book report that would change my life forever. For it was in fifth grade when I read the Wealth of Nations for the first time.
A love affair blossomed and I was consumed by economic theory and all her mysterious secrets. While the other boys we're playing lacrosse, I was studying the invisible hand and game theory. I looked at the world in terms of supply and demand and market forces. I started my first business at age eight and by eight and a half performed my first hostile takeover, forcibly usurping a candy distribution operation run by a small wiry boy by the name of Preston. Little did I know that the success of this action would form the backbone of my corporate ethos.
My college years took me to Yale and Harvard, where I studied my craft under some of the most influential minds of the 20th century. After serving as a Lieutenant in Korea, I joined a major accounting firm where I quickly ascended, becoming one of the youngest partner in the firm's history. Building on my successes, I then assumed a directorship at Phillip Morris, which I held through the company's heyday.
And while I made my mark in those positions, it wasn't until the 1970s and 80s that I found true success. Serving in various executive management positions within the defense, oil and banking industries, I was able to parlay my intelligence, personality, determination and impeccable timing into a fortune.
For some, that would have been enough. But, like a mother's love or a father's acceptance, enough didn't equal happiness. So I kept moving forward and upward and my portfolio and number of ex-wives grew larger and larger. I made millions upon millions in telcom, energy and a then little known phenomenon called the World Wide Web.
So, why am I still doing it? Because I don't have to. In fact I never had to. Work, as my friend above said, is for the middle class. They do it because they have to, not because they want to. I, on the other hand, come from wealth and privilege. I've never had to work a day in my life. But I do because I love to.
Why?
Because work is competition in its purest form and for those who thrive in its arena come the spoils of war. It is only then that man is able to know success. And that, my friends, is the key.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Ross' Rules: Banish Humility
Of all the hateful criticism lobbed my way from jealous competitors and scorned lovers, perhaps the most amusing is that of my perceived arrogance. Arrogance? Are simple statements of fact arrogant? Is awareness of one's own excellence the mark of hubris?
For the failed and failing the answer is yes.
Humility has no place in a successful man's world. Sure, the experts will tell you that such a trait endears one to his co-workers and management team. But I ask you this, do the experts travel to their multiple vacation homes in their luxuriously appointed Gulfstreams or Citations? Unless Southwest has upgraded their fleet, I think we all know the answer to that.
Arrogance has every place in society because arrogance is the body projecting success. And to paraphrase the famous saying, "it is not arrogance if you can back it up." In the gladiatorial arena that is Corporate America, arrogance is the first defense and best offense one has against detraction. In fact, I like to think of it as advertising. And while some might say that humor and emotion are the hallmarks of successful advertising, it is the repetitive loudmouths who are remembered. The humble wallflower may not have enemies, but the only people who know they exist are their families and the secretarial pool.
Humility makes me sick. In my mind the word is synonymous with weakness and failure. Last week I interviewed a VP candidate and when asked what his greatest weakness was, he actually answered, "I tend to overextend myself." I was shocked. Surely he had to have known that the successful have no professional weaknesses. Needless to say, the interview ended shortly thereafter. I believe he now works for his father-in-law.
To accuse the arrogant of being self-absorbed blowhards is to sell its impact short. Arrogance is part of the deception. Success begets success and you must become its magnet. Espousing your success lets the world beneath you know that you are better than they, and alerts the few above you that you are nipping at their heels. And while you may not willingly embrace arrogance, once you become accustomed to its warm bosom, you will never let it go.
For the failed and failing the answer is yes.
Humility has no place in a successful man's world. Sure, the experts will tell you that such a trait endears one to his co-workers and management team. But I ask you this, do the experts travel to their multiple vacation homes in their luxuriously appointed Gulfstreams or Citations? Unless Southwest has upgraded their fleet, I think we all know the answer to that.
Arrogance has every place in society because arrogance is the body projecting success. And to paraphrase the famous saying, "it is not arrogance if you can back it up." In the gladiatorial arena that is Corporate America, arrogance is the first defense and best offense one has against detraction. In fact, I like to think of it as advertising. And while some might say that humor and emotion are the hallmarks of successful advertising, it is the repetitive loudmouths who are remembered. The humble wallflower may not have enemies, but the only people who know they exist are their families and the secretarial pool.
Humility makes me sick. In my mind the word is synonymous with weakness and failure. Last week I interviewed a VP candidate and when asked what his greatest weakness was, he actually answered, "I tend to overextend myself." I was shocked. Surely he had to have known that the successful have no professional weaknesses. Needless to say, the interview ended shortly thereafter. I believe he now works for his father-in-law.
To accuse the arrogant of being self-absorbed blowhards is to sell its impact short. Arrogance is part of the deception. Success begets success and you must become its magnet. Espousing your success lets the world beneath you know that you are better than they, and alerts the few above you that you are nipping at their heels. And while you may not willingly embrace arrogance, once you become accustomed to its warm bosom, you will never let it go.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Ross' Rules: Ride the Winning Horse
By this point, if you have not recognized that G. Glen Ross is a winner, then I question whether you should be reading this in the first place. I appreciate that you may aspire to greatness, but lacking the deductive reasoning skills to surmise, based upon previous journal entries, that yours truly is the Secretariat of the corporate world, I recommend you focus your attention on more attainable goals. Perhaps with a little work and lot of luck, someday you may be a HR manager.
Where was I? Right, I'm a winner. From the moment I kicked Lewis Ralston's butt across the playground, G. Glen's come out on top. I've got a bigger bank account and lower cholesterol count than every other member of my firm's executive team. My second and fourth homes are in neighborhoods so exclusive they don't show up on the tax registers and my executive assistant finished top of his class at Wharton. How many executives do you know that have secretaries with such strong pedigrees? That's right, none.
And while I could continue to list my possessions that top the "world's best," "world's most expensive," "world's most desirable," and "world's most exclusive" lists, I will not. Not because I wish not to bore you or make you envious, rather I simply have not the time or space to list such things.
However, what I will do is impart upon you this bit of wisdom: losers get nowhere. To make it in this world you must be, must work for and must surround yourself with winners. The company you keep, the teams you support and the employers you work for, all must share the common thread of success.
Why? Simple, winners attract success, wealth and beautiful spouses. And as I've stated before, all are essential to a life worth living. Through my career I've been astute enough to attach myself to some of the business world's most intelligent minds and successful companies. More important, I've been prescient enough to jump ship when the tides of success began shifting.
It's called success by association and in the business world it can be your most powerful ally. Success by association has the ability to overcome mediocrity, stupidity and a public university education. Success by association can gloss over race, gender and someday maybe even disability. By riding the coattails of success you will attach your name to the quality required of every executive. And while you'll probably never succeed to my extent, if you remember to surround yourself with winners, someday you'll be one too.
Where was I? Right, I'm a winner. From the moment I kicked Lewis Ralston's butt across the playground, G. Glen's come out on top. I've got a bigger bank account and lower cholesterol count than every other member of my firm's executive team. My second and fourth homes are in neighborhoods so exclusive they don't show up on the tax registers and my executive assistant finished top of his class at Wharton. How many executives do you know that have secretaries with such strong pedigrees? That's right, none.
And while I could continue to list my possessions that top the "world's best," "world's most expensive," "world's most desirable," and "world's most exclusive" lists, I will not. Not because I wish not to bore you or make you envious, rather I simply have not the time or space to list such things.
However, what I will do is impart upon you this bit of wisdom: losers get nowhere. To make it in this world you must be, must work for and must surround yourself with winners. The company you keep, the teams you support and the employers you work for, all must share the common thread of success.
Why? Simple, winners attract success, wealth and beautiful spouses. And as I've stated before, all are essential to a life worth living. Through my career I've been astute enough to attach myself to some of the business world's most intelligent minds and successful companies. More important, I've been prescient enough to jump ship when the tides of success began shifting.
It's called success by association and in the business world it can be your most powerful ally. Success by association has the ability to overcome mediocrity, stupidity and a public university education. Success by association can gloss over race, gender and someday maybe even disability. By riding the coattails of success you will attach your name to the quality required of every executive. And while you'll probably never succeed to my extent, if you remember to surround yourself with winners, someday you'll be one too.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
On the Importance of Listening to Ross
As you recall, Mrs. Ross and I were in West Palm over the weekend. As always, it was a wonderfully luxurious time. One night as we were dining with friends, one of their grandkids asked me why anyone should listen to me. Had it been anyone else, I would have dismissed this insufferable girl's question with no more than a wave of a hand and guffaw. But, because she was the grandchild of my closest friend I answered her question.
"The masses will listen to me because I will tell them to," I said.
"But what makes you think you're so influential," she asked.
Her grandfather, deeply embarrassed by the intoxicated woman's antics moved to silence her, but I told him I took no offense and would answer her question.
"Young woman, they will listen to me because I am intelligent, successful and wealthy beyond measure." I looked at her grandfather and we both smiled gaily. "They will listen to me because they desire to have what I have."
She rolled her eyes and muttered something about the virus of wealth and the importance of living a life serving the greater good. I told her not to fear, that she would shed the naïveté of youth over time and perhaps make something of herself.
But you're not naive, are you? You'll listen to me and this is why:
1) I am smarter than you. Have you attended Yale, Harvard and Princeton? I think not, otherwise you would not be in your current position.
2) I am wealthier than you. Do you own your own jet? Do you have a fleet of vintage sailboats? Can you afford to send your wife to the best plastic surgeons money can buy? Of course not. But, you want to.
3) I am more successful than you. Obviously.
4) I wrote the book on corporate warfare. I am the living embodiment of the "Art of War" and can show you the way. Pathos is thy enemy, logos our savior.
5) I have the power that you can barely imagine in your wildest daydreams.
In life, we rarely have the opportunity to learn from those so far beyond our stations. This is your opportunity to suck at the teat of 45 years of hard work and experience. Listen up.
"The masses will listen to me because I will tell them to," I said.
"But what makes you think you're so influential," she asked.
Her grandfather, deeply embarrassed by the intoxicated woman's antics moved to silence her, but I told him I took no offense and would answer her question.
"Young woman, they will listen to me because I am intelligent, successful and wealthy beyond measure." I looked at her grandfather and we both smiled gaily. "They will listen to me because they desire to have what I have."
She rolled her eyes and muttered something about the virus of wealth and the importance of living a life serving the greater good. I told her not to fear, that she would shed the naïveté of youth over time and perhaps make something of herself.
But you're not naive, are you? You'll listen to me and this is why:
1) I am smarter than you. Have you attended Yale, Harvard and Princeton? I think not, otherwise you would not be in your current position.
2) I am wealthier than you. Do you own your own jet? Do you have a fleet of vintage sailboats? Can you afford to send your wife to the best plastic surgeons money can buy? Of course not. But, you want to.
3) I am more successful than you. Obviously.
4) I wrote the book on corporate warfare. I am the living embodiment of the "Art of War" and can show you the way. Pathos is thy enemy, logos our savior.
5) I have the power that you can barely imagine in your wildest daydreams.
In life, we rarely have the opportunity to learn from those so far beyond our stations. This is your opportunity to suck at the teat of 45 years of hard work and experience. Listen up.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Ross On Power
Years ago, an acquaintance of mine asked me to be a guest lecturer for a class he taught at The Wharton School of Business. Now, I normally try not to help any university other than Harvard, let alone one outside of the Ivy League (personal prejudices preclude Penn's inclusion), but seeing as this was an acquaintance I acquiesced. Of course I must admit my motives transcended friendship, as it so happened that the dean of the school held a seat on the board of my employer.
What the lecture was about is lost to time, I don't recall, nor is it important. However, there is one detail that I shall never forget and that was the question posed to me by one of the students: How does it feel to have so much power?
I looked at the eager sycophant, obviously an intelligent young man, and said, "Take the finest Cuban cigar you've ever had the pleasure of smoking, the smoothest single malt to ever grace your lips and the finest woman you've ever enjoyed. You could multiply that pleasure by one hundred and still not come close to replicating the feeling."
I gave that lecture over twenty years ago, yet I'll never for get the look in that lad's face as my wisdom took hold. I kept tabs on him as he ventured forth with his career, and after he achieved the success and power he sought, I called him and asked him the very question he asked of me so long ago. His reply? "Power illuminates the soul, Mr. Ross."
Sadly, shortly thereafter the energy company he worked for collapsed and he was arrested for fraud. But, at least he got to taste that which eludes so many.
Will it elude you?
What the lecture was about is lost to time, I don't recall, nor is it important. However, there is one detail that I shall never forget and that was the question posed to me by one of the students: How does it feel to have so much power?
I looked at the eager sycophant, obviously an intelligent young man, and said, "Take the finest Cuban cigar you've ever had the pleasure of smoking, the smoothest single malt to ever grace your lips and the finest woman you've ever enjoyed. You could multiply that pleasure by one hundred and still not come close to replicating the feeling."
I gave that lecture over twenty years ago, yet I'll never for get the look in that lad's face as my wisdom took hold. I kept tabs on him as he ventured forth with his career, and after he achieved the success and power he sought, I called him and asked him the very question he asked of me so long ago. His reply? "Power illuminates the soul, Mr. Ross."
Sadly, shortly thereafter the energy company he worked for collapsed and he was arrested for fraud. But, at least he got to taste that which eludes so many.
Will it elude you?
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Whatever It Takes
As we head into yet another election and are bombarded with the naive hopes and ideals that the left so ignorantly clings to, I can't help but think of that most famous of phrases spoken by our 35th President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Now it's not often I disagree with a fellow Harvard man, but I can think of no more silly of a proclamation than, "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Such nonsense might win elections and inspire hope among a nation, but will it take you swiftly up the corporate ladder? Only if you work in a non-profit.
But, Mr. Ross, I don't want to be poor, you say. You want the corner office, chauferred Cadillac, beach home and blonde bombshell on the side? Well I got news for you: Corporate America is a beautiful place, but it ain't no kindergarten. You think the corner office will just open her supple, sweet doors for you? Not a chance, sonny. To make it, you got to want it and hard work alone won't take you there. You're going to have to get dirty. You're going to have to do whatever it takes. And I'm going to show you how.
But, Mr. Ross, I don't want to be poor, you say. You want the corner office, chauferred Cadillac, beach home and blonde bombshell on the side? Well I got news for you: Corporate America is a beautiful place, but it ain't no kindergarten. You think the corner office will just open her supple, sweet doors for you? Not a chance, sonny. To make it, you got to want it and hard work alone won't take you there. You're going to have to get dirty. You're going to have to do whatever it takes. And I'm going to show you how.
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