In 2019, we lost an incredible entrepreneur in America, and one of my personal heroes, T. Boone Pickens, who passed away at the age of 91.
Boone was an amazing oilman, entrepreneur, and really amazing public-minded servant of the people, who gave away most of the fortune that he managed to make, which was at least 10 figures.
I think he also left behind a message to the world about what he had learned in his long and amazing life. And some of that message was about the success habits that he had as an entrepreneur and a businessman. And I think they're incredibly worth sharing. And I'd like to just share them with you because I know that I can't summarize Boone as well as T. Boone did himself.
Here's what he said.
"A good work ethic is critical. Don't think competition is bad, but play by the rules. I love to compete and win. I never wanted the other guy to do badly–I just wanted to do a little better than he did.
Learn to analyze well. Assess risks and the prospective rewards and keep it simple. Be willing to make decisions; that's the most important quality of a good leader. Avoid the Ready, aim, aim, aim, aim syndrome. You have to be willing to fire.
Learn from mistakes. That's not just a cliché. I sure made my share. Remember the doors that smashed your fingers the first time, and be more careful next time.
Be humble. I always believe the higher a monkey climbs in the tree the more people below can see his ass. You don't have to be that monkey.
Don't look to the government to solve your problems. The strength of this country is its people.
Stay fit. You don't want to get old and feel bad. You also get a lot more accomplished and feel better yourself if you stay fit. I didn't make it to 91 by neglecting my health.
Embrace change. All the older people are generally threatened by change. Young people love me because I embrace change rather than running from it. Change creates opportunity.
Have faith both in spiritual matters, and in humanity, and in yourself, that faith will see you through the dark times."
Great wisdom from T. Boone Pickens, I'm going to work on that, and I hope you will too.