What sets successful entrepreneurs apart from average entrepreneurs? What is it that makes a real difference? In parenthood, top sport, politics or business for that matter. One of the keys to REAL success has to be drive; having a strong desire for success or achievement. The success story of Zhang Xin is a fantastic example of a person who is changing the world by this important and vital characteristic.
When Zhang Xin was 14, she lived in a firetrap Hong Kong slum and toiled in grimy factories stitching shoes and clothes and assembling toys. She dreamed of getting an office job, learning English, and studying in Britain. Today, at 39, Zhang has done all that — and more. Thanks to hard work, she studied at Sussex University and got a master’s degree in development economics at Cambridge. Then Wall Street beckoned, and she worked as an analyst in New York at ING Barings and Goldman, Sachs & Co
Now Zhang is back in China, pursuing an entirely new career: real estate. Her privately held Beijing company, which pulled in revenues of $405 million last year, is called SOHO China Ltd.
SOHO is an acronym for “small office, home office,” and most of its projects are residential and commercial developments for the upper middle class. The rapid rise in small Internet-based companies gave her and husband an idea for combined living and working spaces.
Zhang became the first non-architect to receive an award at the Venice Biennale, for her “bold personal initiative.”I don’t come from an ivory tower background,” she adds. “In many ways, that makes you much tougher in executing your plans.” As tough as any of China’s up-from-the bottom entrepreneurs.
Check out the continuous dedication and future plans despite the economic downturn:
In a larger sense, Zhang represents the new breed of Chinese entrepreneurs, who were born in China, were educated in the prestigious universities in the west and were trained in business and management in leading American and European companies before returning home. Zhang is forward looking, self confident and business savvy. Most of all Zhang is a calculated risk taker and is ENORMOULSY driven. Zhang is an example of the new dynamos in China’s Economy.
With less ambition or business acumen, Zhang might have well ended up in an office on Wall St. What makes her stand out is her enormous drive to make a difference, her awareness and vision for the coming of age of her homeland. As Zhang puts it:”Revitalizing Beijing’s street culture is my job”
With gratitude for Zhang Xin for setting an example for what is possible.
From high school drop out to multi billionaire..how do you do that? Operating my own business I am very interested in other business leaders and leadership development around the world to see what their philosophy is about achieving massive wealth creation. At an amazing personal development conference that we promote I learned from one of the speaker that anyone can be your teacher as long as you listen. What better to learn and listen from people around you who are achieving huge results right now, here today. Sir Richard Branson needs no introduction…wow..what an amazing leader. I came across the following in his book (“Business stripped bare”) which is just so profound for any type of business. Talking about the simplicity and fanatic dedication that will bring you results. Here it is.
Those business leaders who seek, in interviews and in their writings, to turn their industries into complex puzzles, subtle chess games of one sort of another – these people really, really annoy me. It isn’t enough for them that they’re good business people: they have to be Confucius. To listen to them, you’d think you must be born into an industry to make any headway in it. And this is rarely true unless you are truffle hunting. A basic understanding of the business, gleaned by immersing yourself in every little detail for months or even weeks, is often enough to get you started. The volume of information you’ll need to hack through will be high – so find some friends to help you – but the underlying business model is always fairly simple.
Remember to communicate, and pay attention to detail. You wouldn’t believe how far you can get, just by remembering and practicing those two rules.
In our businesswe train and guide people within an extremely, proven successful business model to make sure that they will succeed. All they need to do is follow the system, nothing else. My observation is that people still are changing a successful formula. The ones that are fanatically dedicated, can communicate and are determined to keep it simple are the winners.
When I met Mr. Jim Cathcart, in Macau/China earlier this year he was talking about: “exceptionalise your business”, which is such an important and valuable statement and I believe not many business owner do. Sir Richard Branson is the prime example of being exceptional in what he does.
So thank you sir Richard Branson for being such a great leader and setting the example of what is possible.
During my visit to Puerto Rico in October last year I had the enormous privilege to listen to one of Mr Yossi Ghinsberg well known “out of the box” educational seminars. It was about the true meaning of an entrepreneurial mindset
In 1981, while traveling in South America; Yossi was separated from his friends and survived (against all odds) three weeks in the midst of the uncharted BolivianAmazon. Nobody in the world thought that he was still alive. This is probably one of the most amazing survival stories ever known. The ultimate in self reliance.
He was born and raised in Israel and served three years in the Israeli navy on the Red Sea where he befriended the Bedouins of the Sinai Desert who greatly influenced him with their wholesome philosophy and nomadic lifestyle. He is a sought after inspirational and motivational speaker and at times seminar-leader to the world’s top corporations and organizations throughout the globe.
Yossi said: “I speak to audiences worldwide usually in corporate environments and one of my favourite themes is ‘think out of the box’”
The box is an all-encompassing place, it is our creed, our religion and we are willing to defend it to our life. It is hard for us to accept that in fact we are all products of conditioned and manipulated environments, that we are detached from our true essence: we are free living beings, here to express ourselves and grow on the abundant planet earth. Instead we cling and won’t let go of what we were taught to believe and accept as truth.
True entrepreneurship does lie in the departure of the ‘Herd’. Being the victim of you circumstances is truly a mindset and at the end of the day a choice. I personally know it is frickin’ hard to think outside the box. Only with consistent awareness of my being and choices I make will I be able to start living outside my boxes. So a huge thank you to Mr Yossi Ghinsberg for that special moment in Puerto Rico and making a difference in the “boxed” world we try to break out of. This to me is true wealth creation.
By the way: Yossi is a yoga practitioner, he does not own a TV and he does not play golf.
With great sadness we share that Jim Rohn, left us December 5, 2009 for a better place. So this blog is a tribute to one the greatest business philosophers the world has ever seen. As per Mr Jim Rohn request: ” your legacy will live on”!!!!
Jim Rohn touched millions of lives over the past 46 years through his seminars, books, articles and CDs. He always stayed long after an event to shake hands, take pictures and sign autographs. I was very fortunate to see him perform in Atlanta and meet him in person on the Gold Coast in Australia. When I think of Mr. Rohn I think of self relianceand building confidence. He loved making a difference in people’s lives that was his passion and inspiration. Yet he was also a private man who kept a small, loyal and caring inner circle. He was a tremendous friend to those who knew him.
For more than 40 years, Jim Rohn honed his craft like a skilled artist—helping people all over the world sculpt life strategies that have expanded their imagination of what is possible and how to achieve success. Those who had the privilege of hearing him speak can attest to the elegance and common sense of his material. It is no coincidence, then, that he is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of our time, and thought of by many as a national treasure. Jim authored countless books and audio and video programs, and helped motivate and shape an entire generation of personal-development trainers and hundreds of executives from America’s top corporations. He taught true entrepreneurship and leadership development from many different angles. A few famous saying from Mr Rohn:
Skills: Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom. Growth: Don’t join an easy crowd. You won’t grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform and achieve are high. Change: We generally change ourselves for one of two reasons: inspiration or desperation. Activity: The few who do are the envy of the many who watch. Success: Success is what you attract by the person you become
So here it is, with gratitude and amazing memories to Mr Jim Rohn…forever thankful for your amazing leadership!!
Paul Mantel –http://www.livelifeco.com
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Having my own home based businessI am always very interested in general business and what the underlying motivation is for someone to step into the business world to ultimately achieve success; whatever the definition of success might be. Whilst reading Richard Branson’s book (“Business stripped bare”; highly recommend it) about entrepreneurship I came across this interesting statement from Dr.Muhammad Yunus that I absolutely love
Dr.Muhammad Yunus is the Nobel Peace Prize winner 2006 and has pioneered an economic system that transformed the lives of millions. Muhammad is a proponent of ‘social businesses. He states:
Ordinary businesses are aimed at making money….there is no consideration of how people benefit; it’s all about making profits. Social business, on the other hand, is all about social benefits, not personal gain. Profits are important to social businesses, which seek to sell products at prices that make it self-sustaining. A social business is not a charity – but profits are not its ultimate goal. When a social business turns a profit, the original investors are repaid, but the rest of the profits stay with the company in order to achieve its long-term social goal of helping the poor.
Being entrepreneurial and involved in a business myself with a deeper purpose is so liberating and profound. I could never be involved in an ordinary business as there is nothing more satisfying then helping other people and making a contribution or change in their lives. Forever grateful to Dr. Yunus for your effective leadership and the business that I am in.
If we talk about high human performances there is probably one word that pops up in my mind and that is self discipline. One of the keys to success has to be discipline – no doubt. I have never seen or heard from a successful person without self discipline. Whether you talk about wealth creation, leadership development, financial success or Olympic gold medal performances, self discipline is one of the pillars of success
What Is Self-Discipline?
Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state.
Imagine what you could accomplish if you could simply get yourself to follow through on your best intentions no matter what. Picture yourself saying to your body, “You’re overweight. Lose 20 pounds.” Without self-discipline that intention won’t become manifest. But with sufficient self-discipline, it’s a done deal. The pinnacle of self-discipline is when you reach the point that when you make a conscious decision; it’s virtually guaranteed you’ll follow through on it.
If we talk about self discipline one name comes up in my head: Lance Armstrong! 7 times winner of one of the toughest races in the world, the tour du France. Below you can watch an amazing footage where Lance is preparing himself, with full self confidence, in the off season of the pro-circuit. Being a fanatic follower of the tour I know that most pro-riders will have a rest period during the time when Lance was in full self discipline, training in winter, in the Alps. Incredible. Please note the weather conditions. Most riders will use this as an excuse to stay at home; I cannot blame them, to be honest. Watch the movie and see for yourself…the ultimate in self discipline..ENJOY!!!
note: listen to Lance when he get told he cannot go any further. I love it!!
Being a parent myself (two young boys) I am very conscious about my behavior and effect on the character shaping of my two little “monkeys”. Being a parent is the best thing in the world. The endless rumbles, playing trying tricks to each other and the endless questions about the happenings from a child’s world perspective is priceless. Very consciously I praise my two boys as much as I can. It really builds confidence in their little minds. After I praise my youngest son (4 years), he often asks me: “are you impressed with me”? How beautiful!
Ray Burke states, “Praise is powerful. Praising your child is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. Praise is nourishment. It helps your child grow emotionally, just as food helps your child grow physically” (Burke, 1997, pg. 51). One could not have summed up what the effects of praise are any better than that. Praise is a method of keeping focus on the positive of any situation. Charles Schaefer’s’ book, How to Influence Children, states that praise is to give a “realistic, positive appraisal of a child’s performance” (pg. 230).
The reason behind giving praise is to build up self confidence, to give a belief of personal satisfaction, with the addition of feeling secure within one’s self (Hurlock, 1978, pg. 311). There is a sense of confidence that one has when one knows that someone has paid attention and has encourage them with a positive response, due to their efforts. Norma Cutts stated that praise makes you radiate “well-being” (Cutts, 1952, pg. 245). So in praising your child it will only encourage them to do well at whatever task they are faced with doing. It creates self reliance which is one of the keys to success no matter what they like to achieve (Burke, R., & Herron, R. (1996). Common Sense Parenting. Nebraska: Boys Town Press).
Anything we do and who we are towards our kids matters. For us, for them and for the next generation. Everything matters!!
Being a real ski ‘bum’ myself I am always super excited when the winter Olympics are coming up. My favorite event is, with no doubt the Alpine skiing (particularly the Downhill). Having skied the famous world cup run in Kitzbuhl myself (not in competition but on my holidays, may I add) I do have some sort of an indication about the level of self confidence and self reliance the top skiers must have in how to succeed when they go down these insane runs.
Alpine skiing has been practiced in the European Alps for at least 150 years. In addition to adapting cross-country techniques to suit their steeper slopes, alpine skiers also found they needed slightly wider skis to go downhill safely, and developed different ways to use their poles and new turning techniques to match the more vertical terrain of the high mountains.
Alpine skiing for both men and women debuted as an Olympic sport in 1936 at Garmisch-Partenkirchen. In 1948, separate downhill and slalom races were added. From that time, super combined was not contested at an Olympic Winter Games until 1988, in Calgary. The giant slalom was added in 1952, and the super-G in 1988.
The downhill event features the longest course and the highest speeds in alpine skiing. Each skier makes a single run down a single course. The fastest time determines the winner.
How to succeed for the Canadian team will probably come down to the right selection as there will be fierce competition within the Canadian team(Guay, Kucera, Hudec and Osborne-Paradis). Maybe this will lead to beating the Austrians. With the retirement of Hermann Maier, the Austrians will have to come up with a bunch of success strategies. And what a super location for the Olympics, having great memories from Whistler myself. I just can’t wait
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT BY STEPPING INTO UNCERTAINTY!!!
Leadership! What a concept. A topic that arises nearly every day. In politics, sport, business, home based businesses and even in the family home. We have big leaders dominating our world but what is true leadership? Often through our business structures people are put in places that gives them power to tell other people what to do. Is this real leadership?
Currently I am reading a book from Deepak Chopra were he talks about seeking certainty and living in uncertainty, in relation to leadership education and becoming successful as a complete human being. Please let me quote: “Leadership education lies in the wisdom of uncertainty. Without uncertainty, life is just the repetition of outworn memories. There is no evolution in that, and when there is no evolution, there is stagnation, entropy and decay. When we experience uncertainty, we’re on the right path, and it’s the fertile ground of pure creativity and freedom”
This is where true leadership is, this is where wealth creation evolves and this is were true leadership development takes place.
Desmond Tutu sums it up so beautifully. Please enjoy this movie that shows leadership from the heart, from pure creativity and freedom born out of the wisdom of uncertainty. Enjoy!!
PERSERVERANCE, PERSISTENCE AND DETERMINATION; THE KEYS TO SUCCESS
Being a business owner myself I am completely absorbed and fascinated with achievingsuccess, not just in business but also in my personal life, with my fitness level and my relation with my family.
At the moment there so many beautiful home based business opportunities available, a real change to completely change you life and create financial success. As with any business it does require self responsibility. Often when people fail I can see them blaming the system while other people are succeeding using the same system. Or the latest trend is to hop from business to business. Unfortunately I have never seen these people become real leaders. So what is it that makes a real difference?
There are so many stories about successful people and what they have achieved, often we are not exposed to the other site of the coin and see what they had to go through to achieve those great things in their lives. Often it is the determination and the “never give up” attitude that will bring you the results. These are the real keys to success. Coming from the top sport world myself I came across this amazing footage from the one and only Michael Jordon. Please enjoy and my message will come clear (please read more below the footage):
Single mindedness, determination, dedication, self-belief and the inability to ever give in are what distinguish people who do great things with their lives from those whose dreams die with them. When you have great perseverance you take into account what others say but you don’t let it rule you. You remain true to your vision. I like to bring forward a little quote I think is so simple, beautiful and relevant to this blog.
“Patience and tenacity of purpose
are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.” Thomas Henry Huxley
