Great Thinker Napoleon Hill

In 1883, in a one room cabin on the Pound River in Wise County, Virginia, Napoleon Hill made his entrance into the world. Not much is known about his early childhood, but we do know that his mother passed away in 1893 when Napoleon was only ten years of age. At the age of twelve, his father remarried, and young Napoleon was reported to be quite the little rebel. It must have served him well, however, because at the tender age of thirtee he began his writing career as a mountain reporter for small town newspapers.

Thus began a career that would span decades and make him one of America's most beloved motivational and self-help authors. It didn't happen overnight, however, and in order to achieve his success he had to overcome great disadvantages and pressures, not the least of which was probably the mind set that tends to accompany the abject poverty to which he was born.

He used his writing skills to finance his way through law school, and it happened that he drew an assignment to write a series of success stories about famous men. As luck would have it, he was asked to interview steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, and it was that event upon which the rest of his life pivoted.

Mr. Carnegie commissioned the still youthful Napoleon Hill to interview over 500 millionaires and to distill the wisdom gathered by this research into a success formula that could be used by the common man. Napoleon dedicated the next 25 years of his life to this task. Many of the names of men he interviewed are quite well known now, as their inventions and achievements have helped us to have the standard of living we now possess. For example, I suspect you recognize Thomas Edison for the electric light bulb; Alexander Grahm Bell for the telephone; Henry Ford for the assembly line of automotive history; Theodore Roosevelt as an American President; and William Wrigley Jr. for chewing gum. These are just a few of the many millionaires Napoleon Hill interviewed, but all made impacts on our way of life, even those you may not recognize like George Eastman, F. W. Woolworth, and Charles Schwab.

Drawing on the thoughts and experience of this group of millionaires, many of whom had experienced a true rags-to-riches story, Napoleon Hill (with help from Andrew Carnegie) formulated the philosophy of success which was revealed in his inspirational classic entited "Think & Grow Rich."

Napoleon Hill passed away in November of 1970, but his ideas still flourish in the lives of people who have taken his work to heart, and "Think & Grow Rich" remains a best selling title to this day.

Everything man creates or acquires, begins in the form of DESIRE , desire is taken on the first lap of its journey, from the abstract to the concrete, into the workshop of the IMAGINATION, where PLANS for its transition are created and organized.
The formation of a DEFINITE, practical plan, or plans, through which this transformation may be made is a very important step. You will now be instructed how to build plans which will be practical:

A. Ally yourself with a group of as many people as you may need for the creation, and carrying out of your plan, or plans for the accumulation of money--making use of the "Master Mind" principle. (Compliance with this instruction is absolutely essential. Do not neglect it.)

B. Before forming your "Master Mind" alliance, decide what advantages, and benefits, you may offer the individual members of your group, in return for their cooperation. No one will work indefinitely without some form of compensation. No intelligent person will either request or expect another to work without adequate compensation, although this may not always be in the form of money.

C. Arrange to meet with the members of your "Master Mind" group at least twice a week, and more often if possible, until you have jointly perfected the necessary plan, or plans for the accumulation of money.

D. Maintain PERFECT HARMONY between yourself and every member of your "Master Mind" group. If you fail to carry out this instruction to the letter, you may expect to meet with failure. The "Master Mind" principle cannot obtain where PERFECT HARMONY does not prevail.

Keep in mind these facts:--

First.

You are engaged in an undertaking of major importance to you. To be sure of success, you must have plans which are faultless.

Second.

You must have the advantage of the experience, education, native ability and imagination of other minds. This is in harmony with the methods followed by every person who has accumulated a great fortune. No individual has sufficient experience, education, native ability, and knowledge to insure the accumulation of a great fortune, without the cooperation of other people. Every plan you adopt, in your endeavor to accumulate wealth, should be the joint creation of yourself and every other member of your "Master Mind" group. You may originate your own plans, either in whole or in part, but SEE THAT THOSE PLANS ARE CHECKED, AND APPROVED BY THE MEMBERS OF YOUR "MASTER MIND" ALLIANCE.

If the first plan which you adopt does not work successfully, replace it with a new plan, if this new plan fails to work, replace it, in turn with still another, and so on, until you find a plan which DOES WORK. Right here is the point at which the majority of men meet with failure, because of their lack of PERSISTENCE in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.

The most intelligent man living cannot succeed in accumulating money--nor in any other undertaking--without plans which are practical and workable. Just keep this fact in mind, and remember when your plans fail, that temporary defeat is not permanent failure. It may only mean that your plans have not been sound. Build other plans. Start all over again. Thomas A. Edison "failed" 10,000 times before he perfected the incandescent electric light bulb. That is--he met with temporary defeat ten thousand times, before his efforts were crowned with success.

UNWAVERING COURAGE based upon knowledge of self, and of one's occupation. No follower wishes to be dominated by a leader who lacks self- confidence and courage. No intelligent follower will be dominated by such a leader very long.

SELF-CONTROLThe man who cannot control himself, can never control others. Self-control sets a mighty example for one's followers, which the more intelligent will emulate.

A KEEN SENSE OF JUSTICE Without a sense of fairness and justice, no leader can command and retain the respect of his followers.

DEFINITENESS OF DECISION The man who wavers in his decisions, shows that he is not sure of himself. He cannot lead others successfully.

DEFINITENESS OF PLANS The successful leader must plan his work, and work his plan. A leader who moves by guesswork, without practical, definite plans, is comparable to a ship without a rudder. Sooner or later he will land on the rocks.

THE HABIT OF DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR One of the penalties of leadership is the necessity of willingness, upon the part of the leader, to do more than he requires of his followers.

A PLEASING PERSONALITY No slovenly, careless person can become a successful leader. Leadership calls for respect. Followers will not respect a leader who does not grade high on all of the factors of a Pleasing Personality.

SYMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING The successful leader must be in sympathy with his followers. Moreover, he must understand them and their problems.

MASTERY OF DETAIL Successful leadership calls for mastery of details of the leader's position.

WILLINGNESS TO ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY The successful leader must be willing to assume responsibility for the mistakes and the shortcomings of his followers. If he tries to shift this responsibility, he will not remain the leader. If one of his followers makes a mistake, and shows himself incompetent, the leader must consider that it is he who failed.

COOPERATION The successful leader must understand, and apply the principle of cooperative effort and be able to induce his followers to do the same. Leadership calls for POWER, and power calls for COOPERATION.

We come now to the major faults of leaders who fail, because it is just as essential to know WHAT NOT TO DO as it is to know what to do.

INABILITY TO ORGANIZE DETAILS

Efficient leadership calls for ability to organize and to master details. No genuine leader is ever "too busy" to do anything which may be required of him in his capacity as leader. When a man, whether he is a leader or follower, admits that he is "too busy" to change his plans, or to give attention to any emergency, he admits his inefficiency. The successful leader must be the master of all details connected with his position. That means, of course, that he must acquire the habit of relegating details to capable lieutenants.

UNWILLINGNESS TO RENDER HUMBLE SERVICE

Truly great leaders are willing, when occasion demands, to perform any sort of labor which they would ask another to perform. "The greatest among ye shall be
the servant of all" is a truth which all able leaders observe and respect.

EXPECTATION OF PAY FOR WHAT THEY "KNOW" INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY DO WITH THAT WHICH THEY KNOW

The world does not pay men for that which they "know." It pays them for what they DO, or induce others to do.

FEAR OF COMPETITION FROM FOLLOWERS

The leader who fears that one of his followers may take his position is practically sure to realize that fear sooner or later. The able leader trains understudies to whom he may delegate, at will, any of the details of his position. Only in this way may a leader multiply himself and prepare himself to be at many places, and give attention to many things at one time.

It is an eternal truth that men receive more pay for their ABILITY TO GET OTHERS TO PERFORM, than they could possibly earn by their own efforts. An efficient leader may, through his knowledge of his job and the magnetism of his personality, greatly increase the efficiency of others, and induce them to render more service and better service than they could render without his aid.

LACK OF IMAGINATION

Without imagination, the leader is incapable of meeting emergencies, and of creating plans by which to guide his followers efficiently.

SELFISHNESS

The leader who claims all the honor for the work of his followers, is sure to be met by resentment. The really great leader CLAIMS NONE OF THE HONORS. He is contented to see the honors, when there are any, go to his followers, because he knows that most men will work harder for commendation and recognition than they will for money alone.

INTEMPERANCE

Followers do not respect an intemperate leader. Moreover, intemperance in any of its various forms, destroys the endurance
and the vitality of all who indulge in it.

DISLOYALTY

Perhaps this should have come at the head of the list. The leader who is not loyal to his trust, and to his associates, those above him, and those below him, cannot long maintain his leadership. Disloyalty marks one as being less than the dust of the earth, and brings down on one's head the contempt he deserves. Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life.

EMPHASIS OF THE "AUTHORITY" OF LEADERSHIP

The efficient leader leads by encouraging, and not by trying to instill fear in the hearts of his followers. The leader who tries to impress his followers with his "authority" comes within the category of leadership through FORCE. If a leader is a REAL LEADER, he will have no need to advertise that fact except by his conduct--his sympathy, understanding, fairness, and a demonstration that he knows his job.

EMPHASIS OF TITLE

The competent leader requires no "title" to give him the respect of his followers. The man who makes too much over his title generally has little else to emphasize. The doors to the office of the real leader are open to all who wish to enter, and his working quarters are free from formality or ostentation.

These are among the more common of the causes of failure in leadership. Any one of these faults is sufficient to induce failure. Study the list carefully
if you aspire to leadership, and make sure that you are free of these faults.

Annual self-analysis is an essential in the effective marketing of personal services, as is annual inventory in merchandising. Moreover, the yearly analysis should disclose a DECREASE IN FAULTS, and an increase in VIRTUES. One goes ahead, stands still, or goes backward in life. One's object should be, of course, to go ahead. Annual self-analysis will disclose whether advancement has been, made, and if so, how much. It will also disclose any backward steps one may have made.

The effective marketing of personal services requires one to move forward even if the progress is slow. Your annual self-analysis should be made at the end of each year, so you can include in your New Year's Resolutions any improvements which the analysis indicates should be made. Take this inventory by asking yourself the following questions, and by checking your answers with the aid of someone who will not permit you to deceive yourself as to their accuracy.

SELF-ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PERSONAL INVENTORY

1. Have I attained the goal which I established as my objective for this year? (You should work with a definite yearly objective to be attained as a part of your major life objective).

2. Have I delivered service of the best possible QUALITY of which I was capable, or could I have improved any part of this service?

3. Have I delivered service in the greatest possible QUANTITY of which I was capable?

4. Has the spirit of my conduct been harmonious, and cooperative at all times?

5. Have I permitted the habit of PROCRASTINATION to decrease my efficiency, and if so, to what extent?

6. Have I improved my PERSONALITY, and if so, in what ways?

7. Have I been PERSISTENT in following my plans through to completion?

8. Have I reached DECISIONS PROMPTLY AND DEFINITELY on all occasions?

9. Have I permitted any one or more of the six basic fears to decrease my efficiency?

10. Have I been either "over-cautious," or "under cautious?"

11. Has my relationship with my associates in work been pleasant, or unpleasant? If it has been unpleasant, has the fault been partly, or wholly mine?

12. Have I dissipated any of my energy through lack of CONCENTRATION of effort?

13. Have I been open minded and tolerant in connection with all subjects?

14. In what way have I improved my ability to render service?

15. Have I been intemperate in any of my habits?

16. Have I expressed, either openly or secretly, any form of EGOTISM?

17. Has my conduct toward my associates been such that it has induced them to RESPECT me?

18. Have my opinions and DECISIONS been based upon guesswork, or accuracy of analysis and THOUGHT?

19. Have I followed the habit of budgeting my time, my expenses, and my income, and have I been conservative in these budgets?

20. How much time have I devoted to UNPROFITABLE effort which I might have used to better advantage?

21. How may I RE-BUDGET my time, and change my habits so I will be more efficient during the coming year?

22. Have I been guilty of any conduct which was not approved by my conscience?

23. In what ways have I rendered MORE SERVICE AND BETTER SERVICE than I was paid to render?

24. Have I been unfair to anyone, and if so, in what way?

25. If I had been the purchaser of my own services for the year, would I be satisfied with my purchase?

26. Am I in the right vocation, and if not, why not?

27. Has the purchaser of my services been satisfied with the service I have
rendered, and if not, why not?

28. What is my present rating on the fundamental principles of success? (Make this rating fairly, and frankly, and have it checked by someone who is courageous enough to do it accurately).