Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill) - Chapter 07:
CHAPTER 7: ORGANIZED PLANNING:
The Crystallization of Desire Into Action
- The Sixth Step Towards Riches
Napoleon Hill gives us a few tips about how to successfully form a mastermind group. He reminds us that no one can work indefinitely without some form of compensation (not necessarily money). It's a give and take world, not a take and take world. Meet regularly with co-master minders. And maintain good relationships with each. You can't succeed if you wish each other ill.
You must contribute (as must everyone else) a combination of experience, education, natural ability, imagination, capital, etc.
If you meet with failure, keep adjusting your plan and trying again until you find one that works, even if it takes you your entire lifetime. Temporary defeat does not equal permanent failure. If you don't have the success you seek, it's because you're plans are missing something. Keep tweaking your plan - find out what doesn't work and replace it with what works. "No man is defeated until he quits in his own mind. "
11 Major Attributes of Leadership:
Hill dedicates a section of this chapter to helping men market their personal services.
He lists 11 major attributes of leadership:
1. Unwavering courage based upon knowledge of self, and one's occupation.
2. Self-control
3. A keen sense of justice
4. Definiteness of decision
5. The habit of doing more than paid for
6. Definiteness of plans
7. A pleasing personality
8. Sympathy and understanding
9. Mastery of detail
10. Willingness to assume full responsibility
11. Cooperation
10 Major Causes of Failure in Leadership:
He then lists the 10 major causes of failure in leadership:
1. Inability to organize details.
2. Unwillingness to render humble service
3. Expectation of pay for what they know instead of what they do (or induce others to do).
4. Fear of competition from followers
5. Lack of imagination
6. Selfishness
7. Intemperance
8. Disloyalty
9. Emphasis of the authority of leadership
10. Emphasis of title.
One Thing Worth Noting
In addition, he gives you exact plans about how to apply for a job at your dream company. These tips, which were cutting edge at his time, are standard procedure today, so I will not talk about them. One thing worth noting is that you don't work for the company that hires you. You work for the clients who buy your products and services. The sooner we learn to serve customers with excellence instead of trying to fleece them off their last penny, the more sustainable our businesses will be.
Napoleon says, "the quality and quantity of services rendered, and the spirit with which it is rendered, determine the rewards. " He calls this the QQS formula (quality of service + quantity of service + spirit of service).
Napoleon Hill Lists the 30 Major Causes of Failure.
1. Unfavorable hereditary background
2. Lack of a well-defined purpose in life
3. Lack of ambition to aim above mediocrity
4. Insufficient education
5. Lack of self-discipline
6. Ill-health
7. Unfavorable environmental influences during childhood
8. Procrastination
9. Lack of persistence
10. Negative personality
11. Lack of controlled sexual urge
12. Uncontrolled desire for "something for nothing "
13. Lack of a well-defined power of decision
14. One or more of the six basic fears
15. Wrong selection of a mate in marriage
16. Over-caution
17. Wrong selection of associates in business
18. Superstition and prejudice
19. Wrong selection of a vocation
20. Lack of concentration of effort
21. The habit of indiscriminate spending
22. Lack of enthusiasm
23. Intolerance
24. Intemperance
25. Inability to cooperate with others
26. Possession of power that was not acquired through self-effort
27. Intention dishonesty
28. Egotism and vanity
29. Guessing instead of thinking
30. Lack of capital
31. What else can you think of?
Self-assessment
Self-awareness is a big contributor of success. Know your strengths so you can capitalize on them. Know your weaknesses so you can minimize them or eliminate them completely.
To help with self-awareness, Hill offers 28 questions you should answer honestly and completely.
1. Have I attained the goal which I established as my objective for this year?
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 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 overcautious or under cautious?
11. Has my relationship with my associates in work been pleasant or unpleasant? If unpleasant, has the fault been wholly or partly 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 towards 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 and 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 ways?
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 service 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? (What are the fundamental principles of success according to Napoleon Hill)
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