Best Lessons From John D. Rockefeller’s Career
Love him or hate him, you cannot deny his influence. John D. Rockefeller was the founder of Standard Oil, a company founded in 1870 that pioneered modern businesses like Chevron and ExxonMobil. He was also a renowned philanthropist. Here are some of the career lessons we can learn from his life.
Check your ego
There is a fine line between confidence and ego . Even at a young age, Rockefeller realized how dangerous the infatuation with his ego was, and took precautions not to be distracted by his own hype.
First, he threw away all the inflated thoughts about himself. As biographer Ron Chernow writes in his book Titan , Rockefeller would say to himself:
Since you have a beginning, you think you are a real merchant; beware, otherwise you will lose your head – go straight. Will you let this money fool you? Keep your eyes open. Don’t lose your balance.
Rockefeller later explained: “I am sure that these intimate conversations with myself have had a great impact on my life. I was afraid that I could not bear my prosperity, and tried to teach myself not to fall into a rage with any stupid ideas. “
Don’t let your temperament take over you
Rockefeller also noticed his bad temper. “I think if you provoke too much, it can be called an ugly character,” says Rockefeller. To make sure that this is not a hindrance, writes Chernow, “he learned to control his character and tried never to be guided by selfishness or annoyance.”
Rockefeller managed to maintain his judgment, but he wanted to see the character of his colleagues take over. For example, his technical advisor, Sam Andrews, felt the pressure of the business and the internal rivalry of the company. Andrews complained to Rockefeller, wishing him out loud to go out of business. Rockefeller told Andrews his price and bought Andrews shares from him for $ 1,000,000. Almost immediately, Rockefeller was able to sell shares to another investor for a profit of $ 300,000. Andrews objected, and Rockefeller offered to sell him the shares at the original price:
Angry Andrews rejected this fair offer and decided to keep the money for himself. By some estimates, if he had kept these shares, they would have been worth $ 900 million by the early 1930s. This reckless decision, motivated by sheer resentment and a bruised ego, prevented him from becoming one of the richest men in America.
Andrews could swallow his pride and change his mind. He would have saved hundreds of millions of dollars. However, Chernow writes, “[Rockefeller employee] Maurice Clarke probably caught the truth about Sam Andrews when he said,“ Before the sale, he resented John. After the sale, I fucked myself up “”.
Don’t let your temperament get the best of you. Listen carefully to people and learn from them. Rockefeller also stresses the importance of listening. He advises: “It is very important to remember what other people tell you, and not so much what you yourself already know.”
Turn your job search into your full-time job
If you are unemployed, finding a job can be a long line of frustrations. You may not have much to show in the hours – days or months – of work, even after dozens of job applications and multiple job interviews. But you have to persist and treat your job search like a full-time job.
Rockefeller was born into poverty and had no family ties or friends to drag him into the business world. “Although times were tough, the boy hit the road without modest ambition, studying the city’s directory, identifying those establishments with high credit ratings,” writes biographer Don Chernow.
There was no Internet in those days, so Rockefeller went to different companies and inquired about opportunities. He insisted on this from Monday to Saturday:
Despite the continuing disappointment, he stubbornly pursued his goal. Every morning he left his boarding house at eight o’clock, dressed in a dark suit with a high collar and a black tie, to make the rounds of the appointed firms. This grimly determined march continued every day — six days a week for six consecutive weeks — until late at night.
If you’re unlucky, build your confidence . Chernow suspects that Rockefeller’s confidence and detached ego fueled his persistence:
As he approached his job search without any doubt or self-pity, he could turn a blind eye to disappointment. “I worked every day in my business – looking for a job. I devoted all my time to this every day. ” He was a staunch supporter of positive thinking.
If you’re having a hard time finding a job, take the time to understand what great resumes look like and meet new people . Sometimes, in addition to applying for a resume, a free job can better educate your potential employers about your skills and personality.
Work steadily and take breaks
Today we treat our “busyness” and lack of sleep as a sign of honor. And while “vanity” can solve many problems , it is not a silver bullet for everything. Sometimes we work hard, but we just spin the wheels pointlessly . Rockefeller was extremely careful with his energy. As Chernow writes, “he worked at a more leisurely pace than many other executives, napping every day after lunch and often napping on a deck chair after lunch.”
Rockefeller strongly believed in working consistently and consistently, rather than biting off more than he could chew. According to Chernov, Rockefeller says:
It’s wonderful how much we could all do if we avoided the hustle and bustle, moved at an even pace, and didn’t try too much.
Don’t fall for the glittery amount bait. Use the power of concentration to solve problems. Rockefeller asks:
How many of us who fail to achieve great success … fail because we lack concentration – the art of focusing the mind on what needs to be done at the right time, excluding everything else?
Rockefeller was extremely hardworking, but he was resilient and treated his work like a marathon. He also took breaks during the day. His afternoon snack of crackers and milk and sleep after lunch and dinner were designed to conserve energy and balance his physical and mental strength. Rockefeller advises: “It’s not good to keep all your forces in tension all the time.”
There is no doubt that Rockefeller has many critics, and the complete picture of his life is more complex than a few lessons. Regardless of what you think of his questionable business practices, there are still lessons from his life that you can apply to yourself. Don’t let your ego get the best of you. If you are unemployed, devote yourself completely to this business. Instead of running in jerks, conserve your energy so you can work consistently and consistently.
Update: In an earlier version of this post, the biographer’s name was misspelled as “Don Chernov” as indicated in the comment . Thank you Michael.