Timeless Leadership Advice for Young Businessmen

When it comes to advice, you know just about everyone has some, regardless of whether or not it could actually help you. But what would some of the top leaders in business have to say to someone just starting out? They’ve been where you are right now, and they can give you some perspective and some invaluable wisdom. If you’re willing to listen. Here is some excellent advice from people who know what it means to succeed.

There are many ways to learn, but one of the best ways to learn quickly is to pay honest attention to what is working and what isn’t. If someone comes to you and says something isn’t working, don’t grab onto it tighter just because you Like It That Way. Let go of what you want to work and embrace what actually can work to get you where you want to be. Method is important, but don’t sacrifice success on the altar of wanting to achieve it a certain way.

Along those same lines, don’t be too married to how you see things. Be willing to look at situations from different perspectives, and don’t get stuck on a single way to do anything. You must be nimble in business, especially in the beginning. Willing to shift and grow in different directions. Willing to look at challenges from multiple different angles before you decide what to do.

Sometimes, what is happening isn’t what looks like is happening. Don’t put too much stock in the surface understanding of things. Be willing to do the hard work of digging down and discovering the real answers, motivations, and machinations. Allow yourself to accept and understand the context, and let that help you define what is actually happening.

If you want to be successful, you must understand how to define and share a vision. If people understand what their job is really about, and they can get excited about that, they are going to do a better job for you. And if you have a better understanding of the vision, you will be more focused on what you need to do to realize that vision and less apt to be distracted by other opportunities.

Refuse to allow yourself to micromanage. If you have the right people in the right places, let them do their jobs, and you focus on your primary goal, moving the company along toward the vision and bringing in more profit.

Did you find something here that can help you? In what ways can you or have you applied the timeless truths here?

David Milberg is a financial analyst in NYC.