Does reading about successful people really work?

[beasty]

He may have a biographer with him at all times for all you know

Make a note of that meeting, yada yada and this happened

He has a hairpiece tamer so its not beyond realms of possibility he has someone who simply documents as he goes.

 

[Excel Expert]

Certainly possible Beasty, especially in the later half of his career when he really focused on the "Trump" brand. However the books are not written by an biographer and only a handful of his books carries a second author. If he is claiming to have written the book and he hasnt then it is an untruth.

But it is not just that with him. His whole university seems to be a shame designed to squeeze cash out of desperate people. He his facing legal actions from all sorts of corners on that one.

Unlike most business guru's out there there seems to be a disproportionately large amount of people calling foul on his claims or presenting totally different versions of events. These normally go unnoticed because the Trump machine is louder and has bigger lawyers.

 

[beasty]

The winners version becomes the truth, same in war

 

[Excel Expert]

So very true Beasty.

 

[sirearl]

Donalds greatest achievement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Trump

 

[Excel Expert]

Donald's own entry covers some of the negative aspects about him, but only scratches the surface. I suspect his lawyers and his branding team keep that page under very tight control.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_trump#Legal_affairs

 

[BelindaChong]

Go to Amazon.

"Frank Wood" + "Business Accounting"

Frank Wood's books has been the de facto accounting / book-keeping texts for business courses for the last 20 years.

I have been looking on eBay for volume one, and there are many, many copies available. Broadly the older versions are much cheaper.
My question is: can I get by with an early edition, given that I only want it to get a basic understanding, not pass exams. I have an accountant.

 

[TurboIT]

I think you would learn much more from working in one of their businesses than reading their book.

 

[garyk]

Says the man with over 4500 posts on UKBF!

Ha that did make me smile Ashley!

Although over time my posts have gradually reduced. I used to be addicted to this site, sadly I hardly visit now and find it not as good as it used to be.

 

[Emma Fryer]

JFDI - Best business advice ever given

 

[integrity Rules]

edited

I've read a lot of business Marketing hack/guru type books over the years and I think the time in my life I was reading them and attempting to applying the logic was my least productive time in business. I guess I was looking for that magic bullet and missing the point about what business is entirely.

I then somehow ended up with a copy of 'The Snowball' a biography on Warren Buffett. I can say that reading about Warrens approach to business turned things on its head for me ...
A couple of years after reading it I'd gone from a muddy booted contractor up to my neck in the banking meltdown to selling out for a nice pay day and being invited to sit on a couple of BoDs.

It's crazy where my work life has taken me since reading that one book.

So the moral is : you've got to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince(ss)!
Must read 'the Snowball!' on the strength of your story.

 

[integrity Rules]

Edited

If anyone picks up a business book and expects to find a step by step to getting rich, they will always be disappointed.

On the subject of inspirational characters that people follow, what happens if that person turns out to be a bad apple.
I used to follow every word Donald Trump and Alan Sugar would say, but now I find them both to be irritating and full of BS and not the people they pretend to be. So now I avoid every word they say. That in my mind has kind of undone any inspiration I had from them in the past.

Heroes/ heroines tend to be charismatic, and have feet of clay.
Some people are "successful" but have crappy values; some have a skewed understanding of what makes them successful.
I think one has to read what these writers say with pinch of salt ( autobiographical memories are liable to be skewed , and remembrance makes things more tidy & clearcut than it was in reality.
I read for 2 reasons :
1) to be confirmed in my own thinking , by someone who puts the point more eloquently than I can
2) Exactly the opposite to point (1) : To revisit t something I had taken for granted , to throw ou ideas and opinions past their " sell by date"
Julia
West London Colonics

 

[tombuckland]

Personally I am a fan. I love reading Napoleon Hill books "law of success" my favourite, just finished that today actually. Great content but not only that it does kind of motivate you if you are feeling tired/cant do what you were meant to do on that day etc. To be great you got to put in the work sort of thing.

 

[MatthewRJones]

Well, there's another thing. You read in a lot of motivational books, and books on how to have the life you want, about setting goals for yourself, and not just everyday goals, but what you truly want from life.

Yet, again, in all the biographies I've read, I don't think there's been a single person who has said they did this. Again they were just working on their businesses.

The one thing I have learned from all I've read is:

Work hard! VERY HARD! And stay focused

Put in hours that other people wouldn't even consider. We all know about Bill Gates and his colleagues taking sleeping bags to the office, so they could sleep under their desks in the early years of Microsoft.

But also someone like Ted Turner (founder of CNN, the first 24 hour news channel) , had a flat above his office, so he could get up and go straight to work. Then at the end of the day, he could collapse into bed.

Felix Dennis talks frankly about the friends that he lost and relationships that went sour because he was so focused on his business.

So it seems to me that the only reason we're not successful is because we're not willing to put in the time and effort to make our businesses super successful. I guess I am a perfect example of this, because aside from the business I have four other "hats" that I have to wear, all of which at different times, take a lot of my time in the evenings or weekends - time I could spend making the business successful.

Very true, it's all well and good reading all the biographies but unless you take action what's the point.

 

[Colin Fox]

I have read books like Branson's etc and really like them. I like the rags to riches type stories which motivated me to go for it myself.

The books I've got most from, in terms of actionable stuff, (mostly mindset type deals) are things like Think & Grow Rich, 4 Hour Work Week, Psycho-Cybernetics, Science of Getting Rich etc.

Then I have the business books with copywriting, marketing methods etc that help with me staying up to date with what's going on in my industry.

I think a mixture of all is good. I like to read other points of view and perspectives. Even if you get value from just one line that makes you think a little bit differently about something, then reading the book was worth it.

The autobiographies aren't a here's how it's done but more of a here's what's possible. In all the books I've read, it boils down to working your ass off for 6 months, then paying others to do your job.
Taking action, never giving up and having a definite plan of what you want to achieve is what I've got from almost all the things I've read.

"Start With Why" by Simon Sinek is good for a start

 

[Paul_Rosser]

The books I've got most from, in terms of actionable stuff, (mostly mindset type deals) are things like Think & Grow Rich, 4 Hour Work Week, Psycho-Cybernetics, Science of Getting Rich etc.

Think and grow rich is a classic and very good, personally don't really read autobiographies of successful people although a lot of people I know do and get some good stuff from them.

The best business books I've read are "Category of One", "Be the best at what matters most", "Never by Chance" and one on marketing called "It's not who you know, it's who knows you"

 

[Xzero]

I feel that reading about successful people will get you in the same mindset as them. If you think like someone who is successful, you will become successful.

 

[Nuno]

I feel that reading about successful people will get you in the same mindset as them. If you think like someone who is successful, you will become successful.

What happens when you read about murderers or rapists? Will you think more like them too?
I'm giving up on biographies by politicians and Russians just in case...

 

[Darren Spillett]

I tend to read more guide books than biographies as they give me motivation. I use a lot of audio books now as I can listen to them when I am out running or driving on long journeys.

I don't think the books I read offer any amazing insights. In fact most of them tell a similar story. However I think they help me to focus on what I want from life.

 

[AllUpHere]

What happens when you read about murderers or rapists? Will you think more like them too?
I'm giving up on biographies by politicians and Russians just in case...

It's quite well documented that to think about business as a psychopath would (sound analytical reasoning and lack of unnecessary emotion) has many benefits. To emulate some traits of a murderer may be good for business.

 

[Philip Hoyle]

I've read a few purely for entertainment and light reading as they're bound to be biased. What usually stands out in the biographies is the way that their business growth and success usually starts accidentally rather than as a result of a formal business plan. Almost always, their end success is absolutely nothing to do with their original business ideas, which have often failed and fallen by the wayside.

This always strikes a chord with me as my successful clients over the years have likewise "fallen into" their growth business rather than planning it. Like the two brother who started out selling wet fish door to door from the back of a van who now sell ready meals and sandwiches to major supermarket chains. Or the couple who got annoyed at the lack of choice of items for their hobby in the UK, had to import from other countries for their personal use and took a punt that other hobbyists may want the same items too - end result £500k profit per year. Or they guy messing about in his garage workshop that came up with a new type of electrical connector and went on to sell his copyright and business for £20m after starting to manufacture it.
It just goes against the grain of all the experts who say that you need a business plan, business qualifications, etc to be successful. What seems to be more successful is getting out there and doing something,(however smallscale), learning from it, making contacts, etc., that will help you when you come across a more lucrative business venture.

 

[Colin Fox]

I've just started reading "The Tipping Point." It's discusses what's behind certain trends and how they take off. Quite interesting, it mentions the rise of the failing Hush Puppies brand which weirdly coincided with a crime reduction in New York in 1992.

 

[Nuno]

It's quite well documented that to think about business as a psychopath would (sound analytical reasoning and lack of unnecessary emotion) has many benefits. To emulate some traits of a murderer may be good for business.

Good point. And two recommended books by business schools are The Prince by Machiavelli and The Art of War by Sun Tzu, which in a way are guides to better psychopathy.

 

[integrity Rules]

edited

. What usually stands out in the biographies is the way that their business growth and success usually starts accidentally rather than as a result of a formal business plan.
Almost always, their end success is absolutely nothing to do with their original business ideas, which have often failed and fallen by the wayside.

….. my successful clients over the years have likewise "fallen into" their growth business rather than planning it.
It just goes against the grain of all the experts who say that you need a business plan, business qualifications, etc to be successful.
What seems to be more successful is getting out there and doing something,(however smallscale), learning from it, making contacts, etc., that will help you when you come across a more lucrative business venture.

I agree with you, Philip, people disregard the role of "accident/ coincidence" in success, yet so much is matter of chance.
Theres also- as you point out - an iterative aspect to the growth of successful business people ; they are learning and growing.
The idea you've expressed has been formalised by different business authors; my favourite is the Shewart- Deming cycle PDSA ( Plan an action, Do it ( in a small way, Study the results and Adjust accordingly ( taking the next action based on whats been learned).

Julia

 

[integrity Rules]

Edited

... the transcript of an interview I am typing and the person has literally just said "...in order to be excellent at something, not just mediocre and good, you have to be obsessed with what you're doing, like you have to be 100% obsessed and in order to be obsessed with something, no outside forces can interfere."
- a direct quote from one of the UK's top cage fighters (They look scary and all brawn & no brain, but often are very articulate.)

I think this is absolutely spot on.
Exceptional success calls for an Extreme attitude.
Someone came up with an acronym "Edgy" that I like. It represents the qualities of high achieving folk. The E stands for Extreme, in the sense that high achievers explore the edges of an idea (s) and execute the hell out of it. Theres a nice example of that in the story of Britains cycling supremo, Dave Brailsford s' approach to Britain's cyclists in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics. The idea he took is one pretty much everyone subscribes to , i.e.incremental improvement . But he made it an obsessive search focussing on 1% improvements in performance in the most unlikely places, even those apparently unrelated to cycling performance. If interested, google 'James Clear' and read his post on this.

( Great achievers )…." often are very articulate."
I agree that when you encounter someone at the top of their game , be it business, music, sport… they often are articulate because they are a student of their craft … their mastery owes a heck of a lot to countless hour of analysis and reflection, just as it has to do with countless hours of "practice/ action."

 

[uksme]

Is the only way to become truly successful is to spend the time you would be reading these biographies or articles, working hard and diligently at your business?

Anybody involved in a small business is already working very hard as it is, often with an intense focus that often precludes a sense of perspective. A well-written business book can act as a lifeline, allowing you to escape the sort of 'tunnel thinking' that inevitably sets in when you're working hard on one main goal.

I don't think that the real value of a business book is to teach you a new lesson on every page; it's more about seeing how someone else has addressed a problem in their business, and thinking about whether you can use their methods to tackle an issue you're currently dealing with yourself.

We've just put together a list of our favourite business books to read in Winter 2014 - let us know what you think!

 

[godoit]

Another source of inspiration are vlogs and podcasts.

any reccomendations?

 

[RBS]

Does reading about successful people really work?
---

Works for what? IMO - indirectly - Yes, it does. When I read about rich and successful men, I get this feeling I`m gonna get that eurika moment shortly and something good will happen which will lead me to great success in business or life. Reading gives me positive feelings, good thoughts.

At that`s what is needed - positive thoughts.

 

[beasty]

So long as you try not to use their journey as a map for your own, even the most successful business people have plenty of failures tucked away, you do not learn much from success

 

[sirearl]

you do not learn much from success

Not even the right way to do things.

 

[beasty]

You might be successful DESPITE what you are doing, just because you are successful does not mean you are doing things the best way, failure causes you to look at processes and see what can be done better.

Clear?

 

[directmarketingadvice]

As someone who has a lot of business biographies (Alan Sugar, Richard Branson, Donald Trump, Ted Turner, Felix Dennis, etc.) and subscribing to Fortune magazine, plus picking up a copy of Forbes when I'm somewhere that sells copies, this is something I've been thinking about for a while.

We can read these books, articles, etc., as a form of entertainment, but can we truly learn from them?

An interesting question.

I'd say, yes, but the problem with at least 2 of the people you mentioned (Sugar and Trump) is that they're self-aggrandisers.

I read one of Trump's books and it was a relentless re-writing of history in order to compensate for his low self-esteem. (I wrote a blog post about it.)

Sugar, for all his bragging, has failed miserably to build on his initial success, and is now just someone who plays a (very broad brush version of a) business owner on TV.

I can't comment on the others you've listed - though I've heard good things about Dennis' book.

So you've got to be careful about who you choose as a lot of those autobiographies are ego trips.

One book I would recommend is "My life in Advertising" by Claude Hopkins which is, IMO, the best book ever written on marketing.

Steve

 

[Deleted member 59730]

I was once shown a list of bad debts at a company supplying some very talented people. Just because someone is famous and written about as if they are successful doesn't mean they have enough to pay their bills.

 

[garyk]

I've read alot of these types of books and I think you only really learn by doing stuff yourself.

There are so many factors involved in success (and everyones definition of it differs) that it is more than just reading what someone has done and simply copying it.

 

[HazelC]

I read them as motivation and to look for tips, I don't treat them as a way of learning but I do often learn basic skills from them.

 

[Smokin Donut]

Hope so! We're in our local rag The Bucks Herald tomorrow talking about our trip to No.10 Downing Street as 1 of the chosen Top UK 100 to represent Small Business Saturday. So we will see! Sometimes it's sucking eggs and good old filthy luck that follows success around. Sometimes it's attitude. Mostly it's a bit of both and the fact that your standards are higher than your competitors. I read about strong people for tactical signals and strategic moves. Not how much they love their wealth journey. I want insight and shared knowledge from my peers. Otherwise it's just another story...