E Book Think Believe Act-Chieve-Sidharth Shah

THINK
BELIEVE
ACT-CHIEVE
THINK
BELIEVE
ACT-CHIEVE
HOW TO THINK & GROW RICH
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
SID SHAH
Notion Press
Old No. 38, New No. 6
McNichols Road, Chetpet
Chennai - 600 031
First Published by Notion Press 2017

Copyright © Sid Shah 2017
All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 978-1-947988-62-0
This book has been published with all reasonable efforts taken to
make the material error-free after the consent of the author. No part
of this book shall be used, reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission from the author, except in the case of
brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
The Author of this book is solely responsible and liable for its
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[“Content”]. The Content of this book shall not constitute or be
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accuracy or completeness of the Content published herein and do
not make any representations or warranties of any kind, express
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damage arising out of use, inability to use, or about the reliability,
accuracy or sufficiency of the information contained in this book.
Contents
Introductionvii
1. Definite Major Purpose (DMP)1
2. Mastermind Alliance 8
3. Applied Faith 15
4. Going The Extra Mile 26
5. Pleasing Personality 34
6. Positive Mental Attitude 44
7. Personal Initiative 52
8. Enthusiasm62
9. Self-Discipline72
10. Accurate Thinking 81
11. Controlled Attention 92
12. Teamwork100
13. Learning From Adversity And Defeat 110
14. Creative Vision 125
15. Sound Health 134
16. Budgeting Time and Money 140
17. Cosmic Habitforce 155
Conclusion163
Introduction
Welcome to a great new world of achievement, wealth

and happiness! Many of you have already heard about
Dr. Napoleon Hill from his classic all time bestselling book
Think and Grow Rich and The Law of Success which have
become international standards of motivational literature
against which all others are measured.
This book attempts to explain the 17 principles of
success in a very brief, short and concise manner. Every
chapter includes numerous real life examples of successful
entrepreneurs and businessmen – the best, the richest, the
brightest, the most famous and the most successful, who
have become so by applying these timeless principles. The
objective to present this philosophy by numerous examples is
to substantiate that these 17 principles are not mere dry facts
and static data. They are living, active philosophy and can
truly transform your life even today.
The real life examples are proof of the success philosophy
of Napoleon Hill that has withstood the test of time. His
principles of success have changed the lives of millions of
men and women from all walks of life. They can change
yours too, if you systematically understand and apply
them.
INTRODUCTION
There are many additional men and women of achievement

who I should have included but could not do so due to time
and space constraints. To them I wish to express my gratitude
and ask for their kind consideration.
Let me welcome you to this remarkable journey which I
am confident will be sure to help you achieve your every goal
and your every dream.
Take Action Now – Start studying and applying these
principles to your own ambitions, for your own achievement,
and your own lifelong success. Put the power of your mind
and the powers of the 17 Principles of Success to work for
you.
To your success!
Sid Shah
viii
CHAPTER 1
Definite Major Purpose (DMP)
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you
haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of
the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
– Steve Jobs, Cofounder Apple Inc.
What is DMP and what are its significant features?
Definite Major Purpose is the starting point of all
achievement. All individual achievement begins with the
adoption of a Definite Major Purpose and a specific plan
for its attainment. Without a purpose and a plan, people drift
aimlessly throughout life.
Lack of DMP is the greatest stumbling block of ninety-
eight out of every 100 persons because they never define their
goals.
DMP is therefore called the ‘WHY’ of your life and the
reason of your existence.
Deepak Chopra summed up beautifully about Definite
Major Purpose as follows –“You are born twice… first when you
are actually born and second when you discover your purpose in life.”
THINK- BELIEVE - ACHIEVE
Definite Major Purpose and N. R. Narayana Murthy,

Cofounder of Infosys
He may not appear to be one, but N. R. Narayana Murthy is
quite the contrarian. At a time when few Indians felt they could
become entrepreneurs, he founded Infosys with just $1,000 in
the bank. When no one believed that India could offer the world
high-tech products, he dared to develop software services for
export. In an era during which conducting business ethically
was virtually unheard of, he created a values-based corporation.
In his own words, his DMP was evolved as follows:
“In May 1981, seven of us crowded into the tiny bedroom of my
rented apartment in Mumbai. I had decided to quit my job to create a
professionally managed software company and had invited six colleagues
to join me. The meeting was to develop our vision for the new company.
One of us suggested that we should try to become India’s largest software
company. Someone else said that our goal should be to become the country’s
biggest job creator. A third opinion was that we should strive to be the
software firm with the highest market capitalization. When my turn
came, I pushed back on those ideas, saying, “Why don’t we aim to be
India’s most respected company?”
This was his DMP. Let us try to understand this and how
it automatically overrides the rest of the other obvious goals.
If you seek respect from customers, it means you must
deliver what you promise. If you seek respect from employees,
you must treat them fairly and with dignity. If you seek
respect from investors, you must operate with transparency
and accountability. If you seek respect from vendor-partners,
you must deal with them on merit. If you seek respect from
governments, you must never violate any laws. If you seek
respect from society, you must live in harmony with it and create
goodwill. If Infosys could do all that, it would attract customers,
2
Definite Major Purpose (Dmp)
employees, vendors, and investors; and after that, revenues,

profits, and market capitalization would follow automatically.
Conrad Hilton Defines His Definite Major Purpose
The founder of the Hilton Hotels Corporation knew both
poverty and glamour. Conrad Hilton grew up in New Mexico
in the same primitive abode that housed his father’s general
store. He desperately wanted to be an investment banker.
When Hilton tried to find a hotel bed in Texas on one of his
trips, he could not find one and he knew immediately what to
buy… not a bank, but a hotel, and the rest is history!
In all, Hilton eventually owned 188 hotels in thirty-eight
cities in the U.S., including the Mayflower Hotel in Washington,
D.C., the Palmer House in Chicago, and the Plaza Hotel and
Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, along with fifty-four hotels
abroad.
In his experience, he compared the importance of DMP
with an analogy with something as simple as a plain bar of
iron worth about $ 5.
The same iron bar, when made into horseshoes, is worth
$ 10.50. If made into needles, it is worth $ 3,250.85 and if
turned into balance springs for watches, its value jumps to
$ 25,000!
The same is true of another kind of material viz. A person
with a Definite Major Purpose! It all starts with a definite chief
aim in life.
Mahavir Singh Phogat of Dangal Fame and His
Definite Major Purpose in Life
Just after I completed my coaching from the U.S. and Canada, I
returned to India and went to watch this latest Bollywood movie
Dangal. While watching the movie, I was completely astonished
3
and stunned. I said to myself, “Oh my god! Everything that I have

studied and being coached about the principles of success of Think and
Grow Rich is followed to perfection by Aamir Khan in this movie.”
I could correlate each and every principle of success
being applied by the lead characters of the movie which finally
resulted in achieving Mahavir Singh Phogat’s Definite Major
Purpose – to win the gold medal for India in wrestling.
I have given the latest examples of Definite Major Purpose
that are both applicable for individuals and corporates to give
clarity and help the readers to correlate and assist in defining
their Definite Major Purpose or Chief Aim in life.
Some other prominent examples of Definite Major
Purpose are as follows:
1. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) – The first Prime Minister
of Singapore
2. Mahatma Gandhi
4
Action Plan: The 9 Step Checklist

“Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life,
no matter what may be one’s aim.”
– John D. Rockefeller – considered the wealthiest
American of all time by virtually every source, and—
largely—the richest person in modern history.
1st Step: Determine your goal or your ambition in life, and
then picture it in your mind so intensely that it becomes a part
of your subconscious mind.
2nd Step: Get all the information you can about this goal,
the requirements for it, and the possible compensation in
happiness, contentment, and economic security.
3rd Step: Analyze all these facts and organize them into an
order of accomplishment.
4th Step: Set a definite time for the accomplishment of your
goal
5th Step: Take immediate action to put these plans into effect.
Do it today.
6th Step: Be persistent in your plans. Don’t let obstacles stand
in your way.
7th Step: Concentrate on a single step at a time to achieve your
goal. You must walk before you can run.
8th Step: Check yourself at intervals to see whether you are on
the way, and adjust your plans as required by any circumstances
over which you have no control.
9th Step: Put this whole plan on paper, and make planning a
habit.
5
Famous Quotes:
“The ultimate search engine would basically understand
everything in the world, and it would always give you the right
thing. And we’re a long way from that.”
Larry Page, Cofounder of Google on his DMP of building
the best search engine in the world.
“A lot of people like to do certain things, but they’re not
that good at it. Keep going through the things that you like
to do, until you find something that you actually seem to be
extremely good at. It can be anything.”
– George Lucas – Film Director of Star Wars
and Indiana Jones.
“The men who have succeeded are men who have chosen one
line and stuck to it.”
– Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist,
and at one time one the richest person in the world.
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take
your eyes off your goal.”
– Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Motor Company.
“Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I’ll give you a man who
will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I’ll give
you a stock clerk.”
– J. C. Penny- Retail businessman.
“You can have anything you want if you want it badly enough.
You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out
to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of
purpose.”
– William Adams, First English navigator
to reach Japan.
6
“Ambition is the seed from which all growth of nobleness

proceeds.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist,
lecturer, and poet.
“Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.”
– Washington Irving, American short story writer,
essayist, and biographer.
“More men have failed through lack of purpose than lack of
interest.”
– Billy Sunday, America’s most celebrated and
influential evangelist.
“Having an aim is the key to achieving your best.”
– Henry J. Kaiser, American industrialist who is
known as the father of modern
American shipbuilding.
7
CHAPTER 2
Mastermind Alliance
“In this new wave of technology, you can’t do it all yourself,

you have to form alliances.”
– Carlos Slim Helu, Mexican business magnate
and one of the richest men in the world.
Definition and Important Features:

A Mastermind Alliance consists of two or more minds
working actively together in perfect harmony toward a
common definite objective.
Through a Mastermind Alliance, you can appropriate and
use the full strength of the experience, training, and knowledge
of others just as if they were your own.
You can use more brains than your own. No individual
has ever achieved success without the help and cooperation
of others.
In a Mastermind Alliance, you avail yourself of the
education, experience, and knowledge of others as if they
were your own.
The value of “gathering together those of a like mind” is
self-evident.
Mastermind Alliance
A group of brains coordinated in a spirit of harmony

will provide more thought energy than a single brain, just as
a group of electric batteries will provide more energy than a
single battery.
Sam Walton – Walmart

Let us elaborate the important points as outlined by Dr. Napoleon
Hill of Mastermind Alliance, with the life experiences of
Mr. Sam Walton, Founder & CEO of Walmart, and one of
the richest men in the world.
• Mastermind Alliance with his own positive self:
Mr. Sam Walton had an obsessive desire and passion
to excel in his field and to be at the top. He always
expected to win, to go into tough challenges, always
planning to come out victorious.
• Mastermind Alliance with his spouse Mrs. Helen
Walton:
There was perfect harmony and camaraderie between
Sam and Helen as is evident from this quote from
Helen, “I always told my mother and dad that I was going
to marry someone who had that special energy and drive, that
desire to be a success.”
• Mastermind Alliance with his family members:
Sam had perfect understanding with his parents and
family members, especially his brother Bud Walton.
The understanding was so clear and transparent that
in the early days, the two brothers risked everything
and started the first Ben Franklin Store. In praise
of Sam, here is what Bud had to say, “There is not an
individual in this country who has been in more retail stores, all
types of them – than Sam Walton. His mind is so inquisitive
9
when it comes to this business. And there may not be anything

he enjoys more than going into a competitor’s store trying to learn
something from it.”
• Mastermind Alliance with his team members:
Sam not only took the initiative and leadership to form
a formidable board of directors to run the company,
but also ensured that every member of the board,
every employee of the company is made clear of his
Definite Major Purpose of becoming the best
and the biggest retailer in the world. And in this
process, every team member is benefited with a reward
structure which is fair and reasonable. This ensured
that the Mastermind Alliance is continued without any
friction. In Sam’s words, “My style as always been to lay
off a lot of the day to day operating responsibilities to Folks
like Ferold Arend, and Ron Mayer in the early days, later on
to Jack Shewmaker, and eventually to David Glass and Don
Sodequist. So my role has been to pick good people and give them
the maximum authority and responsibility.”
• Definite time and place of the Mastermind
meetings:
Sam Walton is well known for his early Saturday
morning meetings with his team. In his words, “Not
many companies out there gather several hundred of their
executives, manager and associates together every Saturday
morning at 7:30 to talk about business.”
The Mahindra Group of Companies (Mahindra Rise)
The Mahindra Group has evolved dramatically in the last two
decades. One of the key reasons for its success story is the efforts
of Mr. Anand Mahindra to recognize the importance of having
a Mastermind Group to steer the corporates’ way to success.
10
Mastermind Alliance
At the helm of the group, there is a team of twenty-one

dynamic leaders including Mr. Anand Mahindra.
In the company’s own words,
“Mahindra’s leaders set the tone and lead the charge in our
aspiration to be one of the world’s fifty most admired global
brands by 2021. They direct our focus on technology and
innovation, chart our global expansion, and lay the markers for
our growth … Handpicked to contribute their formidable skills
to our collective purpose of enabling people everywhere to Rise,
our leadership’s depth and breadth has been designed to allow
us to reach for the skies – with our feet firmly on the ground.”
Jack Ma – Founder of alibaba.com
Jack Ma, the charismatic founder of the world’s largest B2B
portal alibaba.com, used to be an English teacher in Beijing.
He learned early on that despite the ignorance of the English
language, the Chinese are taking on the world. Also, the
emerging medium of the internet seemed to hold the potential
to take China to the world like nothing else could. Putting the
two together, Jack formed the ultimate Mastermind Alliance,
roping in eighteen friends who shared his vision. And thus was
born alibaba.com, in Jack’s apartment in Hangzhou.
Vikas Jain, Micromax Informatics, India’s Largest
Indian Handset Brand
Micromax is the 10th largest mobile phone player in the world.
Micromax is a brand which is close to the heart of the youth.
Its cofounder Vikas Jain was working for Telco for a few
years before heading to the US for a sponsored master’s degree.
GE, the sponsor, employed him in the design department,
but after finishing his degree, his penchant for the business
side of business made him restless. He returned to India and
11
went into business with his fellow alumni, which formed the
classic Mastermind Alliance consisting of Sumeet Kumar –
Director & Chief Technical Officer, who was his classmate
and Rahul Sharma – Executive Director, who was his
batch-mate. Further, Rajesh Agarwal, MD and Rahul Sharma
were his neighbors in the hostel. That is how the four of them
came together and formed the Mastermind Alliance which
resulted in the success story of Micromax.
Some other recent examples of Mastermind Alliance:
Sr. Member 1 Member 2 Success Story
No.
1 Hari Menon Abhinay Bigbasket
Choudhari
2 Nirmal Jain R. Venkataraman IIFL Holdings
3 Deep Kalra Rajesh Magow MakeMyTrip
4 Motilal Oswal Ramdeo Agrawal Motilal Oswal
Financial
Services
5 Ajay Bijli Sanjeev Bijli PVR
To conclude, the key to success of a Mastermind Alliance
is having perfect harmony among the members of the
Mastermind Alliance.
12
Mastermind Alliance
Action Plan: How to Form and Maintain a Mastermind

Alliance
1. Adopt a Definite Major Purpose as an objective, choosing
the right people to achieve the purpose. Make the selection
from people chosen for their ability to help you to get
to where you are going. List the things you need for the
attainment of your goal and systematically fill in the steps
with the proper persons who will help attain the objective.
2. Determine what appropriate benefit each member may
receive in return for cooperation in the alliance.
3. Establish a definite plan where the members of the
alliance will meet. Have a definite schedule and have an
arranged meeting place to discuss the plan. Have frequent
and regular contact. Irregularity will bring defeat.
4. The leader must shoulder the responsibility of the group
and see to it that harmony is maintained.
5. Be sure that your watchword is definiteness of purpose,
promptness of plan backed by continuous PERFECT
HARMONY.
6. The number of individuals in an alliance should be
governed entirely by the nature and magnitude of the
purpose to be achieved.
13
Famous Quotes:
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress;
working together is success.”
“You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful
place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream
a reality.”
–Walt Disney.
“Long term success is never achieved on our own. The
phrase ‘a self made man’ is a myth. All along the way, we need
support.”
– Issy Sharp, Founder of Four Seasons
Hotels & Resorts.
“No matter what accomplishment you make, somebody helps
you.”
– Althea Gibson, First black athlete to win a
Grand Slam Title.
“Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on
one another and of strength to be derived by unity.”
– Vincent Thomas Lombardi,
American football coach.
“A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson.
“Attract others who are able to help you achieve your goals.”
– Anonymous.
“Recognize the power of the team; no one succeeds alone.”
– Carley Fiorina, Former Chief Executive Officer of
Hewlett-Packard.
14
CHAPTER 3
Applied Faith
“I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it

for a minute.”
– Warren Buffett, Founder of Berkshire Hathaway,
and the 2nd richest man in the world.
Faith means having confidence, trust, and an absolute,
unwavering belief that you can do something. Applied Faith
is that belief in yourself, your abilities, your DMP, your goals
and your success that is translated into action. In order
for you to have Applied Faith in yourself, it has to be on a
subconscious level.
Faith is your awareness of, belief in, and harmonizing
with the universal powers.
This faith should be used to achieve or should be applied
to achieve your DMP, hence the terminology ‘Applied Faith.’
Faith is a state of mind. For it to be useful to you in
achieving lasting success, it must be an active not a passive
faith.
One of the key characteristics of Applied Faith is to keep
your mind on that which you want and off that which you
do not want.
One of the classic examples of the application of the

principle of Applied Faith is to study the important posts in
the time line of Abraham Lincoln. He has overcome all
the seven basic fears in his life. This has been possible
only by applying this principle.
Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat
throughout his life. He lost eight elections, failed twice in
business and suffered a nervous breakdown.
He could have quit many times, but he didn’t and because
he didn’t quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the
history of the United States.
Lincoln was a champion and he never gave up. Here is a
sketch of Lincoln’s road to the White House:
• 1816: His family was forced out of their home. He had
to work to support them.
• 1818: His mother died.
• 1831: Failed in business.
• 1832: Ran for state legislature and lost.
• 1832: Lost his job, wanted to go to law school but
couldn’t get in.
• 1833: Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a
business, and by the end of the year, he was bankrupt.
He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
• 1834: Ran for state legislature again and lost.
• 1835: Was engaged to be married. His sweetheart died
and his heart was broken.
• 1836: Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed
for six months.
• 1838: Sought to become speaker of the state legislature
and was defeated.
16
Applied Faith
• 1840: Sought to become elector and was defeated.

• 1843: Ran for Congress and lost.
• 1846: Ran for Congress again. This time he won and
he went to Washington and did a good job.
• 1848: Ran for re-election to Congress and lost.
• 1849: Sought the job of land officer in his home state
and got rejected.
• 1854: Ran for Senate of the United States and lost.
• 1856: Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his
party’s national convention and got less than a 100
votes.
• 1858: Ran for the U.S. Senate again and he lost again.
• 1860: Elected president of the United States!
In this example, you can see that Mr. Lincoln faced
challenges from all fronts at some time his life. He had to
overcome all the six basic fears.
• Challenges of bankruptcy (Fear of Poverty)
• Challenges in the business (Fear of Criticism)
• Challenges of Relationship (Fear of Loss of love)
• Challenges of Health (Fear of Ill Health)
• Challenges of not succeeding in Youth (Fear of Old
Age)
• Challenges of Succession (Fear of Death)
APPLICATION OF APPLIED FAITH

Jack Ma’s Advice to Budding Internet Entrepreneurs
Like the man himself, his advice too is simple, “Believe in your
dream and believe in yourself. Do it because you want to do it, not because
the investor wants you do it, not because other people want you to do
it. Don’t give up the dream. Do whatever you can to make sure you
17
are getting close to your dream every day. Find good people, get your
customers to love you and stick to that. Learn quickly, and lean from
others the tactics and the skills, but don’t change your dream. DON’T
CHANGE YOUR DREAM!”
Applied Faith – First Priority for Mary Kay Ash
Mary Kay Ash founded Mary Kay Cosmetics after her
retirement. Frustrated at being passed over for promotions in
favor of men, she retired in 1963, intending to write a book
to assist women in business. The book turned into a business
plan for her ideal company, and in September 1963, Ash and
her son, began Mary Kay Cosmetics with $5000 investment.
Her slogan – FAITH FIRST, FAMILY SECOND,
CAREER THIRD – expressed her insistence that the
women in her company keep their lives in balance. At the
time of Ash’s death, Mary Kay Cosmetics had over 800,000
representatives in over 37 countries, with total annual sales
over 2 billion US dollars!
Analjit Singh’s Faith in Newer Business Opportunities
Analjit Singh, Chairman and MD, of MAX India, is a
self-made entrepreneur with a penchant for recognizing
sound investment opportunities and a vision to reinvent and
restructure businesses with changing times.
His earliest success came in the form of investment in the
telecom sector in partnership with Hutchison Telecom back
in 1992. By the time he decided to divest stake in the venture,
it had become one of the largest and best-regarded franchises
in the country.
Mr. Singh followed this up with the faith to become a
one-stop destination for the country’s healthcare needs.
This, backed by the execution of his team, has resulted in
18
Applied Faith
Max emerging as one of the leading providers of healthcare

facilities and insurance products in the country today.
Mr. Qimat Rai Gupta, Chairman and MD of Havells
Mr. Gupta started his business selling electrical wires and
cables from a small shop in Delhi. He was just as enthusiastic
about his business as the day he started till his last breath. His
business mantra is, “If your mind can conceive it and your
heart can believe it, then you can do it.”
Having started at the age of twenty-one as an electrical
items trader in Delhi in 1958, Mr. Gupta acquired the Havells
brand name in 1971, which was formerly incorporated in
1983. As the business is growing internationally, the entire
management team looks up to him as a mentor.
Today, Havells is the 4th largest lighting company in
the world. It owns some prestigious global brands, among
them Crabtree, Concord and Luminance and has ninety-one
branches and representative offices with over 8000 employees
in fifty countries!
Tom Stemberg of Staples
Imagine a super market for Office Supplies – like all great
business ideas, this one makes you wonder why nobody had
ever thought of it before!
Starting with a single store in Brighton, Stemberg built
what today is a $16 billion company with more than 1500 retail
outlets, spawned three major copycat competitors and forever
changed the way people look at list prices of paper clips.
Stemberg had a lot of faith in his idea and thought very
differently than the competition, which copied the idea and
tried a lot to out-compete with him.
19
An interesting trivia about the company is how Tom

Stemberg thought about the name of the company and that
has been the key distinction between the competitions. In the
early day, he was driving between Hartford & Boston thinking
about names. Should the store be called ‘Pencils’ or ‘Pens’ or
‘8 ½ by 11’ or ‘Staples’?
Yes! Staples it is. Staples – The Office Superstore. That
was it. Although he faced lot of resistance from everybody
about the name as when the company started out, he had to
explain to everybody what company was all about.
On the other hand, Office Depot basically copied Home
Depot and put the word ‘office’ in front. It was a home depot
for office and it lived off the Home Depot name. Office Club
was a price club for the office and it lived off the Price Club
name.
However, those other names aren’t brands. Tom Stemberg’s
Staples definitely is. And that has made all the difference!
Applied Faith and the Birth of ATMs and Banking Will
Never Be the Same Again
In 1975, John Reed, CEO of Citibank was operating on
Applied Faith. He knew he was right, though he didn’t
know why. Fortunately, Reed’s boss was also a believer in
the possibilities that technology could bring to banking. So
in 1975, his boss agreed to sink an eye-popping $100 million
into Reed’s plan. Two years later, the bank went public with it.
Then, virtually overnight, Citibank dotted the Big Apple with
a network of more than 400 automatic teller machines.
No one knew if bank customers would forgo dealing
with a live teller. But John Reed’s boss was impatient to get
Citibank’s consumer business growing. The demand deposits
20
Applied Faith
in the city of New York had not grown in ten years. It was
perfectly clear that something had to be done.
The gamble paid off with a little help from above! In early
1979, New York City was walloped with more than three feet
of snow. Within three days, a commercial ran showing New
Yorkers trekking through the snow to Citibank ATMs. Thus
the catchphrase – ‘THE CITI NEVER SLEEPS’ – was
born. The use of the machines soared. By 1981, Citi’s share
of New York deposits had doubled. Rivals stopped snickering
about Citi’s ‘soulless machines’ and started to get with the
program. Today, of course, getting money in Paris from your
bank account in Portland seems as mundane as traffic lights.
But when you think about it, it’s just extraordinary. Machines,
everywhere, that give you money.
21
Actions Steps: 8 Step Plan to Develop Applied Faith

1. Know what you want and believe that you can and will
get it.
2. Express gratitude many times daily for having already
received what you want.
3. Keep your mind open for hunches, and when you are
inspired for action, move at once.
4. When defeat comes, accept it as nothing more than a
challenge to keep on trying.
5. Develop a burning desire as the starting point of Applied
Faith.
6. Believe in yourself and act, and keep on acting.
7. Whenever doubt creeps in, treat it for what it is, doubt.
Believe in your beliefs and doubt your doubts.
8. Start where you are with what you have, knowing that
what you have is plenty enough.
22
Applied Faith
Famous Quotes:
“In the journey of an entrepreneur, the most important thing
is self-belief and the ability to convert that belief into reality.”
– Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani, Reliance Industries.
“The secret is not to give up hope. It’s very hard not to because
if you’re really doing something worthwhile I think you will be
pushed to the brink of hopelessness before you come through
the other side.”
– George Lucas, Film Director of Epics, viz.
Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
“I have never dreamed about success. I worked for it.”
– Estee Lauder, Cosmetic Queen.
“Don’t quit at 65. Maybe your ship hasn’t come in yet. Mine
didn’t until I was 66.”
– Colonel Sanders- Founder of KFC.
“Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but
the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.”
– Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics.
“I don’t think anyone in business had a tougher time than I
had. My faith sustained me when we had internal problems
with franchises, when the media would write nasty things.”
– Tom Monaghan, Founder of Domino’s Pizza.
“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much
by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles
which one has overcome while trying to succeed.”
– Booker T Washington, American educator, author,
orator, and advisor to presidents of the United States.
23
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can
do.”
– John Wooden, American basketball
player and coach.
“Believe you are defeated, believe it long enough, and it is
likely to become a fact.”
– Norman Vincent Peale.
“The special secret of making dreams come true is summarized
in four C’s, curiosity, confidence, courage, constancy and the
greatest of these is confidence.”
– Anonymous.
“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this
faith is to see what you believe.”
– Saint Augustine (1354-1430), philosopher and
bishop
“Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with
the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”
– Henry Ward Beecher (1813-87),
American clergyman.
“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”
– Bertrand Russell, British philosopher, logician,
mathematician, historian, writer, social critic,
political activist and Nobel laureate.
“Do the thing we fear and death of fear is certain.”
24
Applied Faith
“Faith is kept alive in us, and gathers strength, more from

practice than from speculation.”
– Joseph Addison, English essayist, poet,
playwright, and politician.
“Faith is not a pill you take but a muscle you use. Faith is
when your hands and legs keep on working when you head
and others say it can’t be done.”
– Anonymous.
“Think like a man of action and act like a man of faith.”
– John Mason.
25
CHAPTER 4
Going The Extra Mile
Render more and better service that for which you are paid,
and sooner or later, you will receive compound interest upon
compound interest on your investment. It is inevitable that
every seed of useful service you sow will multiply itself and
come back to you in overwhelming abundance.
Going the extra mile is not the sort of principle that
can be put into practice in a few easy steps. Instead, it is a
state of mind that you must develop, so that it is a part of
everything you do. There is a subtle but powerful mental
attitude connected with it.
Going the Extra Mile – As Explained in the
Bhagvad Gita
Bhagvad Gita is considered one of the most holy books, not
only in India, but also in the entire world.
The Bhagavad Gita is the eternal message of spiritual
wisdom from ancient India. The word ‘Gita’ means song and
the word ‘Bhagavad’ means God, so the Bhagavad Gita is
called the ‘Song of God.’
It is very interesting how the principle of ‘Going the Extra
Mile’ is depicted in this book.
In this book, Krishna told Arjuna, “Do your duty without

thinking about the outcome.” This line in itself is perhaps
the best explanation. Krishna asked Arjuna to do what’s
necessary, right, and religiously correct.
You cannot be sure about the outcome and therefore must
not think about the consequences, when doing something
virtuous. You may or may not attain the objective at last, but
thinking repeatedly about the possible outcome will add
to confusion, make you weak, distracted, and increase
the chances for defeat.
Perhaps, Napoleon Hill understood the wisdom of this
ancient scripture while drafting this principle of ‘Going the
Extra Mile’ as one of the pre-requisites of success.
Nature’s Explanation of ‘Going the Extra Mile’ and Its
Benefits
Everybody knows that at 990C, water is hot. Very hot. And
we also know that at 1000C, water begins to boil, becomes
steam, and that steam is powerful enough to move a trainload
of people. Think about it, just one degree more, and hot water
becomes powerful enough to move a locomotive.
One degree means a lot. That little extra effort can mean
the difference between being a winner and an also-ran. The
difference between achieving your goals and missing them.
That is the power you have when you go the extra mile.
Successful people do all that is expected of them and then,
they do a little bit more.
You eliminate, you terminate, and you wipe out the
entire competition!
27
What made Jack Welch, ‘The Jack Welch’

An important principle that Jack Welch followed in the early
years of his career was going the extra mile.
In fact, in his first year, Welch worked extremely hard to
differentiate himself from the pack. When he was asked for
answers to questions, he would submit a detailed analytical
report and try to look at the reasoning behind the question
and address that. He would always give his bosses more than
was expected.
Zia Mody, Cofounder of AZB & Partners
In her own words, going the extra mile has been the key
differentiator in the success of AZB & Partners.
Zia Mody had a long, hard climb to the top of her male-
dominated profession. In her own words, “Be passionate
about what you do, as only your hard work and that extra bit
that you do will help you excel in life.”
The biggest challenge was to create space for herself in
the male-dominated profession in India. There were gender
biases and people were skeptical about a woman’s ability in
this profession. So her biggest challenge was to break the
skepticism of her clients, the solicitors, and to win their
confidence so that they would in turn convince their clients to
let her argue their cases.
According to her, the secret of her success is work coupled
with enjoyment. One cannot work hard beyond a point if one
does not enjoy it. Many people work hard, but for that extra
which brings you real success, you have to enjoy it.
You need to preserve the passion. For many young lawyers
today, it is a job. It pays well. It is nice to be in important high
value transactions, but you need to have passion to work late
28
at night, to read that extra judgment even when you are not
required to, and you need passion to read the latest law that
came yesterday. That passion is what will bring you success.
That is the formula.
Subhash Chandra Goel – Zee Group
Mr. Goel went the extra mile, when he launched the Zee
network in 1992 in a rather modest way. He offered customers
uninterrupted song and dance videos. In one stroke, he
impacted the lives of 7 million households, giving them the
entertainment they craved. It was just the beginning of an
amazing David-and-Goliath story were Chandra decisively
rewrote the rules of the game.
Yogi Deveshwar, CEO of ITC
Mr. Deveshwar went the extra mile when he launched the
e-Choupal program. It is a clever, two-way products and services
distribution channel that covers over 35,000 villages and 3.5
million farmers across various states. This made ITC the second
largest agriculture products exporter from India. The e-Choupal
program has already begun generating new employment
opportunities in villages. The idea is that farmers coming to sell
product at the e-Choupal can load their empty vehicles with
products from the store next door on their way home.
S. Ramodorai, Former CEO of TCS
Mr. Ramodorai mentions the utility of this principle in a very
subtle but precise manner – “If a person comes to you with a problem,
the easiest way is to say that I do not have time for you. The problem does
not disappear, the person disappears. But listening when the individual
comes to you with a worry, half the problem is solved because the person
feels that this organization cares. You may have your own worries, you
may have your own pressures, but the fact that you found the time to listen
is a very major trait and very few people understand these things.”
29
Action Steps: Test ‘Going the Extra Mile’ Principle in

These Three Easy Steps
1. Render some unexpected, useful service without expecting
compensation.
2. Render this service with a pleasing mental attitude.
3. Follow this practice for 7 days in secrecy.
30
Famous Quotes:
“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an
environment where excellence is expected.”
– Steve Jobs, Cofounder, Apple Inc.
“Some say Google is God. Others say Google is Satan. But if
they think Google is too powerful, remember that with search
engines, unlike other companies, all it takes is a single click to
go to another search engine.”
– Sergey Brin, Cofounder, Google.
“There are two types of companies: those that work to try to
charge more and those that work to charge less. We will be the
second.”
– Jeffrey Bezos, founder, chairman, and CEO of
Amazon.com
“Care more than others think wise. Dream more than others
think practical. Expect more than others think possible. Risk
more than others think safe.”
– Howard Schulz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks.
“A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one
worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.”
“The two most important words I ever wrote on that first
Walmart sign, ‘Satisfaction Guaranteed.’ They’re still up there,
and they have made all the difference.”
– Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart Stores and one
of the richest men in the world.
“Everybody likes something extra, for nothing.”
– William Wrigley, Founder of William Wrigley
Jr. Co., The father of chewing gum.
31
“Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can.”
– Lowell Thomas, American Writer, Broadcaster,
and Traveler, best known as the man who
made Lawrence of Arabia famous.
“Nothing is as hard as it looks; everything is more rewarding
than you expect; and if anything can go right, it will and at the
best possible moment.”
– Maxwell’s Law.
“The only certain means is to render more and better service
than is expected of you, no matter what your task maybe.”
– Og Mandino, Author of the best seller ‘The
Greatest Salesman in the World.’
“Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which
strike deepest in the gratefully and appreciating heart.”
– Henry Clay (1777-1852), American politician.
“The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets
painful is the man who will win.”
– Roger Bannister, ran the first
sub-four-minute mile.
“The last dejected effort becomes the winning stroke.”
– W. J. Cameron, journalist and public relations
representative of Henry Ford.
“Whatever your work is, dignify it with your best thought and
effort.”
– Esther Baldwin York.
32
“Success is not achieved by working until the whistle sounds

at the end of the day but by working even though the whistle
has sounded at the end of the day.”
– Roderick van Murchison.
“No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing
what is required of him; it is the amount and excellence of
what is over and above the required, that determines the
greatness of ultimate distinction.”
– Choles Kendal Adams.
“The only kind of luck that any man is justified in banking
on is hard work, which is made up of sacrifice, persistence of
effort, and dogged determination.”
– J. C. Penny.
33
CHAPTER 5
Pleasing Personality
Pleasing Personality is your trademark or your brand. It is

the aggregate of all the agreeable, gratifying and likable
qualities of any person that distinguish one from all others.
It is the factor that determines, whether one is liked or disliked
by others. Your personality is your greatest asset or liability.
It embraces everything you control: mind, body and soul.
Some characteristics of a pleasing personlity include: positive
mental attitude, flexibility, sincerity, prompt actions, courtesy,
tactfulness, pleasing tone of voice, smile, and tolerance.
Idolizing Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR)
Let us study the important personality characteristics of FDR:
Academics and historians consider Franklin D. Roosevelt
as one of the greatest American presidents, ranking him
alongside the likes of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln
and Thomas Jefferson.
Roosevelt, commonly known as FDR, had the leadership
skills to guide the US through the Great Depression of the
1930s and most of World War II.
He’s also the only president to serve more than two
consecutive terms in office – managing to secure a fourth
term before he died in 1945.
But what was it about his leadership style that made him
such an effective president?
FDR’s leadership skills:
Stanford University historian David Kennedy has
identified a number of characteristics that he feels made
FDR a strong president.
Curiosity
Kennedy claims that Roosevelt had a curious mind and
was always keen to learn more. The president was an excellent
communicator and learned much through conversations and
interactions with the outside world.
This thirst for knowledge and the ability to absorb
information made him a quick study, which helped him
become an authority on issues with speed and confidence.
Presentation skills
Early in his career, FDR was an imposing figure – standing
6-foot 2-inches tall – however he is probably best known for
his ‘fireside chats.’
Radio was a new-fangled technology during his time in
office, but the president used it to good effect and he became
one of the best orators of the 20th century.
Self-confidence
FDR was known to be extremely confident in his own
opinions and decisions.
It was this characteristic that led him to ignore his closest
advisors on major issues, including the involvement of the
USA in World War II.
Overcoming adversity
Not only was Roosevelt’s time in office marked by some of
the most eventful years in American history, he also had to
overcome significant personal adversity.
35
The president contracted polio in 1921 – 12 years before

he was elected as president – which left him paralyzed from
the waist down.
Despite this, FDR refused to be seen in public in a
wheelchair, instead using a combination of canes and
mechanical braces to stand upright and even walk short
distances.
These are just some of the characteristics and attributes
shown by FDR while he was in office, and all of them can be
equally as effective in the business world.
The characteristics of FDR’s pleasing personality have
played a significant role in his success and popularity. In
fact, the United States Presidency Center voted him the best
American president overall in 2011.
Pleasing Personality Characteristics of Sajjan Jindal
Sajjan Jindal is a bold and courageous leader who “leads from
the front, leads by example, and stands like a rock in the face
of calamities.”
Not only is he a business leader and an entrepreneur,
Jindal also demonstrates tremendous people-centric leadership
qualities like radiating positive energy, high credibility,
role modeling, reliability and dependability, honesty and
transparency along with empowering and supportive attitude.
Sajjan Jindal is a warm hearted, generous, highly
optimistic and patriotic person with a never-say-die attitude,
demonstrating a relentless struggle and perseverance to
achieve the goal. He has a natural flair to reach out to people
and connect with them.
He was named the Entrepreneur of the Year by E&Y in
2009.
36
Pleasing personality characteristics of David Ogilvy

Founder of Ogilvy & Mather, part of the WPP group, one of
the largest marketing and communications companies in the
world by revenue, David Ogilvy was known for his pleasing
personality. He not only emphasized this feature for himself
but also for all his employees and staff.
Some of the key points, which he admires in his
subordinates, are as follows:
i. He admires people who work hard, who bite the
bullet. He dislikes people who don’t pull their weight
in the boat. This is because he believes that there is an
economic factor built into hard work. The harder you
work, the luckier you get.
ii. He believes that brains need to be combined with
intellectual honesty.
iii. He admires people who work with gusto. If you don’t
enjoy what you are doing, find another job. Remember
the Scottish proverb, “Be happy while you are living,
for you are all dead in the long term.”
iv. He admires self-confident professionals, the craftsmen
who do their jobs with superlative excellence. They
always seem to respect the expertise of their colleagues.
v. He admires people with gentle manners who treat
other people as human beings. He abhors quarrelsome
people. He abhors people who wage paper-warfare.
The best way to keep the peace is to be candid.
vi. He admires well-organized people who deliver their
work on time. The Duke of Wellington never went
home until he had finished all the work on his desk.
Similarly, he wants certain key characteristics in his
pleasing personality as follows:
37
i. He tries to be fair and to be firm, to make unpopular

decisions without cowardice, to create an atmosphere
of stability, and to listen more than he talks.
ii. He tries to sustain the momentum of the agency, its
ferment, its vitality, its forward thrust.
iii. He tries to build the agency by landing new accounts.
iv. He tries to win the confidence of clients at their highest
levels.
v. He plans his policies far in the future.
vi. He tries to get the best out of every man and woman
in the agency.
38
Action Steps
Rate yourself fairly and honestly on the following list of
personality traits. Then, during the coming weeks, months
and years, keep coming back to it, retesting and checking up
on yourself to make sure that you are staying ‘on the success
beam.’
Have someone who knows you well check over your
ratings because it is very difficult for anyone to fully recognize
their own faults. Most people are inclined to overrate their
merits. If you are in the business of selling or dealing with
the public, you should give yourself a re-check rating on these
personality traits once a month. Always give yourself a careful
examination on all ratings of C & D, as these traits indicate the
areas in which you should work on improving yourself.
A+ Perfect (very rare)
A Good (above average)
B Fair (average)
C Poor (below average)
D Unsatisfactory
Traits Grade
1. Positive mental attitude __________
2. Flexibility __________
3. Sincerity of purpose __________
4. Promptness of decision __________
5. Courtesy on all occasions __________
6. Tactfulness in speech __________
7. A pleasant tone of voice __________
8. The habit of smiling when speaking __________
9. A pleasant facial expression __________
39
10. Tolerance with all people __________

11. Frankness of manner & speech __________
12. A keen sense of humor __________
13. Faith in infinite intelligence __________
14. A keen sense of justice __________
15. The appropriate use of words __________
16. Effective speech __________
17. Control of emotional feelings __________
18. Alertness of interest __________
19. Versatility in general __________
20. A fondness for people __________
21. Control of temper at will __________
22. Hope & ambition for success __________
23. Temperance in all habits __________
24. Humility of the heart __________
25. Appropriateness of clothing __________
26. Patience __________
27. Effective showmanship __________
28. Clean sportsmanship __________
29. The ability to shake hands gracefully __________
30. Personal magnetism __________
40
Famous Quotes:
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming
more interested in other people, than you can in two years by
trying to get people interested in you.”
– Dale Carnegies’ timeless advice
on Pleasing Personality.
“My philosophy is: to be always pleasant, always patient, always
on time, and never to argue.”
– William Wrigley, Founder of William Wrigley
Jr. Co., the father of chewing gum.
“Sandwich every bit of criticism between two thick layers of
praise. Criticize the act, not the person.”
– Mary Kay Ash, Founder, Mary Kay Cosmetics.
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the
shadow.”
– Helen Keller.
“I don’t know what your destiny will be. But one thing I know:
the only one among you who will be really happy are those
who will have sought and found how to serve.”
– Dr. Albert Schweitzer .
“A smile is a silent laugh.
A grin is a smile to yourself that shows.
A chuckle is a small laugh,
Sometimes real, sometimes not.
A snicker is a wicked chuckle.
A chortle is an old-time,
Deep-down laugh.
41
And a laugh is the music of happiness.”

– Unknown.
“Pleasure lies in being, not becoming.”
– St. Thomas Aquinas, Italian Dominican, Catholic
priest, and Doctor of the Church.
“The most important single ingredient in the formula of
success is knowing how to get along with people.”
– Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919),
the 26th U.S. President.
“One of the most effectual ways of pleasing and of making
one’s self-loved is to be cheerful; joy softens more hearts than
tears do.”
– Mme. De Sartory.
“Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts
and right efforts will inevitably bring right result.”
– James Lane Allen
“Most people would rather be certain they’re miserable, than
risk being happy.”
– Robert Newton Anthony, American organizational
theorist, and professor of management control at
Harvard Business.
“Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone.”
– Anthony Burgess- English writer and composer.
“Men have yet to learn the value of human personality.
Race, color, religion and sex are not important, it is human
personality that should come first”
– John R. Van Sickle.
42
“An appealing personality is not like cosmetics used on the

face. It is expressed through the body, the mind, the heart and
the spirit.”
– Edith Johnson
43
CHAPTER 6
Positive Mental Attitude
Positive Mental Attitude is defined as the right or correct

mental attitude in all circumstances. Keep your mind
on the things you want and off the things you don’t
want. A positive mental attitude is the single most important
principle of the science of success. You will depend upon it in
everything you do. You cannot get the maximum benefit out
of the other seventeen principles without understanding and
employing PMA.
Obstacles to Maintaining a PMA and How Maintaining
PMA Could Improve the Situation.
1. Work/Career: Experience of Milo C. Jones
Jones was stricken with extensive paralysis and
confined to his bed. He was barely able to move his body
– a huge obstacle to maintain a PMA.
But Jones maintained PMA and was clear that he was
a mind with a body. He chose to go into action. He
revealed a business plan to the members of his family, of
using every tillable acre of their farm in corn, raised pigs
and converted them into sausages. Milo C. Jones lived to
see himself a millionaire.
2. Education: Classic Example of Helen Keller

Handicaps are no barrier to education & happiness: Born
deaf, mute and blind, deprived of knowledge of normal
communication, Helen Keller had only her sense of
touch.
Through the aid of a devoted and brilliant teacher, she
overcame the obstacle of education. In her own words,
Helen Keller says, “The joy of surmounting obstacles
which once seemed irremovable and pushing the frontier
of accomplishment further—what joy is there like unto it?”
3. Personal Life/Family: Louise Hay
The world famous personality had a very difficult early
personal and family life. In fact, her own personal
philosophy was forged from her tormented upbringing.
Her childhood was unstable and impoverished, and
her teen years were marked by abuse. Louise ran away
from home and ended up in New York City, where she
became a model and married a prosperous businessman.
Although it appeared that her life had turned around, it
was not until the marriage ended 14 years later that her
healing really began.
Persistence and PMA in the Words of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill once visited a school, where the kids asked
him what he thought was the secret of success in life. His
reply, ‘Just seven words…’ then after the classic Churchill
pause, “Never give up. Never, never give up!”
PMA of Herb Kelleher, CEO of Southwest Airlines,
Battling Cancer
In 1999, while still Southwest’s CEO, Kelleher battle prostate
cancer. He dealt with it in what some said was typical Kelleher
45
fashion. He enjoyed meeting the people at the University

of Texas, Cancer Centre, where he received daily doses of
radiation. He would go right back to his office after each
treatment. Kelleher tried to stay light-hearted and humorous.
He recounted his attitude toward retirement. He would tease
the nurses, “I would like to ask you why, if this is so good
for me, all of you run out of the room before you turn the
machine on. Don’t you want to share the benefits?”
This senses of humor and Positive Mental Attitude is the
hallmark of great successful people following Napoleon Hill’s
success principles.
Stellar Resilience of Sajjan Jindal
Sajjan Jindal is a tough person with enormous resilience
to bounce back from difficult situations. Although, the
threat of insolvency was looming large, it was Sajjan
Jindal’s toughness, PMA, refusal to give up, along with his
cool-minded pragmatism, which stopped him from breaking
down and accepting failure. According to his wife, he was very
badly affected by the all round lack of confidence and support,
but was soon able to come out of the mode of despair because
of his steely resolve.
“He is a very, very brave person, knows how to keep
smiling through difficulties,” said one of his close team
members. “He is aggressive to the core and does not buckle
under pressure.”
Sajjan Jindal is fearless, a challenge seeker. Bold and
daring, he is a man of strong determination once he makes
up his mind to do something. In fact, he loves to do what
others dare not do. Even in the toughest situations, he does
not lose confidence, and this confidence is infectious and
creates a winning spirit in the entire organization. He always
looks at the positive side of things, and when things are down,
46
he looks for the opportunities in the problems. When the steel

industry was down, yet all decisions regarding expansion at
Vijaynagar were made in this period without any compromise.
PMA of Henry J. Kaiser
Mr. Kaiser was an American industrialist who became known as
the father of modern American shipbuilding. He established the
Kaiser Shipyards, which built Liberty ships during World War II,
after which he formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel.
His tenets to keep a PMA were as follows:
• Use the great powers that you can tap through faith
in god and the hidden energies of your soul and
subconscious mind.
• There is, in every human being, a reservoir of
inspiration and intuitions – the source from which
spring the emotions and the driving force for good.
• To keep PMA, Kaizer adopted Oh What a Beautiful
Morning as his number one theme song.
47
Action Steps:12 Steps to Develop a PMA

1. Definite Major Purpose
2. The Silent Hour habit
3. Harmony within yourself
4. Sound physical health
5. Mastery of worries
6. The habit of looking for good in others
7. Control of your dominating thoughts
8. Control of your tongue
9. The habit of smiling while speaking
10. The habit of controlling your emotions
11. Hero worship
12. The habit of going the extra mile
48
Famous Quotes:
“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive
push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do
it’ when things are tough.”
– Richard Devos, American businessman,
Cofounder of Amway.
“I’ve always been very hopeful which I guess isn’t strange
coming from me. I don’t want to call myself an optimist. I want
to say that I’ve always been full of hope. I’ve never lost that. I
have a lot of hope for this country and for the entire world.”
– Steven Spielberg, American Director,
Producer, Screenwriter, and Editor, the highest grossing
filmmaker of all time.
“The greatest discovery of all time is to live the life of your
dreams.”
– American media proprietor, talk show host,
actress, producer, and philanthropist.
“I was 52 years old. I had diabetes and incipient arthritis. I had
lost my gall bladder and most of my thyroid gland, but I was
convinced that the best was ahead of me.”
– Ray Kroc, McDonalds.
“Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind,
the stronger the trees.”
– J. Willard Marriott, Founder of Marriott Hotels.
“Be relentless. Battles are not won in a day. Costs are not
slashed in a day. Have the energy to fight the important battles
over and over and over.”
– Jamie Demon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase & Co.
49
“The greatest problem we face today is negativity. Eliminate

the negative attitude and believe you can do anything. Replace
‘if I can, I hope, maybe’ with ‘I can, I will, I must’ .”
– Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics.
“All our dreams come true, if we have the courage to pursue
them.”
– Walt Disney.
“Your attitude determines your attention. Your action
determines your accomplishment.”
– John C Maxwell.
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude
from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man
with wrong metal attitude.”
– W.W. Ziege.
“Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts
and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results.”
– James Allen, American Novelist.
“A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles
than any wonder drug.”
– Patricia Neal.
“A man is not old, until regret takes the place of dreams.”
– John Barrymore.
“Man needs, for his happiness, not only the enjoyment of this
or that, but hope and enterprise and change.”
– Bertrand Russell.
50
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it,
change your attitude. Don’t complain.”
– Maya Angelou.
“With good attitude, we can turn negative experiences into
positive lessons.”
– Charles Luce.
“Stop thinking in terms of limitation and start thinking in
terms of possibilities.”
– Terry Joseph.
“We think what we get, we reap what we sow. It is impossible
to sow corn and get a crop of wheat, we entirely disregard this
law when it comes to mental sowing.”
– Orison Swett Marden.
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CHAPTER 7
Personal Initiative
Personal Initiative is the power that starts all action. It is the

power that inspires the completion of that which one begins.
It is the self-starting quality that inspires action and focuses
upon the achievement of your DMP.
No person is free until he learns to do his own thinking
and gains the courage to act on his own Personal Initiative. It
is also known as the twin brother of ‘Going the Extra Mile.’
Personal Initiative – Age Old Wisdom from the
18th Century
Allow me to put forward this frequently quoted passage in all
of the literature on self-improvement. It is arguably the best
and the most precise way to understand the significance and
importance of this 7th Principle of Success
LOSE THIS DAY LOITERING
Lose this day loitering-‘twill be the same story
To-morrow—and the next more dilatory;
Each indecision brings its own delays,
And days are lost lamenting o’er lost days.
Are you in earnest? seize this very minute –
Personal Initiative
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Only engage, and then the mind grows heated –
Begin it, and then the work will be completed!
Faust, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749 –1832)
I act on this powerful advice written by a man who filled
his 82 years with greatness in many fields of endeavor.
I like the old saying that you don’t have to be great to
get started but you have to get started to be great. You can
have the most fabulous ideas, some great plans, and the intent
may never be in doubt. But all that is worth nothing, if you
don’t get started. We often hesitate to get started waiting
for everything to be in place. But remember that everything
seldom falls into place!
Do that and see the difference life will begin to make a lot
more sense.
Do not think about finishing a project or about how
overwhelming the task may seem. Do nothing more than
begin, by seizing the minute. Whether it is writing a letter
or making a telephone call, why don’t you stop reading this
and seize this very minute. Do nothing but begin it. What you
will discover is Goethe’s meaning of ‘boldness has genius,
power and magic in it.’
Personal Initiative and Decision Making of Lee Iacocca
Among the most widely recognized businessmen in the world,
Lee Iacocca, former president of both Ford Motor Company
and Chrysler Corporation, guaranteed his place among
America’s greatest businessmen with his orchestration of the
remarkable turnaround of Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s.
According to Iacocca, one of the key ingredients for his
success is taking the Personal Initiative and being decisive.
53
You take the information you have at hand, and you make
a decision. He strongly believes that managers need to do this
by themselves, after receiving input.
Managers need to be decision makers as well as motivators.
One of the most important things to remember in business, he
says, is that every problem can be structured and reduced to a
case study if you want to stay ahead of the competition in today’s
global market place. In corporate life there are always people
who feel they need additional research, but after a certain point
when most of the relevant facts are in, the decision must be
made. A certain amount of risk-taking is necessary. Businesses
don’t have the luxury of slow decision-making today.
Personal Initiative of Sunil Mittal
When the government failed to announce subsidy, Sunil Mittal
moved ahead anyway, expanding his telecom network in the
rural sector. While the other players waited for the subsidy,
they got the first mover advantage pan India and that has
made a big difference in the fortunes of Airtel.
Personal Initiative of A. M. Naik, L&T
A technocrat by training who joined as a junior engineer in
1965, Naik rose through the ranks to become the MD & CEO,
and then the chairman in 2003. With an engaging mind, Naik
embarked on a well crafted strategy that involved market entry
and diversification, along with mergers and acquisitions and
even takeovers.
Today L&T is synonymous with brand India in carrying
out complex engineering, electrical, project management and
consulting projects around the world.
It is no surprise that he was decorated with the highest
civilian honor, the Padma Bhushan, in 2009 for his achievement
54
Personal Initiative
in creating one of India’s very own MNCs. He is also on the

board of IIM Ahmedabad.
It requires personal initiative of the highest level to
understand and manage sixty odd diverse businesses and A.
M. Naik has shown tremendous personal initiative to do so.
People give examples of his initial lack of command over
English, his tendency to observe people and learn something
from each of them, asking for feedback, to benchmark himself.
He is a ceaseless learner.
One of the prominent examples of his initiatives can be
seen in the way Naik steered the infotech business, mastering
the intricacies of a new technology, a tough job at age of 59
years. Today he can discuss infotech with the depth and ease of
an expert. He has worked hard and developed understanding
of each of the L&T businesses.
He has an elephantine memory. He is described as a super
computer, a hard disk and a camera. Most of the time, he does
not need to check the cell phone to get a number. His super
memory helps him in good networking. He keeps relationship
even after 30-40 years. Even if he goes on the shop floor, there
are 100 workers who he knows by name. His memory is a
matter of discussion at various parties within L&T and people
speak about it with deep awe. He will tell you what happened
chronologically, year by year, not referring to any paper.
This amazing memory was developed by his personal
initiative and interest to do, as admitted personally by Mr. Naik.
Personal Initiative by the Founders of Emami Group
R. S. Agarwal & R. S. Goenka have shown a lot of personal
initiatives in the success story of Emami Group.
55
Even when Emami was a small company, they put in place

best-in-class systems and processes, which ensured that the
company could quickly withdraw weak products or businesses.
Hence, they have never suffered a major setback. They have
developed well-defined rules for their family members to
handle the management structure effectively. They have
shown exceptional marketing acumen, consistently delivering
innovations and creating new categories based on unique
consumer insights and differentiated positioning. They created
completely new segments such as cooling oils, and challenged
established brands in many segments. They were also the first to
use product placement in movies – a first for an FMCG company.
Personal Initiative by K. V. Kamth at ICICI, Leading by
Example
In 1996-97, ICICI had this situation where youngsters would
come and atrophy within a year. They were a small group of
twenty, all from the top 10 % of the four major B-schools.
One day, he asked one of these youngsters to mail merge
twenty-five letters. Two days later, he asked what happened to
those letters. He made some excuse. He went back to his desk
and he did the mail merge, printed out the letters, signed them
and left them on his table in 20 minutes.
His colleague, Nachiket Mor, threw up his hands in
frustration. His question was, “What has changed these
youngsters?” They were bright and bubbly, top-of-the-class
people. Yet, within six to eight months of working, they had
atrophied and lost their motivation.
Mr. Kamath and all his team members had a strong
bias for action. If they saw an opportunity, they didn’t
hesitate. Take technology, unexplored technology. They
believed that the Indian customer was prepared to look at
56
Personal Initiative
technology. So they said, “Let’s put in the ATMs, internet

banking and a call center – the key technology channels.
They have the ability to read what will happen a little
faster than the competition.” Due this quality of Personal
Initiative, they stepped ahead of the competition and were
able to seize market share.
He sums it very nicely by saying, “You cannot have a third
generation strategy with a second generation organization run
by first generation workers.”
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Action Steps: Try to Develop As Many As of These 24

Major Attributes of Personal Initiative
1. The adoption of a Definite Major Purpose
2. The motivation to act continuously in pursuit of that
purpose
3. A Mastermind Alliance to acquire the power to attain that
purpose
4. Self-reliance
5. Self-discipline
6. Persistence, based upon the will to win
7. Well-developed imagination, controlled and directed
8. The habit of prompt, definite decision making
9. The habit of basing opinions on known facts, not
guesswork
10. The habit of going the extra mile
11. The capacity to generate enthusiasm at will and control it
12. A well-developed sense of details
13. The capacity to listen to criticism without resentment
14. Familiarity with the ten basic human motives
15. The capacity to concentrate attention on one task at a time
16. Assuming full responsibility for one’s own actions
17. Willingness to accept full responsibility for the mistakes
of subordinates
18. Patience with subordinates and associates
19. Recognizing the merits and abilities of others
20. A positive mental attitude at all times
58
Personal Initiative
21. The capacity for Applied Faith

22. The habit of following through
23. The habit of emphasizing thoroughness instead of speed
24. Dependability
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Famous Quotes:
“When we decide to do something, we do it quickly.”
– Carlos Slim Helu, Mexican business magnate
and one of the richest men in the world.
“Do something. Either lead, follow or get out of the way.”
– Ted Turner, Media Mogul.
“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people
keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”
– Conrad Hilton, Founder of Hilton Hotels.
“Nobody can think straight who does not work. Idleness
warps the mind.”
“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across,
your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”
– Lee Iacocca, former Chairman
of Chrysler Corporation.
“There is no such thing as standing still. You cannot stay in
one place: you either go forward or go backward. Develop
your initiative. Do something no one else has done.”
– Thomas Watson, Founder of IBM.
“The way to get started is to quit talking and began doing.”
– Walt Disney.
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
– Mahatma Gandhi.
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Personal Initiative
“You can have everything you want if you help enough other
people get what they want.”
– Zig Ziglar.
“The only man who never makes a mistake is the man how
never does anything.”
– Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919).
“Either you run the day or the day runs you.”
– Jim Rohn.
“What really distinguishes this generation in all countries from
earlier generation is its determination to act, its job in action, the
assurance of being able to change things by one’s own efforts.”
– Hannah Arendt.
“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who
have the habit of making excuses.”
– George Washington.
“A desire to be in charge of our own lives, a need of control,
is born in each of us. It is essential to our mental health, and
our success, that we take control.”
– Robert F. Bennett.
“Initiative consists of doing the right thing without being
told.”
– Irving Mack.
“Initiative is to success what a lighted match is to a candle.”
– Orlando S. Battista.
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CHAPTER 8
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm comes from the Greek words ‘en’ which means

‘in’ and ‘Theos’ which means ‘God.’ The Greek root of
enthusiasm means ‘in god.’ Enthusiasm comes from within,
although it radiates outwardly in the expression of one’s voice
and countenance. Enthusiasm is the utilization of god within
you and the ability to tap this great inner source of intelligence.
Enthusiasm is no more and no less than faith in action.
It can also be defined as an inspired feeling. It is a feeling
which is hard to stop. It cannot be turned on or off at will, but
it can be under your control. This enthusiasm will carry you
past virtually any obstacle that you might encounter. With it,
you can virtually accomplish the impossible.
The most important functions of enthusiasm are:
1. It serves as a major factor in converting your negative
emotions into positive emotions.
2. It prepares your mind for the development and
expression of faith.
Enthusiasm is power, for it is the instrument by which
adversities, failures and temporary defeat may be transmuted
into action backed by faith.
Enthusiasm
Prime Minister of India – Mr. Modi: Personifying

Controlled Enthusiasm
If there is any one Prime Minister from India, who has
impacted the country in such a short span of time, it is Narendra
Modi. The person who used to serve tea to the people as a
kid has done remarkably well to become the Prime Minster of
India. Modi aims for a corruption-free government and calls
himself as a prime servant than a prime minister!
There are numerous results of this person’s enthusiasm
in today’s world. The significant ones are as follows:
1. Make in India: Modi has reached out to the world
with his idea of ‘Make in India’ and it has generated
positive response from foreign companies.
2. Clean India Campaign: Filth is considered one of the
major problems in India and Modi gave the issue its due
importance by launching a nationwide campaign. Many
called it a masterstroke from Modi as it put him at par
with Mahatma Gandhi in public perception and also gave
people the message to act on hygiene and civic sense.
3. Economic Reforms & Policy Implementation:
Modi-led NDA government’s primary focus is on
reviving Indian economy through major reforms in
the manufacturing and export sector. Government
has not only increased the limits of FDI in Railways,
Insurance and Defense but also encouraged
privatization of loss-making public sector
companies. Major reforms and developments are
under process for Modi’s dream projects: 100 Smart
Cities and Clean Ganga Mission.
4. International Yoga Day: 21st June, every year: While
addressing the United Nations, the Honorable Prime
63
Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi urged the world

community to adopt an International Day of Yoga.
Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition.
Thereafter, since 2015, on 21st June, the whole world
celebrates International Yoga Day.
Even at the age of 64, the enthusiasm with which
Narendra Modi lives his life is commendable. Be it playing
drums on his recent visit to Japan or answering questions of
various Indian students on Teacher’s Day, he has never left his
enthusiastic persona.
Enthusiasm & Howard Schulz, CEO of Starbucks
In September 1982, Mr. Howard Schulz tirelessly pursued
the owners of Starbucks to hire him and he joined Starbucks
heading up marketing and overseeing the retails stores. He
spent nearly all of his waking hours at the company, working
behind the counters, tasting different coffees, and learning
about all aspects of the coffee business from beans to roasting
to retail.
Once in 1983, while attending an international event in
Milan, Schultz stopped into an espresso bar. He spent time
going from one espresso bar to another; there were 1500 of
them in Milan alone, and all of them were packed. Schulz
learned that they not only served excellent espresso, they
also served as meeting places or public squares. He returned
to Seattle with the idea that recreating this experience could
lead Starbucks in new direction. He saw that in addition to
providing superior coffee, like the espresso bars in Italy,
Starbucks could provide a place for people to gather!
This simple idea was germinated in his mind due to his
endless enthusiasm with which he was able to personally visit
all the 1500 coffee shops in Milan.
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Enthusiasm
With his enthusiasm, Howard Schulz took a small three-

store coffee company and grew a business that became the
largest specialty coffee retailer in the world, and succeeded
at the same time in creating a culture concerned for its
employees, customers and the global environment. With
over 11000 locations, 40 million customers a week, 115,000
employees and annual net revenues over $6.4 billion, Starbucks
has fundamentally changed the way people around the world
consume coffee.
Sales have climbed an average of 20% a year since the
company went public, even though Starbucks uses virtually no
marketing, spending just one percent of its annual revenues
on advertising. Starbucks has stores around the United States,
Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and
Africa, and was named one of Fortune’s top ten most admired
companies.
Sajjan Jindal’s Enthusiasm
The controlled enthusiasm of Sajjan Jindal is demonstrated in
various incidents. Sajjan Jindal is in the habit of continuously
raising the bar of performance and crunching time deadlines.
He has visited all great plants of the world. He keeps his focus
on emerging global business trends, enabling him to keep
track of the latest developments in the business they are in. He
is a great learner, and has an alert antenna and he extensively
and regularly interacts with people to understand what is
happening in the organization. He is known to communicate
with people at all levels to get feedback especially from the
shop floor levels.
Raising the bar of expectations and good performance is
hardwired in him, which is possible only due to his enthusiasm.
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Enthusiasm Levels of Anil Agarwal, Chairman of

Vendata Group
Anil Aggarwal’s enthusiasm levels have no limits as his
relentless focus on his vision to make his company one of
the top 5 energy resources companies in the world takes
shape despite all the hurdles, obstacles and challenges. The
journey of the son of a metal dealer, rising from nothing to
building one of the world’s largest diversified energy resource
companies, has been a difficult and an inspiring one.
Anil came to Mumbai in 1975, and in 20 years, he has
rising from virtually nothing to heading a world-class
non-ferrous metals major. His journey started with the setting
up of Sterlite Industries in 1986. For sheer audacity, Agarwal
would have few equals: His Rs. 5.5 billion bid for BALCO was
twice as much as the next bid, and that too when Sterlite did
not even have Rs. 200 million in the bank. Risky as it might
have seemed then, but time has vindicated him – each of his
businesses have grown multifold in value.
This achiever’s story is all the more remarkable for a
man who left school at 15 without knowing a single word of
English. For all his achievements, Agarwal remains true to
his roots, having recently pledged US $1 billion to set up a
world-class university in Orissa. Not bad for a scrap-dealing
kid from Bihar.
Some More Classic Examples
Sir Christopher Wren, the famed architect who built fifty-two
churches in London, retired from public life at 86. After that,
he spent 5 years in literary, astronomical and religious pursuits.
Cata, studied Greek at 80, and Plutarch almost as old, Latin.
Titian painted a masterpiece at 98.Verdi wrote his great opera
Otello at 74 and Falstaff at 80.
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Enthusiasm
It is only enthusiasm that makes these people keep going

on. After working long and hard to accumulate his $50, Frank
Woolworth saw three of his five chain stores fail.
The Saturday Evening Post lost $8, 00,000 for Cyrus H.
K. Curtis before a single dollar of profit came in.
27 million dollars and 11 years of work were behind
the first pound of Nylon sold by DuPont.
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Action Steps: The Super Three Enthusiasm Boosters

1. To be enthusiastic, act enthusiastically
2. Keep an enthusiasm log
3. Complete a can-do task
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Enthusiasm
Famous Quotes:
“We’ve shown the world that New York can never be defeated,
because of its dynamic and diverse population and because
it embodies the spirit of enterprise and the love of liberty.
… We will go forward … we will never go back. … We will
rebuild, renew and remain the capital of the free world.”
– Michael Bloomberg American business magnate,
politician, philanthropist and former
mayor of New York City.
“I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among men the
greatest asset I possess. The way to develop the best that is in
a man is by appreciation and encouragement.”
– Charles Schwab, American businessman, investor
and the Founder of the Charles Schwab Corporation.
“Passion has energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing
on what excites you.”
– Oprah Winfrey, American media proprietor, talk
show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist.
“You have to have a great tolerance for pain! You have to work
so hard and have so much enthusiasm for one thing that most
other things in your life have to be sacrificed.”
– Howard Schulz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks.
“Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the
stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your
gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and
energy to execute your ideas.”
– Henry Ford- Founder of Ford Motor Company.
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“Celebrate your success. Find some humor in your failures.

Have fun. Show enthusiasm-always. When all else fails, put
on a costume and sing a silly song. Then make everybody else
sing with you.”
– Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart Stores.
“A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go farther
than a great idea that inspires no one.”
– Mary Kay Ash- Founder- Mary Kay Cosmetics.
“Football games are generally won by the boys with the
greatest desire.”
– Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant.
“Aim for the highest.”
– Andrew Carnegie.
“He who possesses the source of enthusiasm will achieve
great things.”
– I Ching.
“Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles
the soul.”
– Samuel Ullman.
“A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further
than a great idea that inspires no one.”
– Mary Kay Ash.
“Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence,
is the quality that most frequently makes for success.”
– Dale Carnegie.
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Enthusiasm
“The longer I live, the more I am certain that the great

difference between the great and the insignificant, is energy—
invincible determination—a purpose once fixed, and then
death or victory.”
– Sir Thomas Bowell Buxton.
“Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the world. It beats money
and power and influence. It is no more or less than faith in
action.”
– Henry Chester.
“There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference
between mediocrity and accomplishment.”
– Norman Vincent Peale.
“The worst bankrupt in the world is the man who lost his
enthusiasm. Let a man lose everything else in the world but his
enthusiasm and he will come through again to success.”
– H.W. Arnold.
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CHAPTER 9
Self-Discipline
Self-Discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts and

your emotions. Self-Discipline causes you to think first and act
afterward. The highest form of Self-Discipline is to achieve
and maintain a proper balance between the faculties of reason
and emotion.
It is very clear that the dominant consciousness on the
planet is based in negativity and fear. This makes it supremely
important that you discipline your mind. This is where Self-
Discipline comes in. If you can’t direct your mind to your
Definite Major Purpose, it will become subject to the whims
of the mass consciousness.
Self-Discipline entails the complete mastery of both your
thought habits and your physical habits. When you have gained
control over your thought habits, control over your physical
habits will be almost automatic, and you will be well on the
road to the attainment of complete Self-Discipline.
Self-Discipline – An Integral Part of Following Religion
In giving examples of three individuals who practiced self-
discipline, I have concentrated on our religious side and the
impact and difference these individuals have created to the
entire world for centuries.
Self-Discipline
I take the support of the three big religions in the world

and their founders who showed exceptional self-discipline
in controlling their thoughts, controlling their emotions
and ordaining their destiny.
1. Jesus Christ and Christianity:
Jesus Christ is the central figure of Christianity and
one of the most influential figures in the development
of western society.
Following his baptism, Jesus spent 40 days in the
desert where he was tempted by the Devil. However,
he passed the test and refused any temptations
of wealth or worldly gain. A key characteristic of
Jesus’ teachings are an emphasis on forgiveness and
unconditional love there by again showing the
importance of control on emotions.
2. Gautam Buddha and Buddhism:
Buddha was born approximately in 400 BC in the area
now known as Nepal. He was brought up in a palace
with all the comforts and luxuries possible, but when
he came across, death, old age, illness and suffering, it
showed him the transitory nature of life, which had
a great impact on him. As a consequence, Siddhartha
resolved to seek a deeper meaning of life.
For several days, he sat in meditation seeking nirvana.
He was tested by various forces which tried to
prevent him realizing the goal. However due to
self-discipline and control over his senses, Buddha
was successful and entered into the blissful
consciousness of nirvana for several days.
3. Prophet Muhammad and Islam:
Prophet Muhammad (570-632) is the founder of
Islam and an important religious, political and military
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leader who helped to unite Arabia under Islam. While

in seclusion in a mountain cave, Muhammad reported
receiving a series of revelations from God; these
revelations form the verses of the Quran, regarded by
Muslims as the “Word of God” and around which the
Islamic religion is based.
His teachings of praying for five times a day, fasting
during the holy period and other rites and rituals
of Islam as mentioned in the Quran, call for self-
discipline of the highest nature.
There are other religions in the world where their
founders have also shown exceptional self-discipline to
promote their religious beliefs.
I believe that if any religious follower of any religion
focuses his attention on the self-discipline of the
founder of its religion, then the negative impacts
of religion, viz. conflicts, disagreements, fights,
communism, groupism, terrorism, etc., will be greatly
reduced.
Self-discipline in the Early Years of Oprah Winfrey
Oprah turned her life around with the help of her father, a
barber and a city councilman, who was a strict disciplinarian.
Her father and stepmother insisted that she get good grades
in school and read good books. Oprah and her stepmother
visited the public library regularly, and Oprah was required to
read at least five books every two weeks!
Her stepmother was also a strict disciplinarian. She taught
Oprah to read and write by the time she was three! Together,
they studied the bible, a habit Oprah continues even today.
Her father Vernon insisted that Oprah memorize twenty
new words a week and give him weekly book reports. Oprah
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Self-Discipline
was an excellent student and was the only student in the state
to go to the ‘White House Conference on Youth.’
Due to self-discipline in her early age, Oprah was the
youngest and the first African-American woman anchor.
Oprah’s goal was to make her age times $1000 as money.
Today, Oprah Winfrey is the first African-American billionaire
in the history of America. She literally rose from poverty in
rural Mississippi to become host of her own talk show, the
head of a huge media company, and the most powerful woman
in entertainment. As one of the richest people in the world,
worth about $1.4 billion, she heads an entertainment kingdom
composed of publishing, television and film production. The
Oprah Winfrey Show has been the number one talk show
for the last 18 years. It airs in almost every domestic market,
reaching some 30 million viewers per week in the U.S., and is
distributed in 111 countries!
Self-Discipline of Bill Gates – the Richest Man in the
World
It’s amazing to find out how the richest man in the world
typically spends his day at his desk and how self-disciplined he
is about his routine for so many decades.
If you look at his office, there is very less paper in it. Most
of it is digital.
On his desk, there are three screens, synchronized to
form a single desktop. He can drag items from one screen
to the next. This large display area has a direct impact on his
productivity. The screen on the left has his list of emails. On
the center screen is usually the specific email he is reading and
responding to. And his browser is on the screen on his right.
This set-up gives him the ability to glance and see what new
has come in while he is working on something and to bring up
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a link that’s related to an email and look at it while the email is

still in front of him.
He has been self-disciplined to apply filters to his inbox.
So he get about only 100 emails a day. The filters help to keep
them at that level. Emails come straight to Bill Gates from
anyone who has ever corresponded him with, anyone from
Microsoft, Intel, HP and all the other partner companies, and
anyone he knows. And he always sees a write-up of any other
email from companies that aren’t on his permission list or
from individuals he does not know, from his assistant.
With large hard drives and increasing bandwidth, he has
gigabytes of information on his PC, on servers in the form of
emails, documents, media files, contact databases and so on.
Instead of having to navigate through folders to find that one
document where he thinks a piece of information might be,
he simply types search terms into a customized toolbar and
all the information that Bill Gates requires is at his fingertips.
Self-Discipline in the Daily Routine and Travel Plan of
Hank Paulson, Former Chairman & CEO of Goldman
Sachs
Whenever he travels, Hank Paulson takes the time to exercise.
When he goes to China, which he has been to about 70 times
in the past 16 years, he books his flight so it arrives at 6 AM,
which is the earliest one can land. He checks into the hotel
and goes right to the treadmill in the gym. Then starting at 8
AM, he will go back to back until 9 at night. He will get up the
next day and do the same thing. He makes sure to leave in the
evening so he can be back to work in his office in New York
the next morning.
He always has been very efficient and disciplined. If he
has a business dinner, people know that it should start at 6:30
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Self-Discipline
and be over by 8:30. When he is at home in New York, he is

asleep at 10. He gets up at 5:30, and tries to work out four of
five times a week. Once or twice a week, he runs four miles in
Central Park. He used to do seven-minute miles. Now he is up
to 8½ or nine minutes a mile.
Real Self-discipline According to Jim Collins, a
Bestselling Author
Author of the best seller Good to Great, Jim Collins received
this classic advice about self-discipline from none other than
the master Peter Drucker, when he met Drucker when he was
age 85. The interesting thing is that he absolutely changed Jim
Collins’ life that day.
He said, “Real discipline comes in saying NO to the wrong
opportunities. Growth is easy, saying NO is hard.”
This one advice on self-discipline changed Jim Collins
career path and his life forever.
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Action Steps:6 Actions to Develop Self-Discipline

1. Define what you want
2. Describe the changes required
3. Find role models
4. Identify reasons and obstacles
5. Develop plan for action
6. Make yourself accountable
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Self-Discipline
Famous Quotes:
“To turn really interesting ideas and fledgling technologies into
a company that can continue to innovate for years, it requires
a lot of discipline.”
“It’s easier to have principles when you’re rich. The important
thing is to have principles when you’re poor.”
– Ray Kroc, McDonalds.
“Wall Street People learn nothing, and forget everything.”
– Ben Graham, father of Value Investing who
influenced Warren Buffett and many others.
“I prefer the discipline of knowledge to the chaos of
ignorance.”
– David Ogilvy, advertising legend, often called the
‘Father of Advertising.’
“Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice.”
“Learn to supervise yourself.”
– Thomas Watson, IBM.
“Control your own destiny or someone else will.”
– Jack Welch, Legendry CEO of General Electric.
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or
eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”
– Henry Ford.
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“Maintaining the right attitude is easier than regaining the

right attitude.”
– Unknown.
“It’s easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when
you’re a winner, when you’re number one. What you’ve got
to have is faith and discipline when you’re not yet a winner.”
– Vincent Thomas Lombardi,
American football coach.
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
– Jim Rohn.
“Life without adventure is likely to be unsatisfying, but a life
in which adventure is allowed to take whatever form it will is
sure to be short.”
“Right discipline consists, not in external compulsion, but
in the habits of mind which lead spontaneously to desirable
rather than undesirable activities.”
“Only the man who can impose discipline on himself is fit to
discipline others or can impose discipline to others.”
–William Feather.
“Discipline is the foundation upon which success is built.
Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure.”
– Jim Rohn.
“Man must be disciplined, for he is by nature raw and wild.”
– Immanuel Kant.
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CHAPTER 10
Accurate Thinking
It is the mental process that enables you to identify that

which is true and relevant. It is proactive rather than reactive.
Accurate is beyond critical thinking – it is concerned with new
agendas, new thoughts and new visions. It is a system that can
address problems before they occur.
In the contemporary analysis of the left brain/right brain
functions, Accurate Thinking would reside in the analytical
left brain while Creative Vision would be the product of the
imaginative right brain. Accurate Thinking helps you to solve
logically any problems that have been identified by the intuitive
Creative Vision. The real key to success is how you integrate
the two. Innovation and problem-solving occur when Creative
Vision and Accurate Thinking are integrated.
Methods of Becoming an Accurate Thinker
The methods which I am describing have been tried and tested
for decades, which have not only helped individuals to
become better Accurate Thinkers to the highest level, but
also improved the creativity, efficiency and effectiveness
of thinking in groups or teams.
1. Six Thinking Hats – Edward De Bono:

Recommended Reading: Six Thinking Hats: An Essential
Approach to Business Management
To briefly summarize the essence of this method,
please visualize the picture below, which will give a
clear idea of the different view-points where thinking
needs to be applied to identify the motive and analyze
others actions.
Six distinct directions are identified and assigned a

color. The six directions are:
• Managing Blue – What is the subject? What are we
thinking about? What is the goal? Can look at the
big picture.
• Information White – Considering purely what
information is available, what are the facts?
• Emotions Red – Intuitive or instinctive gut reactions
or statements of emotional feeling (but not any
justification)
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Accurate Thinking
• Discernment Black – Logic applied to identifying

reasons to be cautious and conservative. Practical,
realistic.
• Optimistic Response Yellow – Logic applied to
identifying benefits, seeking harmony. Sees the
brighter, sunny side of situations.
• Creativity Green – Statements of provocation and
investigation, seeing where a thought goes. Thinks
creatively, out of the box.
Colored hats are used as metaphors for each
direction. Switching to a direction is symbolized by
the act of putting on a colored hat, either literally or
metaphorically. These metaphors allow for a more
complete and elaborate segregation of the thinking
directions. The six thinking hats indicate problems and
solutions about an idea the thinker may come up with.
2. The 5W1H Method to aid Accurate Thinking:
Although traditionally used in Cause-Effect Analysis,
this method – made popular by the super success of
the Japanese Production System – is a very simple yet
most effective tool to deep dive and understand the real
motives behind the other person’s actions.
83
The Five W’s and one H – 5W1H – are questions whose

answers are considered basic in information-gathering or
problem-solving. They constitute a formula for getting the
complete story on a subject.
• What happened?
• Who did that?
• When did it take place?
• Where did it take place?
• Why did that happen?
Some authors add a sixth question – “how” – to the list, though
“how” can also be covered by “what”, “when”, or “where.”
• How did it happen?
Each question should have a factual answer – Importantly,
none of these questions can be answered with a simple ‘yes’
or ‘no.’
Accurate Thinking of Herb Kelleher, CEO of Southwest
Airlines
The following examples show the caliber of Accurate Thinking
that Mr. Kelleher had which helped reduce costs:
The short haul flights that Southwest uses are inherently
costlier per mile flown than long-haul flights are, making
Southwest’s tremendous profitability record quite impressive.
The company has had to reduce costs and maximize efficiency
in all other areas.
Kelleher was very cost conscious. He wanted to reduce all
the costs except wages, benefits and profit sharing. He oversaw
all of the cost reductions, even supervising such expenses
as snacks and drinks on the plane. Using mainly the same
type of planes allowed significant cost savings: the cost of
maintenance and training. Kelleher would intently watch the
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Accurate Thinking
cost per seat per mile; fractions of a cent in savings could add
up to millions of dollars. He thrived on operating below the
industry average. Southwest’s unit cost ran 30 percent below
that of most of its competitors’ under Kelleher’s tenure.
Kelleher communicated the cost savings and ultimate
impact on the bottom-line of the company was about to have
an unprofitable quarter. In that memo, he asked each employee
to save five dollars a day. He said it did not matter if they were
flying the airplanes, serving coffee, or changing the tires.
Southwest cut 5.6 % from its operating expenses that
quarter, a huge amount that enabled the company to make a
profit.
Accurate Thinking of George Soros – His Secret
Quality Contributing to His Unparalleled Success
The world’s most successful hedge fund manager, George
Soros, is a self-made multibillionaire. He made his fortune and
helped significantly increase the fortune of many others when
he started his own group of hedge funds, one of which is the
notable Quantum Fund.
To be successful, he had this unique skill of Accurate
Thinking. He had to be able to manage a great deal of
information. He also had to act very quickly on that
information and take enormous risks. He had to be able to
“pull the trigger” as he called it. His keys to success lie in the
area of information management, executing decisions, and of
course taking a healthy share of the profits.
One of the ways he is able to make bold decisions so
quickly is by limiting the amount of staff he has on hand.
No one prepares fancy reports for him or his investor. The
information that is collected goes straight to Soros, and he
ensures there is no bureaucracy to slow it down.
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Accurate Thinking and Intellectual Power of

Kumaramangalam Birla
In an internal survey studying the leadership qualities of
Mr. Birla, it was mentioned that he has razor sharp qualities with
a quick thinking capability. He has a dissecting and discerning
mind, with the capability to drill to the core of the problem.
He has a phenomenal memory especially for numbers and
people know that he cannot be misguided on facts and figures.
He can, at a glance of a PowerPoint sheet, spot the flaw in the
figures – such is his command over numbers. There are times
when people try to skirt on issues; if it is a minor matter, he
does not react. The only indication is perhaps a smile, which
is a message that says, “I know what you are trying to do.” He
is a keen listener, and this capability is very powerfully used
by him to absorb information and points of view. Twenty
interviewees mentioned that he also observes people to get
into their minds to understand their thinking procedures. At
presentations, review meetings and strategy meetings of the
group companies, he is known to observe facial expressions
and visible body language to gauge the key concerns of the
group members. He uses this information to probe further by
asking pinpointed questions.
Further, he is extremely open-minded with a high learning
capability. This enables him to get his finger on the pulse of
the business.
K. V. Kamath of ICICI Bank and his Accurate Thinking
K.V. Kamath is known to have “Binocular Vision.” He has an
opportunity-sensing mind with alert antenna, he can clearly
see tomorrow and today, and he is a template creator.
His mind constantly scans the environment, analyses
information, and constructs patterns. He observes all emerging
opportunities, and like a sponge, he absorbs knowledge
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Accurate Thinking
from every industry. His mind operates like a radar system,

continuously processing information and events.
He saw the demise of development financial institutions
much before others and transformed ICICI from a
development bank to a total financial powerhouse.
He is a highly intuitive man. His mind works on several
levels, whether it is observing, interacting or opportunity-
sensing.
His bandwidth is very high. All this has translated into
ICICI bank becoming the second largest bank in India, with
total assets worth more than Rs. 1,12,000 crores, and a network
of about 450 branches and about 1750 ATMs.
Ajay Piramal, Head of Piramal Group
Mr. Piramal vouches for this principle of Accurate Thinking
in all his deals of mergers and acquisitions. In his own words,
“The most important quality for a buyer during a takeover
is to stay focused. Often during the negotiation process,
the seller highlights the synergies you will get if you buy the
company. But the synergy is the future. Why should you pay
for synergies you bring to the table? As the price climbs during
the negotiation process, it’s important to step back and be able
to resist pressures. Sometimes the price climbs so high that
the acquisition makes no sense. A lot of acquisitions go wrong
because of ego. It’s really the ego of the person at the top and
this goes on and on. Ego or anxiety to be one up on a rival can
prove to be very expensive.”
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Action Steps: Two Simple Steps to Accurate Thinking

1. Separate fact from fiction
2. Separate facts into important and unimportant
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Accurate Thinking
Famous Quotes:
“I try to keep in touch with the details… I also look at the
product daily. That doesn’t mean you interfere, but it’s
important occasionally to show the ability to be involved. It
shows you understand what’s happening.”
– Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corporation.
“Our business strategy is not to compete.”
– Eric Schmidt, Former CEO of
Google & Chairman.
“I don’t design clothes. I design dreams.”
– Ralph Lauren, American fashion designer,
and CEO of Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global
multibillion-dollar enterprise.
“Remember that, in the end, the customer doesn’t know, or
care, if you are small or large as an organization … she or he
only focuses on the garment hanging on the rail in the store.”
– Giorgio Armani-Famous Italian Fashion King.
“Always look for the fool in the deal. If you don’t find one,
it’s you.”
– Mark Cuban, American businessman and investor.
“Customers don’t always know that they want.”
“Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure.
Only the paranoid survive.”
– Andy Grove, Founder of Intel Corporation.
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“Either control your own destiny, or someone else will!”

“There is no substitute for accurate knowledge. Know yourself,
know your business, know your men.”
– Lee Iacocca, Ex Chairman
“Judgment comes from experience, and experience comes
from bad judgment.”
– Walter Wriston, Former CEO of Citibank.
“Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish to be.”
“Life is like baseball, it’s 95 % mental and the other half is
physical.”
– Yogi Berra.
“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.”
– Bobby Unser.
“The road to success is not doing one thing 100 % better …
but doing 100 things 1 % better.”
– Unknown.
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance
to work hard at work worth doing.”
– Theodore Roosevelt.
“I’m not sure I want popular opinion on my side – I’ve noticed
those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.”
– Bethania Mckenstry.
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Accurate Thinking
“Many people would sooner die than think, in fact, they do

so.”
“Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world
calls wisdom.”
– Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can
tell whether a man is wise by his questions.”
– Mahfouz Naguib.
“Thinking is hard work.”
– Thomas Edison.
“The prime condition for success, the great secret: concentrate
your energy, thought, and capital exclusively upon the business
in which you are engaged … I tell you put all the eggs in one
basket, and then watch that basket.”
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CHAPTER 11
Controlled Attention
Controlled Attention is the act of coordinating all the faculties

of the mind and directing their combined power to a given
end.
It is the ability to control your focus on a given problem
until you have solved it.
It is the highest form of self-discipline. It is organized
mind-power.
Concentration on one’s major purpose projects a clear
picture of that purpose upon your conscious mind and holds
it there until it is taken over by the subconscious mind and
acted upon. Only by Controlled Attention can you impress the
nature of your desires, purposes, goals and plans upon your
subconscious mind, where the Law of Harmonious Attraction
finds contact with them. There is no other known method by
which you can give orders to your subconscious mind.
Distractions: The Biggest Obstacle to Master the
Principle of Controlled Attention
Distractions can broadly be classified into two categories:
1. Distractions caused by information overload.
2. Distractions caused by interruptions and being

“always connected” to the various new age technology
platforms.
Let us discuss the impact of these two types of
distractions in brief:
a. Distractions are everywhere, and with the always-
on technologies of today, they take a heavy toll on
productivity. One study found that office distractions
eat an average 2.1 hours a day.
b. Employees spent an average of 11 minutes on a project
before being distracted.
After an interruption, it takes them 25 minutes to
return to the original task, if they do at all.
c. People switch activities every three minutes –
making a call, speaking with someone in their cubicle,
or working on a document.
d. Distractions are not just frustrating, they can be
exhausting.
e. Change focus ten times an hour (one study showed
people in offices did so as much as twenty times an
hour), and your productive thinking time is only a
fraction of what’s possible.
So what are ways to remove these obstacles? Let us
look at some of them:
a. One of the most effective distraction-management
techniques is switch off all communication devices
during any thinking work. Your brain prefers to
focus on the things right in front of you.
b. Blocking out external distractions altogether,
especially if you get a lot of them, seems to be one of
the best strategies for improving mental performance.
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There is no trick to this – you simply must switch things

off, or you won’t focus.
c. To inhibit distractions, you need to be aware of your
internal mental process and catch the wrong
impulses before they take hold.
d. Manage what you focus on. Pay attention to your
attention, and stop yourself from getting on the wrong
train of thought early, before it takes over. This is the
opposite of being mindless; it’s being mindful.
e. Practice being aware of your own thoughts, by activating
your observer function.
f. If you want to do deeper thinking work, don’t start
your day overwhelming and exhausting your brain.
Start with the tougher work that requires a more
focused, quiet mind.
Jack Ma and Controlled Attention
In 2000, Jack Ma illustrated the power of focus and Controlled
Attention by stating this simple but powerful analogy. In his
own words, “I said that if there are nine rabbits running around
and you want to catch one, focus only on one. If you try to
catch them all, you may end up with none. If the rabbit you are
chasing proves elusive, change your tactics but don’t change
the rabbit. Just stick to it. There are so many opportunities,
you cannot catch all of them. Get one first, put it in your
pocket, then catch the others.”
We get distracted by other rabbits hopping about and lose
our focus. Think of all the diversifications that made robust
corporates shift focus from their core strengths to flirt with
new ideas, which led to their underperformance.
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Focus and Controlled Attention – Nirma and MNCs – A

Classic Example of David Taking Over Goliath
Focusing on his core strength, which was low cost, Karsanbhai
Patel managed to create the Nirma phenomenon, which took
on multinational superpowers with considerable success.
A more recent example similar to this is the success story of
Patanjali products that are giving the MNCs a run for their money
in every category, where Patajanli’s products are best sellers.
Controlled Attention and Focus Investing by Warren
Buffett
Warren Buffet was recently voted the greatest investor of the
twentieth century. He has made his reputation by investing in
solid, slow moving companies. With an estimated current net
worth of around $42 billion dollars, he is ranked by Forbes as
one of the richest person in the world.
Buffet calls his approach to picking companies Focus
Investing, which requires lot of Controlled Attention. Once
he has done thorough analysis of a company, he then just sits
back and waits for the long term.
Warren Buffet once said that he can’t be involved in 50
or 75 things. That’s Noah’s Ark way of investing – you end
up with a zoo that way. He likes to put meaningful amounts
of money in a few things. That’s the power of Controlled
Attention and one of the key secrets behind arguably the most
successful investor of all time.
With this approach, he is definitely the atypical investor.
He moves with the calm that comes from great confidence.
He has no need to watch a dozen computer screens at once;
the minute-by-minute changes in the market are of no interest
to him. He is not interested in short-term market corrections.
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When the stock market crash of 1987 happened, Buffet wasn’t

upset. He calmly checked the price of his company and went
back to work, although fully ¼ of Berkshire’s market cap
was wiped out. This was representative of how he viewed
stocks and business in general. He focuses on four or five year
averages.
Controlled Attention by Jeff Bezos, Founder of
Amazon.com:
According to Bezos, “The single most important thing is to
focus obsessively on the customer … Our goal is to be Earth’s
most customer-centric company.”
Controlled Attention by Lee Iacocca – Simplified
No matter how complex a business is, and theirs is pretty
complex, Lee Iacocca believes one should be able to write
down his top priorities on a single sheet of 8½ x 11 paper. It’s
always amazed him to see how many companies, even small
ones, devote hours of effort and literally tons of paper to
detailed plans of what they want the company to do over time.
There are a lot of different names for them – Long Range
Strategic Plans, Ten-Year Business Plans, Five-Year Profit
Plans and so forth. According to him, he has never seen a
long range business plan that couldn’t be boiled on to a single
page of priorities.
Andrew Carnegie summarized Controlled Attention
beautifully in these simple words, which are as good as the age
old wisdom.
In his words, “The prime condition for success, the great secret is
concentrate your energy thought and capital exclusively upon the business
in which you are engaged … Put all your eggs in one basket, and then
watch that basket!”
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Action Steps: 6 Steps to Develop Controlled Attention

1. Adopt a Definite Major Purpose
2. Visualization
3. Develop a burning desire
4. Demonstrate Applied Faith
5. Apply all your willpower
Learn how to use your subconscious
97
Famous Quotes:
“My success, part of it certainly, is that I have focused in on
a few things.”
– Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft and the richest
man in the world.
“Concentration can be cultivated. One can learn to exercise
willpower, discipline one’s body and train one’s mind.”
– Anil Ambani, Chairman of Reliance ADAG.
“You simply have to put one foot in front of the other and
keep going. Put blinders on and plow right ahead.”
– George Lucas, Film Director of Epics, viz. Star
Wars and Indiana Jones.
“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your
values are.”
– Roy Disney.
“Concentration is my motto. First honesty, then industry, then
concentration.”
– Dale Carnegie.
“It is wise to direct your anger towards problems – not people;
to focus your energies on answers – not excuses.”
– William Arthur Ward.
“I never could have done what I had without the habits of
punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to
concentrate myself on one subject at a time …”
– Charles Dickens.
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“Concentration is the secret of strength in politics, in war, in

trade, in short in all management of human affairs.”
“My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I
tell myself, ‘Get out of the blocks, run you race, stay relaxed.
Channel all your energy and focus.’”
– Carl Lewis.
“When you focus most of your time and energy doing
the things you are truly brilliant at, you eventually reap big
rewards.”
– Jack Canfield.
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CHAPTER 12
Teamwork
Teamwork is cooperation that is willing, voluntary and free.

Whenever the spirit of teamwork is the dominating influence
in business or industry, success is inevitable.
Harmonious cooperation is a priceless asset that you can
acquire in proportion to your giving. Teamwork, in a spirit of
friendliness costs little in the way of time and effort.
Two Live Examples of Teamwork
1. The biggest secret behind Google’s Success
Perhaps there is no greater testament to Google’s success
than the fact that it has become a verb. We google for
information in the same sense as we drink water. However,
Google as a company has grown far beyond search.
Teamwork at Google has been an integral part behind
the success story of Google. Let us therefore understand
what according to Google makes an excellent team.
After years of intensive analysis, to put is simply, Google
discovers the key to good teamwork is being nice.
Google wants to know the secret to building a more
productive team. The tech giant charged a team to find
out. The project, known as Project Aristotle, took several
years and included interviews with hundreds of employees
Teamwork
and analysis of data about the people on more than 100

active teams at the company. The Googlers looked hard to
find a magic formula—the perfect mix of individuals necessary
to form a stellar team—but it wasn’t that simple. “We were
dead wrong,” the company said.
Google’s data-driven approach ended up highlighting
what leaders in the business world have known for a while
– the best teams respect one another’s emotions and
are mindful that all members should contribute to
the conversation equally. It has less to do with who is in
a team, and more with how a team’s members interact
with one another.
2. Narendra Modi’s successful run to become the Prime
Minister of India
Ruling the biggest democracy in the world, our
current Prime Minister Mr. Modi’s successful election
campaign is arguably the best example of team
work depicting all the qualities of what a good team
should be.
Modi’s team faced many challenges when it set out to
project him as the country’s next Prime Minister.
Not getting into the details, the picture below gives a
bird’s-eye view of the importance of team work in the
successful run of Mr. Modi to the parliament.
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Importance of Teamwork According to Lee Iacocca

Turning the virtually bankrupt Chrysler into a profit making
company, Lee Iacocca states as follows:
Nothing will make a CEO look better than a talented management
team. When I am asked about how I turned Chrysler around, I always
make the point that I did not do it myself, a lot of smart, dedicated people
did it.
I am a strong believer in letting line operations ‘operate’, delegating
to good people and then letting them do the job. But you might ask, if the
key managers are running the business, what’s left for the CEO to do?
I think a big part of my job is what I call ‘defining the envelope’, or
setting the limits within which line management can operate on a relatively
freewheeling basis. It’s similar to a parent telling a child, “Play in the
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Teamwork
backyard but don’t go past the gate and don’t climb the fence and don’t
invite anyone over.”
As a CEO, I set limit. I set limits on the total amount of capital
that can be spent – but not necessarily on how to spend it. I set limits on
the number of executives I want on payroll – but not who they are. I set
limits on the amount of R&D spending I’m willing to support – but
not the projects that are funded. And I establish the company priorities,
which represent the limits or parameters that set the direction of the whole
line effort.
Teamwork at the Heart at the Beginning of Apple
They were known as dropouts, artists, evangelist’s geniuses,
iconoclasts, pirates, and friends. Sometimes even best friends.
The early team of four, which grew to dozens, wanted to make
a personal computer easy enough for a civilian to use without
fear of loathing, and inexpensive enough to be affordable.
But the happy team who worked on the Mac also saw in the
new world of computing a potentially profound force. Their
ultimate goal was to invest, in themselves and others, limitless
individual creativity.
This is how teamwork between the two Steves and other
team members laid the foundation of Apple Computers.
Teamwork at Asian Paints
Ashwin Dani, CEO of Asian Paints knows the importance of
teamwork and therefore launched an interesting process in the
company, which could well be the way forward for many Indian
organizations. It pulls together three critical components, open
communication between different departments, different
divisions, different cultures, a push for speed balanced by
implementation, and most importantly, head office support
for fresh ideas in terms of quickly-cobbled-together budgets.
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Each center drives regional technology, local sourcing,

manufacturing equipment, and most importantly, reacts
immediately. For e.g. if someone in the Caribbean wanted
to introduce wood finishes, he would get in touch with the
regional managers, who would then get in touch with the Lead
Technology Centre manager in Dubai and the communication
would happen with a free exchange of knowledge.
Teamwork at HDFC as Envisioned and Executed by
Deepak Parekh
The growth of HDFC is driven by the initiative,
entrepreneurship and the excellent teamwork of its frontline
employees. Since inception, the company has had to charge
off a mere Rs. 0.8 crore as bad debt against a total loan
disbursement of Rs. 11,200 crore – a result of its strong
internal discipline and risk control. Non-performing Assets
stand at a negligible 1% and the company has grown to become
one of the country’s most respected business houses. HDFC
employees have historically been granted exceptional levels
of autonomy and large responsibilities much earlier in their
careers, compared to other Indian financial institutions and
yet established norms such as ‘no politics’ and ‘free sharing
of information’ have allowed the company to exploit all the
synergies available within its diverse portfolio of customers.
According to Deepak Parekh, “We have to have integrity
as our main source of competitive advantage. We deal with
money; cash is our raw material. We have more than 150
offices. Anything can happen anywhere in our country. Greed
is always there, and there are too many borrowers with the
attitude that if I give something to the lender, I will get a larger
loan, I will get a quicker loan. It’s a part of life.” For Parekh,
developing people has been a key to HDFC’s success.
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Teamwork
This attitude has made HDFC, a housing finance

company, an extraordinary company, run for ordinary Indians
by ordinary Indians. When recruiting employees, HDFC
shuns ‘stars.’ But it is star on the stock exchanges. It is one
of the most competitive companies in its business, employee
productivity is probably the highest among financial firms and
attrition rates among the lowest across all sector.
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Action Steps: 5 Simple Steps to Build Teamwork

1. Establish leadership
2. Establish relationships with team members
3. Build relationships between team members
4. Foster teamwork
5. Set ground rules for the team to perform
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Teamwork
Famous Quotes:
“Business is not just doing deals; business is having great
products, doing great engineering, and providing tremendous
service to customers. Finally, business is a cobweb of human
relationships.”
– Ross Perot, American Businessman and
independent presidential candidate.
“I love the ability to work with the very good managers, and
to provide the right incentives for them, and truly become a
partner with that management, and make that management
take a long term view.”
– Henry Kravis, Founder of Kohlberg Kravis
Roberts & Co.(KKR), a private equity
firm with $94.3 billion in assets.
“You can’t expect your employees to exceed the expectation
of your customers if you don’t exceed the employees’
expectations of management.”
“We are all working together; that’s the secret… Individuals
don’t win, teams do.”
– Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart and one of the
richest men in the world.
“I guess that’s what I am proud of – the fact that we really
created a way to work with employees, let them share in the
profits and still keep control of it.”
– William Hewlett, Cofounder, Hewlett- Packard.
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“If you pick the right people and give them the opportunity to
spread their wings and put compensation as a carrier behind
it, you almost don’t have to manage them.”
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress;
working together is success.”
– Henry Ford.
“One arrow can easily break; ten arrows do not easily break.”
– Japanese Proverb.
“There is no such thing as a “self-made” man. We are made up
of thousands of others.”
– George Burton Adams.
“The achievements of an organization are the results of the
combined effort of each individual.”
– Vincent Lombardi.
“People who work together will win, whether it be against
complex football defenses, or the problems of modern
society.”
– Vincent Lombardi.
“Never forget that life can only be noble inspired and rightly
if you take it bravely and gallantly, as a splendid adventure in
which you are setting out into an unknown country, to meet
many a job, to find many a comrade, to win and lost many a
battle.”
– Annie Besant.
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Teamwork
“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all

himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.”
“Together everyone achieves more.”
– Anonymous.
“Getting along with others is the essence of getting ahead,
success being linked with cooperation.”
– William Feather.
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CHAPTER 13
Learning From Adversity

And Defeat
Every defeat, every disappointment and every adversity carry

seeds of equivalent or greater benefit. Knowing this can
modify your mental reaction and attitude. Defeat is never the
same as failure until you accept it as such. It offers chances
to learn something, puts our wits on alert, and our courage
blossoms.
Defeat does not promise a full blown benefit. But only
the seed from which some benefit, equivalent in scope to the
defeat may be attained, which must be recognized, nurtured,
and cultivated.
When defeat overtakes you, don’t spend all your time
counting your losses. Save some of your time to count your
gains and you may find they are greater than your losses.
Learning From Adversity And Defeat
Dhirubhai Ambani – A Classic Rags to Riches Story
28 December 1932 – 6 July 2002

It is very interesting to know that despite all odds, and
temporary defeats, how this person was able to turn failure
into success.
I request you to read the following books for a detailed
analysis of Dhirubhai Ambani’s life:
• Dhirubhai Ambani – Against All Odds – A Story of
Courage, Perseverance & Hope
• Dhirubhaism – The Remarkable Work Philosophy of
Dhirubhai Ambani.
Brief snippets of his life depicting the conversion of
failure into success can be better understood by noting the
various achievements of his business vis-à-vis comparing the
insurmountable obstacles faced by him.
Some of his major achievements are as follows:
1. Reliance Industries Ltd – First Indian Company to
feature in the Forbes 500 list.
2. Largest Private Sector Company in India.
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3. Ambani took Reliance Industries public in 1977 and

by 2007; the combined fortune of the family was $60
billion, making the Ambanis the third richest family
in the world.
4. World’s largest refinery at one place – in Jamnagar
Gujarat.
5. The company has over 85,000 employees and provides
almost 5% of the Central Government’s total tax revenue.
6. Awarded Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second
highest civilian award.
7. Conferred Man of the Century award by Chemtech
Foundation and Chemical Engineering World in
recognition of his outstanding contribution to the
growth and development of the chemical industry in
India.
8. Featured among Power 50 – the most powerful
people in Asia by Asiaweek magazine.
9. “Dean’s Medal” by The Wharton School, University
of Pennsylvania, for setting an outstanding example of
leadership. Dhirubhai Ambani has the rare distinction
of being the first Indian to get Wharton School Dean’s
Medal.
10. Dhirubhai Ambani was named the “Man of 20th
Century” by the Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
11. A poll conducted by The Times of India in 2000 voted
him “Greatest Creator of Wealth in the Centuries.”
Some of the major obstacles and defeats, which he faced:
1. The first office of the Reliance Commercial Corporation
was set up in Mumbai. It was a 350 sq ft (33 m2) room
with a telephone, one table and three chairs.
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2. He faced several health problems. In 1986, he

suffered a major stroke, which paralyzed his right hand,
and in June 2002, he suffered his second stroke.
3. Born to a school teacher, he was the third of five
siblings, three brothers and two sisters.
4. Lack of funds and capital.
5. No Credibility in the market to start with. All banks
said NO as he lacked the credentials to warrant any
finance.
6. Strong Resistance from existing Goliaths in the
textile market.
7. The 1982 bear hug.
8. The 1989 floods causing enormous damage to his
textile plants.
9. Rumors and criticism of his functioning and leadership
due to his enormous fast growth and success story.
In India, the words Dhirubhai Ambani are synonymous
with “Learning from Adversity & Defeat.” Every entrepreneur
knows the path to success is full of obstacles, and for them
Dhirubhai Ambani is next to god.
Temporary Defeat and the Invention of the Post-Its
Think of the scientist called Dr. Spencer Silver, who worked to
create a new glue. Something went wrong with the molecular
structure. The glue would stick but not quite, so you could pull
it off. Was it a failure? Not at all. When you consider that it led
to the invention of the ubiquitous Post-Its!
Richard Branson, CEO OF Virgin Group
Sir Richard Branson has suffered various setbacks in his career.
But the beauty is that he has converted every setback into an
advantage by looking at the seed of opportunity in it.
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Branson has been dyslexic since childhood and repeatedly

failed mathematics. It is not that Branson ignores specifics or
fails to value numbers or contract terms, but he has always
needed other people to do the specifics on this behalf.
What Branson has excelled in is that he knows—who he
could trust and who he could not— reading humans rather than
written characters. When he had problems double checking
his accountant’s figures, it made it all the more important for
him to know the accountant so well that he could deduce that
he would not be cheated. He has credited his early problems
with dyslexia with making him more intuitive.
He relies much more on instinct than statistics and
numbers, which he says can be twisted to prove anything.
Consequently, Virgin doesn’t even pretend to develop strategic
plans that predict and prepare the company for the future
on the basis of strengths and weaknesses. Rather, it accepts
confusion and chaos as the inevitable consequence of making
things happen.
Branson is also gifted at intuiting what his customers want.
Most of his innovations are obvious touches that anybody
could have come up with: more legroom between seats, video
screens or seatbacks, ice cream during in-flight movies, but
Branson seems to know before anyone else!
Soichiro Honda and Colonel Sanders
Two classic examples of learning from adversity and defeat
are as follows:
Soichiro was a Japanese engineer who dreamed of a career
in the automobile industry. He applied for a job with the iconic
Toyota Motor Corporation but was rejected. He remained
jobless for a long time, and the temptation to give up on the
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automotive dream was huge. He then tried making scooters at

home. But he had no money. His caring neighbors contributed
to fund his enterprise. Thus was born Honda Motor Company.
Colonel Sanders ran a modestly successful restaurant
serving some chicken dishes, until the construction of a new
road put him out of business. He decided to try to sell his
unique chicken recipes to other restaurants. He met over a
thousand restaurant owners and they all turned him down.
But the Colonel did not give up. He kept on trying. On his
1019th call, one restaurant owner agreed to buy his recipe. This
gave birth to the world’s first Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet.
Soon, KFCs were opening up all over the world. Just seven
years after he started the first KFC, Colonel Sanders sold his
business for over 15 million dollars.
The next time you are staring at failure and rejection and
want to quit, think of Honda and KFC!
Some Adversities Faced by Ray Kroc, Founder of
McDonalds
• Kroc served briefly as an ambulance driver in France in
World War I
• Experienced bankruptcy in real-estate broking business
• In his autobiography Grinding it Out, he wrote “I was
broke. I did not have an overcoat, a topcoat, or a pair of
gloves. I drove into Chicago on icy streets. When I got
home I was frozen stiff, disillusioned and depressed.”
• Worked for 8 hours a week in his early days
However, he learned from every adversity and noted
the following – “Nothing in the world can take the place of
persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than
unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not, the world is full
of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are
omnipotent”
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Matsushita’s Experience and the Story of Panasonic

The story of the founder of Panasonic is one of constant
striving, struggling, and winning every time, by constantly
setting higher goals for the self and the organization.
He overcame every obstacle before him without being
defeated; he started a factory from scratch, lost it all in the
World War, and re-established it after the war. His capacity to
persevere was built on the foundation of being prepared for
the worst. He was convinced that, “Adversity is good, and that
it brings out the best in people. Truly able people do not let
difficulties get the better of them. This is one of the things
that a person in a position of leadership should keep in mind.”
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CEO of Biocon India
Beginnings with a garage for an office and Rs. 10,000/ as
seed capital, Biocon India was born. Today, this pioneering
company is Asia’s largest biotech company. It is among the few
companies which is into discovery, ranked 20th among global
biotech companies, and is richly awarded and recognized for
its outstanding achievements.
She has faced tremendous adversity, starting from the
very basic as being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated
monopoly. She is a true example of the one who actually dared
to tread that less-traveled path.
When faced with challenges Biocon’s response is, “We can
do it, there’s no reason why we can’t do it.”
They never inherited anything. Everything was created by
the employees. Biocon was a completely new business. Kiran
actually shaped the company; she did not have the brand
name, did not have the money and did have the experience.
But she learned from adversity and defeat and found the
seed of opportunity in it and converted into a success story.
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J Paul Getty
J Paul Getty was a master oilman who excelled during the
Great Depression and pioneered the drilling of oil in the
Middle East in the 1950s and was named the richest man in
America by Forbes magazine in 1957.
In his own words, if you are capable to recognize the
limitless opportunities and potentials around you, and will
apply these rules and work hard, you too can make a million.
For today’s alert, ambitious and able young men, all that glitters
truly CAN be gold
1. No matter what happens, do not panic. The panic-
stricken individual cannot think or act effectively. A
certain amount of trouble is inevitable in any business
career – when it comes, it should be met with calm
determination.
2. When things go wrong, it is always a wise idea to pull
back temporarily, to withdraw just long enough and far
enough to view and evaluate the situation objectively.
3. In the opening stages of any developing adverse situation,
it may be necessary and advisable to give some ground,
to sacrifice those things which are least important and
more expendable. But it should be a fighting withdrawal,
a retrograde action that goes back only so far and no
further. It must never be a disorderly retreat.
4. All factors in the situation must be examined with
meticulous care. Every possible course of action must
be weighed. All available resources, cerebral as well as
financial, creative as well as practical must be marshaled.
5. Countermoves must be planned with the greatest
care and in the greatest detail, yet with allowances for
alternative courses in the event so that unforeseen
obstacles are encountered.
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6. Once everything is ready, action should be taken

confidently, purposefully, aggressively and above all,
enthusiastically. There can be no hesitation and it is
here that the determination, personality and energy of
the leader count the most.
Subhash Chandra Goel, Chairman Zee Group
The journey of a small trader in the town of Hissar in Haryana
to the Chairman of one the largest media groups in India,
Subhash Chandra’s story makes for a compelling read where
he has demonstrated where learning from adversity and defeat
has been his strongest and most important quality.
From the struggle of establishing his initial credit
worthiness at a time of his family’s financial hardships to
seeing the entire capital in Essel Propack being wiped out at
one point. In his own words, the key to his success has been
his refusal to accept defeat and to never accept any premise
at face value. He is also a strong believer in diligence and
perseverance. In his mind, it has been these abilities which
have driven him forward from his original goals of repaying
his family debt to emerging as one of modern India’s most
successful entrepreneurs.
I could keep on writing numerous other examples that are
equally inspiring and related to this principle of success. The
key objective is to get the attitude of observing your adversity
and identifying the seed of benefit in it and then use that
benefit to convert that adversity to your advantage.
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Action Steps: Take Adequate Pre-caution to Stay Far

from These 25 Major Causes of Failure
1. The habit of drifting through life without a Definite
Major Purpose
2. Meddlesome curiosity about other people’s affairs
3. Inadequate education
4. Lack of self-discipline, manifested as both uncontrolled
appetites and indifference to opportunity
5. Lack of ambition
6. Ill heath that results from negative thinking and poor diet
7. Unfavorable childhood influences
8. Lack of persistence and follow-through
9. Negative mental attitude
10. Lack of emotional control
11. The desire to get something for nothing
12. Failure to reach decisions promptly and firmly when all
the facts needed for the decision are available
13. One or more of the seven basic fears: poverty, criticism, ill
health, loss of love, old age, loss of liberty, death
14. Poor selection of a spouse
15. Over caution or the lack of caution
16. Poor choice of a vocation or occupation
17. Indiscriminate spending of time and money
18. Lack of control over the tongue
19. Intolerance
20. Failure to cooperate with others in a spirit of harmony
21. Disloyalty
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22. Lack of vision and imagination

23. Egotism and vanity
24. Desire for revenge
25. Unwillingness to go the extra mile
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Famous Quotes:
“Making mistakes is the privilege of the active. It is always
the mediocre people who are negative, who spend their time
proving that they were not wrong.”
– Ingvar Kamprad - Founder of IKEA.
“Everyone experiences tough times, it is a measure of your
determination and dedication how you deal with them and
how you can come through them.”
– Lakshmi Mittal, Steel baron.
“I feel that we can convert all our disadvantages into an
opportunity.”
– Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani, the richest Indian in
the world.
“We’ve had some tough times, but we’ve hung in there.”
– Paul Allen, Microsoft Cofounder and
multibillionaire.
“The trouble in America is not that we are making too many
mistakes, but that we are making too few.”
– Phil Knight- Nike Founder.
“Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built
on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.”
– Sumner Redstone, CBS & Viacom Chairman,
Media magnate.
“Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best
to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other
innovations.”
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“Every well-intentioned, high judgment person we asked told

us not to do it. We got some good advice, we ignored it, and
it was a mistake. But that mistake turned out to be one of the
best things that happened to the company.”
– Jeff Bezos, founder, chairman, and CEO of
Amazon.com
“There is nothing wrong with failing. Pick yourself up and try
it again. You never are going to know how good you really are
until you go out and face failure.”
– Henry Kravis, Founder of Kohlberg Kravis
Roberts & Co.(KKR), a private equity firm with $94.3
billion in assets.
“Succeeding is not really a life experience that does that much
good. Failing is a much more sobering and enlightening
experience.”
– Michal Eisner, former CEO, The Walt Disney Co.
“Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. But make sure you don’t
make the same mistake twice.”
– Akio Morita-Founder of Sony.
“Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.”
“I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity.”
– John Rockefeller, considered to be the wealthiest
American of all time by virtually every source, and—
largely—the richest person in modern history.
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“In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep

busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something
positive.”
– Lee Iacocca, Former Chairman
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10000 ways that won’t work.”
– Thomas Edison, American Inventor.
“Double your rate of failure. You’re thinking of failure as the
enemy of success. But it isn’t at all.”
– Thomas Watson, Founder IBM.
“All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and
obstacles have strengthened me.. You may not realize it when
it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the
world of you.”
– Walt Disney
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get
up.”
– Vince Lombardi.
“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try
again in a different way.”
– Dale Carnegie
“Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to
a worthwhile achievement.”
– Henry Ford.
“What looks like a loss may be the very event which is
subsequently responsibility for helping people to produce the
major achievement of your life.”
– Srully D Blotnick.
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“When written in Chinese, the word ‘crises’ is composed

of two characters – one represents danger, and the other
represents opportunity.”
– Saul David Alinsky.
“I can accepts failure, but I cannot accept not trying.”
– Michael Jordan.
“A successful man is the one who can lay a firm foundation
with the bricks others have thrown at him.”
– David Brinkley.
“Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of
enthusiasm.”
– Winston Churchill.
“Failure is success, if we can learn from it.”
– Malcolm S. Forbes.
“Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.”
– Henry Ford.
“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from
failure, loyalty and persistence.”
– Colin Powell.
“What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first
step to something better.”
– Wendell Phillips.
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CHAPTER 14
Creative Vision
Creative Vision is the capacity to envision new possibilities,

dream new dreams, and tap into the vast powers of the
universe that permit you to build a new tomorrow as you
achieve your Definite Major Purpose.
Creative Vision requires you to stimulate your imagination
to work toward your Definite Major Purpose and to put the
results of that imagination to work.
It is inspired with Definite Major Purpose. It does not
recognize regular working hours, monetary compensation is
not its highest aim. Its highest aim is to achieve the impossible.
Creative Vision is related to that state of mind known
as faith. This is both logical and understandable when we
recognize that Applied Faith is the means of approach to
Infinite Intelligence, the source of all knowledge and truth.
Creative Vision is the power that inspires the development
of Personal Initiative. It is not a miraculous quality with which
one is gifted or born with. It is a quality that may be developed
by the free and fearless use of the faculty of imagination.
Creative Vision Of Herb Kelleher at Southwest Airlines
The success behind Southwest is greatly attributed to the
Creative Vision of its CEO, Herb Kelleher. Southwest’s
business model is to provide reliable, low-cost travel by using

its resources efficiently. It enters markets in which traditional
airlines are based but Southwest offers much lower fares. It
flies point to point, versus the hub-and-spoke model used by
most other airlines. It flies only Boeing 737s, serves no meals,
charges no fees to change same-fare tickets, has no assigned
seats, and has no electronic entertainment on its planes.
Kelleher has managed to take the startup airline serving
three cities in Texas to the most profitable in the industry,
making a profit every year for thirty-two years – an unsurpassed
record in the highly turbulent, frequently unprofitable airline
industry.
Creative Vision Of Phil Knight, CEO of Nike
Nike is viewed as on the corporate creative visionaries in terms
of its production. Instead of trying to compete with its then-
larger competitors, from the outset Nike designed its shoes
in-house and outsourced virtually all of the manufacturing of
its products to countries in Southeast Asia. Nike has never
manufactured any of the shoes, it sells!
Virtually, all are manufactured by independent contract
manufacturers, many of whom produce for other globally
recognized brands as well. Through outsourcing, the company
significantly reduced its operating costs to the point where few
other companies could surpass its profitability.
Approximately 6,50,000 people work in Nike-contracted
factories worldwide. Today, the contract factory supply chain
for Nike brand products includes over eight hundred factories.
Most of the workers today are in Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan
and Indonesia, although Nike has changed production
facilities several times. In 1992, Nike had no companies or
shoes made in Vietnam. Today, Nike shoes make up 5% of
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Creative Vision
all the exports coming out of Vietnam according to Knight.

Nike also has manufacturing agreements with independent
factories in Argentina, Brazil, India, Italy, Mexico, and South
Africa to manufacture footwear for sale primarily within those
countries.
Creative Vision of Henry Ford
Henry Ford envisioned an automobile in every driveway at a
time when cars were considered luxury trifles for the idle rich.
Creative Vision of Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs imagined user-friendly little computers sitting on
desks in offices and even in homes at a time when computers
were huge cumbersome machines available primarily to
academics, the military, and research scientists.
Creative Vision of King Gillette and the Innovation of
the Razor Blades
For 28 years, King Camp Gillette worked as a traveling
salesman. Once while traveling he was trying to think of
something that was used once and then throw away. That way
the customer would have to keep coming back for more. This
thought soon became an obsession.
Once while he was shaving one morning in 1895, Gillette
was finally struck by the inspiration for which he had been
praying. Like a sculptor who stares at a block of marble and
sees an unborn statue, he gazed at his old, dull razor and
wondered if it would be possible to make razor blades so
cheaply that the user could replace dull blades with new ones
and thereby do away the task of sharpening them? In a flash,
he had the insight that a wafer-thin razor blade would be the
answer. Gillette later described this insight, “In that moment
… I could see the way the blade could be held in a holder, then
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came the idea of sharpening the two opposite edges on the

thin piece of steel … thus doubling its service. All this came
more in pictures than in thought, as though the razor were
already a finished thing and held before my eyes. I stood there
before the mirror in a trance of joy at what I saw.”
Mega Growth Vision of Sajjan Jindal
Sajjan Jindal, of JSW Steel has a mega growth vision to
become the top ten global companies and one of us the top
five in India in the steel sector. JSW’s current market cap is
about Rs. 3.8 billion and its planning to reach the Rs. 60 billion
mark by 2020. They wish to do what the Tatas did in 100 years
in ten years.
Sajjan Jindal is a dreamer and his dreams are very big. He
is a very dynamic entrepreneur, and there is a lot of hunger in
the belly to go ahead with expansion and projects. He always
keeps thinking and never stops anywhere and if there is a
hitch, he finds another route, he will not stop.
Creativity According to the Most Creative Minds in
India. Mr. Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman, Ogilvy
& Mather
Piyush Pandey is a man of many achievements. He has been
the main man behind the undisputed dominance of O & M in
Indian advertising. Some of his most favorite campaigns, viz.
Fevicol, Cadbury to name just a few, have etched themselves
indelibly in the Indian TV viewers’ consciousness.
According to him, there is a strong connect between
creativity and entrepreneurship. They may not be writing
ads, but they are very creative. As long as an organization is
doing things which have not been done earlier, it is a creative
organization. Today there is an entrepreneurial spirit which
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Creative Vision
is visible in India. You are not following somebody else’s

system, you want to create your own system. There is a lot of
acceptance now for this kind of belief in India. He advises
young entrepreneurs to take life one day at a time. Chase your
passion, but do chase it like you chase women in college. Learn
to stay with one, at least for a little while.
Creativity and Innovation According to Dr. R. A.
Mashelkar, President Global Research Alliance
His name is synonymous with innovation in India. He
transformed Council of Scientific & Industrial research
(CSIR) into a user-focused, performance-driven, and
accountable organization where over 40,000 scientists work
in an organization that links science and technology with
business.
He has authored and co-authored around 250 research
publications. Dr. Mashelkar has also published around 20
books and has 28 patents to his name.
In his words, research converts wealth into knowledge,
and it is innovation that converts knowledge into wealth. India
has been successful in only the first aspect. The I in India must
stand for innovation not imitation or inhibition. Innovation is
all about successful exploitation of new ideas.
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Action Steps:13 Steps to Develop Creative Vision

1. Write out your Definite Major Purpose in life
2. Inspire yourself with self-reliance
3. Get on good terms with your conscience
4. Become aware of what you are feeling
5. Maintain an open mind on all subjects
6. Ask penetrating questions in cloudy situations
7. Pay attention to your environment and practice precise
observation
8. Ask “what if ?” and “why not?” questions daily
9. Read outside your field of interest
10. Maintain a positive outlook on things and others
11. Neutralize negative self-judgment and self-talk
12. Maintain your patience
13. Be willing to go the Extra Mile
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Creative Vision
Famous Quotes:
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
“When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for everyone
telling you you’re nuts.”
– Larry Ellison, Billionaire,
Founder and CEO of Oracle.
“What we want to be is something completely new. There is
no physical analog for what amazon.com is becoming.”
– Jeff Bezos, Founder, Chairman,
and CEO of Amazon.com
“I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity
to not know what can’t be done.”
“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able
to see farther.”
– J. P. Morgan, Classic American Investment Banker.
“We are most creative when our back was against the wall.”
– Anita Roddick, Founder of The Body Shop
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
– Albert Einstein.
“Creating is finding new things… or expressing old truths in
new ways.”
– Roger Vol Oech.
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“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

–Walt Disney.
“The well of creativity never runs dry…as long as you got to
it.”
– Dr. Orval C. Butcher.
“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in
the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.”
– Franklin Roosevelt (1882-1945), 32nd U.S. President
“All prosperity begins in the mind and is dependent only on
the full use of our creative imagination.”
– Ruth Ross.
“Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now
accepted was once eccentric.”
“The man who has no imagination has no wings.”
– Mohammad Ali.
“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and
they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
– George S. Patton.
“One must not lose desires. They are mighty stimulants to
creativeness, to love, and to long life.”
– Alexander A. Bogomoletz.
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Creative Vision
“Creative thinking is today’s most prized, profit producing

possession for any individual, corporation or country. It has
the capacity to change you, your business, your country and
the world.”
– Wendell Phillips.
“Creative thinking is today’s most prized, profit-producing
possession for any individual, corporation or country. It has
the capacity to change you, your business or country. It has
capacity to change you, your business and the world.”
– Robert P. Crawford.
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CHAPTER 15
Sound Health
Sound health is not just the absence of any symptom of

illness. Sound health is much more than that. Sound health is
a positive state of well-being encompassing the body, mind,
emotions and totality of relationships.
A positive mental attitude aids in the development of
bodily resistance against disease.
On the other hand, a negative mental attitude usually
results in physical illness and most physical ailments begin
with wrong thinking.
The mind and the body are so closely related that whatever
the one does affects the other. One does not enjoy sound
health without a health consciousness. To maintain health
consciousness, one must think in terms of sound health and
not in terms of illness and disease.
A negative mind usually results in physical illness and
most physical ailments begin with wrong thinking. Also, a sick
mind is more dangerous than a sick body, for it is a form of
sickness which is contagious.
Sound Health
Major Health Hazards and the Steps for Their

Prevention and Cure
Allow me to discuss the top 4 health hazards in the world
today:
1. Lack of physical activity and nutrition
2. Overweight and obesity
3. Tobacco
4. Drugs and alcohol
Heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, stroke,
and other chronic illnesses are responsible for about 70 percent
of American deaths each year. And they all loom larger as we
age.
The Super Six:
1. Not smoking
2. Being physically active
3. Maintaining a healthy diet and weight
4. Normal levels of blood pressure
5. Normal levels of blood sugar
6. Normal levels of total cholesterol
Adhering to all the Super Six seems to make people about
75 percent less likely to die of heart disease than by adhering
to only one or none.
Maintaining sound health is not a rocket science as is
evident from the above. It is actually following what your
mother told you when you were a child. However, as noted
simple things are not always easy to follow and it requires
all the principles of success in combination, especially that
of self-discipline, Controlled Attention and enthusiasm to
maintain sound health.
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T. Boone Pickens and Maintenance of Sound Health:

T. Boone Pickens built the largest independently owned oil
and gas company in the United States – Mesa Petroleum.
Keep fit. Physical fitness is an essential part of the best-
run companies, and that includes CEO’s. He never had a
weight problem because he did things in moderation. But he
gradually got out of shape, which is easy to do in your late 30s
or early 40s. At age 40, he began to work out. He jogged and
took up racquetball seriously. All those things you hear about
being in shape are true. He felt better. His stamina improved
and so did his powers of concentration. He was getting a lot
more done each day and still had energy to burn.
Corporate Czars and Marathoners
There is some special connection and something common
between running a successful company and running a
marathon. Ask N. Chandrasekaran, CEO of TCS, India’s most
valuable company.
According to him, running teaches perseverance. He is an
avid runner who runs about 6 full marathons and a handful of
half marathons in a year. According to him, running helps you
notice things you normally wouldn’t have. It clears your head.
There are no cell phones, you are not doing anything else. It
has also shown him one vital thing – there are no short-cuts
in life.
“It’s been fun running in all different parts of the world, in
different environments, climates and conditions. In whichever
time zone I am in, I make it a point to wake up and run in the
morning.”
“My routine is a little different from what the standard
marathon guide recommends, which is running on all days of
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Sound Health
the week with rest breaks on some and cross-training mid-

week. I have been running on all days of the week. I run about
50km a week.”
Most importantly,
“Running teaches you perseverance. It has made me more
patient and calm. It gives me enough time to think and reflect.
Marathon running teaches you focus and rigor. There is a
sense of commitment and you know you have to do things
the right way to achieve your goal.”
“Use it or lose it. If you don’t use your muscles, they get weak. If you
don’t use your mind it begins to fail.”
– John Templeton, American-born British stock
investor, businessman and philanthropist.
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Action Steps: Add These 7 Characteristics to Your

Personality to Achieve Sound Health
1. Physically fit
2. Full of energy
3. Free of minor physical ailments
4. Free of worry
5. Enthusiastic about their labor of love
6. In possession of a Positive Mental Attitude
7. In possession of self-discipline
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Sound Health
Famous Quotes:
“Health, happiness, and prosperity are primarily mental.”
– Marian Ramsay.
“Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of
life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a
good conscience, good health, occupation and freedom in all
just pursuits.”
– Thomas Jefferson.
“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we
shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”
– Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama)
Founder of Buddhism.
“A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic
too busy to take care of his tools.”
–Spanish Proverb.
“Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”
– Heywood Broun.
“Protect your health. Without it you face a serious handicap
for success and happiness.”
– Harry F. Banks.
“The secret of health for both, body and mind, is not
to mourn the past, not to worry about the future, not to
anticipate trouble, but to live in the present moment wisely
and earnestly.”
–Buddha.
“The only way for a rich man to be healthy is by exercise and
abstinence, to live as if he were poor.”
– William J. Temple.
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CHAPTER 16
Budgeting Time and Money
Analyze how you use your time and spend your money, and
you can predict where and what you will be ten years from
now.
Time and money are precious resources and the few people
striving for success will ever believe they possess either one
in excess. Understanding how you use them is an important
part of evaluating your progress toward success and analyzing
what may be holding you back.
Tons of books have been written by super specialists on
the subject of budgeting your time and money. Seek them out.
Read them, apply those concepts and take personal inventory
of yours and work upon each of the aspects to improve
yourself on these two vital cogs in the success wheel.
To summarize, people are divided into two classes –
drifters and non-drifters. A non-drifter is a person who has
a Definite Major Purpose, a definite major plan to attain that
purpose, and is busily engaged in carrying out his plan.
On the other hand, a drifter does no real thinking. He acts
upon the thinking of others.
One Person – Different Perspectives

Let us analyze how one individual will have different
perspectives on time and money at different stages of his life.
1. Young Adult – I have defined this person aged between
18-40
2. Middle Age Person – A person aged between 40-60
3. Senior Citizen – A person whose age is 60+
Reasons for this age classification: In India, typically, a
person gets the right of an adult at the age of 18. And a citizen
is classified as senior once he crosses 60.
Assumptions: It is important to note that this discussion
is based on perspectives in general and may differ on case to
case basis.
A Young Adult’s Perspective
Time: For a young adult, time is not the most precious asset.
He does not value time as he feels that he has enough time in
his hand with youth on his side.
Money: In general, a young adult has not cultivated a
savings habit and mentality and believes in earning money
and spending it now as if there was no tomorrow. He believes
in living life king size today, and does not believe in proper
financial planning as an aid to his long future.
This is where the success principles of Napoleon Hill can
make a big difference in changing the mindset of the youth of
the country and thereby impacting entire nations in their path
towards growth and prosperity.
A Middle Age Person’s Perspective
Time: For this category, time is more precious than it is for a
young adult. He realizes the value of time and wants to focus
a majority of his time to create a successful career.
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Money: A person in this category will generally plan for

his future retirement plan so as to achieve financial freedom.
He realizes the value of savings and thereby creates a strong
financial plan to secure his old age.
A Senior Citizen’s Perspective
Time: People in this category have wisdom to realize that
their days are numbered and thereby time is one of the most
valuable assets. They want to spend the rest of their lives in
peace and in sync with their beliefs and value systems.
Money: Senior citizens would now consider money as
only a medium of exchange to meet their bare necessities and
comforts of life. They would not look at money as something
to hoard, nor would they have a greedy perspective. They
know that they have come a long way and time is anyway more
valuable than money.
Time Management of Jack Welch
Jack Welch was the former CEO of GE – one of the world’s
largest companies – for twenty years, and as a result of his
leadership, GE grew its profits by a staggering amount. In
his first year in charge, GE was America’s eleventh largest
company, worth $12 billion dollars and when he left, it was
number one, worth an estimated $400 billion dollars! No other
CEO has created as much shareholder value as Welch did.
His best practices on time management are as follows:
• On every Sunday night in his library at home, Welch
does the evaluations of the operating heads of GE’s
twelve businesses.
• He and his team would spend at least one hour per
week learning what competitors are doing.
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• In his own words, Jack Welch summarizes the

importance of time management and speed: “Speed is
everything. It is the indispensable ingredient of competitiveness.
Speed, simplicity and self-confidence are closely intertwined. By
simplifying the organization and instilling confidence, you create
the foundation for an organization that incorporates speed into
the fabric of the company.”
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and his Amazing Time
Management Skills
The only way Bezos has said he knows to combat the increasing
time demands is to set aside a fraction of time just for himself.
He uses Tuesdays and Thursdays as proactive days, scheduling
all meetings in the other three days of the workweek. He also
limits his travel now to about a third of his time so he won’t
lose the Tuesdays and Thursdays. On those ‘off ’ days, which
aren’t really off, Bezos goes shopping in malls to see how
stores are laid out, or spends time looking at the amazon.com
website, which looks very different to him on those days when
his mind is clearer. He will also surf the web, looking at other
e-commerce sites, trying to find another good idea he hadn’t
thought of and he uses those two days to send out thank-you
notes to people. Those thank-you notes are, he says, “a classic
example of something that’s never the most urgent thing to
do. But it’s actually very important, in a soft way, over a long
period.”
Managing Time like Andy Grove of Intel
Andy Grove, the legendary founder and CEO of Intel,
grew the company at a compounded annual growth rate of
nearly 30%. Under his leadership, Intel’s stock market value
increased twenty-fold. His efforts were largely responsible for
the creation of a company that has helped put over a billion
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computers and a myriad of other popular products into

people’s hands.
Grove fiercely guards his time and has created several
time-saving devices. He forced himself to say no to requests
that did not fit into his priority scheme.
Grove regularly schedules meetings with subordinates,
believing that they are ultimately a timesaver because people
will save their routine questions and comments for the weekly
session, and would not interrupt him as much during other times.
Grove does not like to book his time too tightly though,
and for the same reason he does not like to plan extensively.
He likes to have the ability to maneuver, depending on the
opportunities and threats that present themselves.
He has a support staff of three and keeps them busy. He
has developed his own special mail codes such as “f/u” for
“follow up” – that lets him zip through his inbox with special
efficiency. An assistant once put together a Grove-to-English
dictionary for new assistants who were bewildered by his time-
saving abbreviations.
Tips for Budgeting Money and Becoming Rich by E. W.
Scrips
• Never spend as much money as you earn. The smaller
your expenditures are in proportion to your earnings, the
sooner you will become rich.
• Never do anything yourself that you can get someone else
to do for you. The more things that someone else does
for you, the more time and energy you have to do those
things which no one else can do for you.
• Never do anything today that you can put off till tomorrow.
There is always so much to do today that you should not
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waste your time and energy in doing anything today that

can be put off till tomorrow. Most things that you do not
have to do today are not worth doing at all.
• Remember, that no man can save himself rich. He can
only make himself rich. Savings are capital. It is only
by doing things that one learns how to do things. It is
only the capitalist who handles capital that learns how to
handle capital profitably. The more capital you have the
more skillful you become as a capitalist.
• Fools say that money makes money. Money does not
make money. It is only men who make money.
• It is far easier to make money than to spend it. As it
becomes more and more difficult to spend money, you
will spend less and less of it, and hence there will be more
money to accumulate.
The Three Minute Huddle
How does UPS keep 220,000 drivers and package handle
on time? Wireless transmitters, reliable trucks, and a world-
class logistics network are critical, of course. But managers
have their own safeguard against slack. Every morning and
often several times per day, managers gather workers for a
mandatory meeting that lasts precisely three minutes.
The talks start with company announcements, from
benefits, updates to bulletins about software upgrades on
drivers’ hand-held’s. Then managers go over local information:
traffic conditions or customer complaints. Every meeting ends
with a safety tip.
The meeting ensures that workers are always kept in the
loop and the 180 second limit helps enforce system-wide
punctuality. If drivers are late to start their routes because
meetings run long, they will earn overtime and deliver fewer
packages, exactly what UPS strives to avoid.
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This example shows the importance of budgeting time for

a company where timely delivery is the competitive advantage.
How Carlos Ghosn Budgets His Time
Imagine being a CEO of a company situated at two locations
10,000 km apart.
It would require time management skills of the highest
quality that is to be followed to perfection in order to perform
at the job.
This is how the CEO of Renault (France) and Nissan
(Japan) does his job to perfection:
He goes from Paris to Tokyo every month and spends
between one or two weeks there. The week when he is Tokyo
is the week when he has the Nissan executive committee
meeting, the design meeting, the product decision meeting,
the investment meeting, the board meeting – all the important
meetings are taking place during this week.
He does the same thing at Renault-France. To put decisions
into action, he hands them to the executive committee.
Every month is different. Typically in March, he is for one
week in the U.S. (He is also head of Nissan’s North American
operation!), one week in Japan, and two weeks in France. But
everybody knows that the first week of the month he is in
Paris and the third week of the month he is in Japan!
He has an assistant in France and one in Japan and one in
the U.S. They are all bilingual. His assistants screen all the mail
and documents. They know exactly the topic he is interested
in and what should be diverted to other members of the
executive committee.
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The maximum meeting time is one hour and thirty

minutes. 50% of the time is for the presentation and the
balance 50 % is for discussion.
He does his best thinking early in the morning. He always
asks that his first meeting should not happen before eight.
When he needs more time to think, he wakes up earlier. If he
does not sleep for six hours, he is in bad shape, but he usually
gets up by six.
And just check how he balances all this with his family
time:
He does not bring work home He plays with his four
children and spends time with his family on weekends. When
he goes to work on Monday, he can look at the problem with
more distance.
Stress builds up when you know that there is a problem,
but you do not clearly see it, and you do not have a solution.
He feels the same pain and the same stress and the same jet lag
as anybody else does. You have nights when you cannot sleep,
and the stress is unbearable. It happens to every single person,
and he is no different.
Time Management Skills of Howard Schultz,
Chairman Starbucks
Howard Schultz is a member of the ‘5AM Club’, waking up
every day between 5 and 5:30 and naturally the first thing he
does is have some coffee; depending on his mood, it is either
an espresso macchiato or one of their Indonesian coffees
in a French Press. He will take his coffee and read three
newspapers – The Seattle Times, The Wall Street Journal and
The New York Times and listen to a voicemail summarizing
sales results from the past 24 hours. This has been his routine
for the last 25 years.
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There are always Starbucks with their lights on somewhere

around the globe, and they open five new stores every day.
So it is very important for him to leverage his time. In the
early morning, he focuses on Europe. He will call Greece or
Spain or wherever, either at home or on the drive into work,
to talk about challenges, do the numbers make sense or to
congratulate them. These personal conversations are very
important.
At work, the first thing he does is read the flash report,
which is their roadmap of what they have to do that day. So
they attend to the U.S. business during the day, and at night he
will be speaking with Asia.
He travels international now one out of every seven weeks.
The airplane is his time to read, which he does voraciously.
Apart from these tips, he does not really have any secret
tools or bricks or tricks, other than the one that he could
always use a good cup of coffee!
Bill Gross, Chief Investment Officer, PIMCO.
Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (commonly
called PIMCO), is an American multinational investment
management firm headquartered in Newport Beach, California,
with over 2,000 employees working in thirteen offices across
twelve countries, and $1.51 trillion in assets under management
as of 30 June, 2016. The company provides mutual funds and
other portfolio management and asset allocation solutions for
millions of investors worldwide.
Now imagine being the Chief Investment Officer, where
Bill Gross has direct responsibility for about $500 billion
worth portfolio.
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His strategy is very simple to budget his time – cut through

the noise.
He gets up at 4:30AM and checks the markets. He checks
the Japan market and Europe market and then has some
breakfast and heads to work by about 5:45AM and gets into
the office at about 6AM.
The first hour or two is used for acclimating to the
markets and various economic data releases. Lots of big,
macro numbers like GDP, the unemployment number, and
other statistics typically come out around 5:30.
For a portfolio manager, eliminating the noise is critical.
He has to cut the information flow to a minimum level. One
could spend the whole day reading different opinions. He does
not answer or look at any emails he does not want to. Other
than for his wife, he will only pick up the phone three of four
times a day. He does not have a cellphone. His motto is, “I
don’t want to be connected. I want to be disconnected.”
He sits in the middle of a 70-person trading room on
the 3rd floor of an office building that overlooks the Pacific
Ocean. He is surrounded by six Bloomberg Screens. After he
has assimilated the economic releases and market moves, he
has got portfolios to manage.
The most important part of his day is not on the trading
floor. Every day at 8:30AM, he gets up from his desk and walks
to a health club across the street. He does yoga and works out
for probably an hour and a half, between 8:30 and 10. There
has only been two or three times in the past 30 years when
someone came across the street and told him he should get
back to the office. One of them was the 1987 market crash.
There is an understanding here that that’s his haven. Some of
his best ideas literally come from standing on his head during
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yoga. He is away from the office, away from the noise, away
from the Bloomberg Screens, not to mention that standing on
your head increases the blood flow to your brain. After about
45 minutes of riding the exercise bike and maybe ten or fifteen
minutes of yoga, all of a sudden, some significant light bulbs
seem to turn on. He looks at that hour and a half as the most
valuable time of the day.
What Advise on Time Management Did Sanjiv
Goenka, CEO of RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, Get from
Dhirubhai Ambani and Aditya Birla?
When he started his career, Sanjiv Goenka used to spend
more than 12-15 hours at the office. He would reach office at
8AM and get back home by 8PM. He was proud to have an
extended work time. He distinctly remembers the advice given
by two of our biggest business leaders. Dhirubhai said, “Son,
the company you handle is a small one. The company I handle
is multiple times bigger than yours. I go to work at 10 and I
leave by 4 and I know everything that happens in my company.
You are obviously spending a long time with the wrong kind
of detail.”
Something similar was told by Mr. Birla to him 15 days
later, “I am a director of a much larger group. I work in the
morning at home and in evening at the office. You have to
learn to manage your time and focus on the priorities.”
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Action Steps: 4 Easy Steps to Better Manage your

Time and Money
1. Take a self inventory and analyze how you use your time
and spend your money
2. Strive for improvement in each of these areas
3. Evaluate your progress every quarter
4. Revise your game plan and strive for constant improvement
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Famous Quotes:
“I wake up every day just before 6:00 am and exercise and play
golf for an hour and a half. I insist on reading before I go to
bed at night. I am still energetic during the day. Your energy
comes from being interested in your work.”
– Li Ka Shing, Hutchison Group, one of the richest
men in Asia.
“I am very prudent financially because of those hard times
I went through. I spent nothing. I had a haircut every three
months. I shaved my head like a monk.”
– Li Ka Shing, Hutchison Group, one of the richest
man in Asia.
“If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to
know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.”
– Lee Iacocca, Ex Chairman of Chrysler
Corporation.
“Over the years, I’ve observed that nearly all high achievers
know how to make good of those 1440 minutes in each
day.”
– Mary Kay Ash, Founder, Mary Kay Cosmetics.
“Don’t work for money; make money work for you.”
– Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad Company.
“The only difference between the rich person and poor
person is how they use their time. The poor, the unsuccessful,
the unhappy, the unhealthy are the ones who use the word
tomorrow the most.”
– Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad Company.
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“The bigger we get… the smaller we have to think. Customers

still walk in one at a time.”
– Sam Walton.
“Remember that time is money.”
– Benjamin Franklin.
“An inch of gold cannot purchase an inch of time.”
– Chinese Proverb.
“What a folly to dread the thought of throwing away life at
once, and yet have no regard to throwing it away by parcels
and piecemeal.”
– John Howe.
“Money is like manure. You have to spread it around or it
smells.”
– John Paul Getty.
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
– William Penn.
“It is good to have money and the things that money can buy,
but it’s good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure
you haven’t lost the things that money can’t buy.”
– George Horace Lorimer (1867-1937), Writer, editor.
“A man in debt is so far a slave.”
“So much of our time is spent in preparation, so much in
routine and so much in retrospect, that the amount of each
person’s genius is confirmed.”
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“Let him who would enjoy the future waste none of the
present.”
– Roger Babson.
“You may delay, but time will not.”
– Benjamin Franklin.
“Time is the scarcest resource, and unless it is managed,
nothing else can be managed.”
– Peter Drucker.
“Time is a depleting resource that waits for no man. You either
use it productively or lose it.”
– Anonymous.
“Time is everything. Anything you want, anything you
accomplish – pleasure, success, Fortune – is measured in time.”
– Joyce C. Hall.
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CHAPTER 17
Cosmic Habitforce
Cosmic habitforce is the law which makes every living

creature, every particle of matter subject to the influence
of its environment. It can work for you or against you. The
choice is yours.
The grandest example of cosmic habitforce is the
operation of the heavens. Stars and planets move with
clocklike precision. They don’t collide; they don’t suddenly
veer off course. A complex system of gravity and inertia,
attraction and repulsion keeps things moving so precisely,
that for millennia, human beings have been able to predict the
position of the stars and planets, the timing of eclipses, and
the regularity of meteor showers. Everything does that which
is in its nature to do so. All this is a reflection of the universal
order, which makes so much of the physical operation of
the world understandable. Certainly, we are still working to
understand more than what we already do, but science is based
on the faith that there is a universal order. All actions and
reactions are fixed on the basis of this order.
In the science of personal achievement you seek to take
control of this order by taking control of your habits. You
recognize that your thoughts and actions will become as much
a part of your nature as Pluto’s orbit is a part of its nature. If
your habits are positive, the seeds that they plant will be too.
But you have to realize that cosmic habitforce always operates.
If your habits are negative, their results will also be negative.
Habits become a part of your nature by repetition.
If you create thought habits by repeating certain ideas
in your mind, cosmic habitforce will take over those patterns
of thought, make them more or less permanent (depending
on your intensity of repetition and practice), and put them to
work. The same thing will happen with physical habits
Repetition of a habit intensifies it until it becomes an
obsession. You can become obsessed with poverty or with
achievement. This is why I have repeatedly stressed that your
thoughts are the only thing you can completely control if
you decide to do so. You must control your thoughts to control
your habits, because one bad habit often spoils a dozen good ones.
Cosmic habitforce doesn’t leave you any room to complain
that opportunity never came your way. You will know that as
long as you have the power to form and express your thoughts,
you have the power to change the circumstances of your life
into whatever you want them to be. If your life isn’t already
what you want it to be, it is because you have drifted into your
present circumstances by virtue of cosmic habitforce.
You can change that. Definiteness of purpose, backed by the
power of cosmic habitforce and enforced by self-discipline and
personal initiative, can bring you to the circumstances you want.
Bad Habits
What are habits?
Habits are intersection of knowledge (What to do?), skill
(How to do?), and desire (Why to do?).
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Cosmic Habitforce
A habit cannot be created unless one possesses all the

three. Similarly, it is much easier to change bad habits into
good if we can understand these three basic features of a
habit.
According to me, the three most dangerous bad habits
are as follows:
1. Negative Mental Attitude
As we all know, our attitude will automatically
become negative if we do not control the thoughts
which we have. This attitude is widely common among
people. This is because we are bombarded with so many
negative influences every minute from the external
environment.
2. Procrastination
Very few people on planet Earth can vouch that
they have not been victims of this habit. It exists in
every genre and category of people all across the
world throughout generations. In simple words, it
is the avoidance of doing a task which needs to be
accomplished.
3. Indiscipline
In simple terms, it is a lack of control in one’s behavior.
Discipline or the lack of it can either make or mar one’s
entire life. It can overshadow world-class skill and
talent if the person is undisciplined.
How can one turn each of these negative habits into
positive habits?
The following procedure is recommended for each of
them
1. Positive Mental Attitude: As we know, if we do not
take efforts in thinking positively, the thought process
will automatically be skewed towards negative thinking.
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2. Action: Develop the attitude of ‘DO IT NOW.’ Break

down the task at hand into smaller parts, and always
remember that a journey of a thousand miles begins
with a single step.
3. Self-Discipline: Every time you keep your words
or plans, reward yourself with some recognition or
appreciation. This will take your willpower and faith
on an upward spiral which is the key to achieve self-
discipline.
Habit of Joining the 5AM Club
Guess what Jack Welch, Gordon Brown, Adi Godrej and Dr.
Manmohan Singh and many more successful people have in
common?
They are early risers. They all wake up early. It’s a habit
that worked wonderfully well for them. If there was one single
habit that could make a huge impact on your life, it would have
to be this. Wake up early!
Starting tomorrow, wake up one hour earlier than usual;
it will give you an extra 365 productive hours in a year. That’s
like getting nine extra weeks at work. You could read a book,
work on your fitness, or spend time by yourself or with a
loved one. It would make a huge difference to your career,
your health and your life.
And it’s not only about the extra time you create for
yourself. The real power is in the message it sends out to your
mind. By waking up early, you are telling yourself that you are
serious about achieving your goals and are willing to pay the
price. You have both the physical energy and mental strength
to chase your dreams. The discipline and willpower that help
you get up early will also help you achieve a lot else in life.
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Cosmic Habitforce
To conclude, the important thing to understand about

habits is that – first you get the habits, and then the
habit gets you. Unless you take charge of your habits
and unless you fill your mind with worthwhile goals and
plans, nature will take over. Nature takes your habits and
your thoughts and weaves them into the fabric that is your
life. So why not consciously give nature something good
to work with? Make your life an outstanding adventure
because of your choice, and not a mediocre existence by
default.
159
Action Steps: 7 Steps to Use the Law of Cosmic Habit

Force to Make More Money
1. Create a clear mental image of just how much money you
want to make
2. Imagine some of the results of having the money – link
the motives
3. Develop a plan how you will earn this money
4. Write out your goal and plan
5. Write a to-do list of all the things you need to do in your
plan
6. Start doing the things on the list – take action
7. Affirm your goal many times a day – at least three times
160
Cosmic Habitforce
Famous Quotes:
“We have no patent on anything we do and anything we do
can be copied by anyone else. But you can’t copy the heart and
soul and the conscience of the company. It’s a great example
for other young people about execution and habits and doing
things the right way.”
“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile
are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common
sense.”
– Thomas Edison, One of the greatest
American Inventors.
“I decided we’d put three dots on the domino because we had
three stores, and every time we added one, we’d add a dot. You
can see, I wasn’t thinking of a national chain back then.”
– Tom Monaghan, Founder of Domino’s Pizza.
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t… you are
right.”
–Henry Ford.
“We attract what we expect;
We reflect what we desire;
We become what we respect;
We mirror what we admire.”
– Unknown.
“You make a living from what you get… but you make a life
from what you give.”
– Unknown.
161
“Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action;

action from habits; habits decide character; and character fixes
our destiny.”
– Tryon Edwards (1809-94), Writer, Author.
“Do something every day that you don’t want to do; this is the
golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without
pain.”
– Mark Twain (1835-1910), Author, humorist.
“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become
a man of value.”
– Albert Einstein.
“Our lives don’t really belong to us, you see, they belong to
the world, and in spite of our efforts to make sense of it, the
world is a place beyond our understanding.”
– Paul Auster.
“For it is in giving that we receive.”
– St. Francis of Assisi.
“What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists…
and it becomes available only when you are in that state of
mind in which you know EXACTLY what you want… and are
fully determined not to quit until you get it.”
– Alexander Graham Bell.
“Slowly and painfully man is learning that he must do to others
what he would have them do to him.”
– Anthony Eden.
162
Conclusion
Having completed the reading of the philosophy of success

developed by Dr. Napoleon Hill, which was the result of more
than 20 years of interviews, investigation and synthesis, it is
time for action.
In this book I have attempted to ignite your spark of
inquisitiveness to learn more, and to know more in detail
about each of them by briefing about the principles of success.
The objective of my examples is to correlate, simplify
& to substantiate the faith in their application and success.
Cherish your visions and your dreams. Remember that
every dream and every vision of yours is a blueprint of your
ultimate achievement.
The time has now come for execution and action and
to write your own success story in the books of history. The
time has now come to lead a life of purpose. The time has
now come to make our lives.
With this remarkable book, every individual receives a
proven formula that they can apply immediately to accomplish
more sooner than they may have ever dreamed possible. With
Napoleon Hill’s 17 Principles of Success as explained in this
book, you learn how to think in the very best way possible,
liberating your full potential for extraordinary living.
CONCLUSION
To assist in your endeavor, Think & Grow Rich

Academy has designed simplified training programs,
workshops, seminars, tools, consulting services, etc. to coach
you. We have the exclusive license from the Napoleon Hill
Foundation-USA to coach these time-tested principles of
success all across India.
Will you use this philosophy to make your life the joyful
and happy global adventure that it was always meant to be?
Make your decision now and follow your dream. All that you
want can be yours. The rest of your life is up to you.
Contact the academy now. Visit www.thinkngrowrichacademy
.com and www.sidshah.co.in and get ready to truly think and
grow rich!
You can also visit
• Personal Blog: http://www.sidshah.co.in/
• LinkedIn profile URL: https://www.linkedin.
com/in/sid-shah-5a0bbb134/
• Facebook profile URL: https://www.facebook.
com/sidharth.shah.1232
• Twitter profile URL: https://twitter.com/
sidshah27
• Foundation Website - USA : http://www.naphill.
org/licensees/india/
164

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THINK

First Published by Notion Press 2017

Welcome to a great new world of achievement, wealth

There are many additional men and women of achievement

Definite Major Purpose (DMP)

Definite Major Purpose and N. R. Narayana Murthy,

employees, vendors, and investors; and after that, revenues,

and stunned. I said to myself, “Oh my god! Everything that I have

Action Plan: The 9 Step Checklist

“Ambition is the seed from which all growth of nobleness

“In this new wave of technology, you can’t do it all yourself,

Definition and Important Features:

A group of brains coordinated in a spirit of harmony

Sam Walton – Walmart

when it comes to this business. And there may not be anything

At the helm of the group, there is a team of twenty-one

Action Plan: How to Form and Maintain a Mastermind

“I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it

One of the classic examples of the application of the

• 1840: Sought to become elector and was defeated.

APPLICATION OF APPLIED FAITH

Max emerging as one of the leading providers of healthcare

An interesting trivia about the company is how Tom

Actions Steps: 8 Step Plan to Develop Applied Faith

“Faith is kept alive in us, and gathers strength, more from

Going The Extra Mile

In this book, Krishna told Arjuna, “Do your duty without

What made Jack Welch, ‘The Jack Welch’

Action Steps: Test ‘Going the Extra Mile’ Principle in

“Success is not achieved by working until the whistle sounds

Pleasing Personality is your trademark or your brand. It is

The president contracted polio in 1921 – 12 years before

Pleasing personality characteristics of David Ogilvy

i. He tries to be fair and to be firm, to make unpopular

10. Tolerance with all people __________

And a laugh is the music of happiness.”

“An appealing personality is not like cosmetics used on the

Positive Mental Attitude

Positive Mental Attitude is defined as the right or correct

2. Education: Classic Example of Helen Keller

fashion. He enjoyed meeting the people at the University

he looks for the opportunities in the problems. When the steel

Action Steps:12 Steps to Develop a PMA

“The greatest problem we face today is negativity. Eliminate

Personal Initiative is the power that starts all action. It is the

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

in creating one of India’s very own MNCs. He is also on the

Even when Emami was a small company, they put in place

technology. So they said, “Let’s put in the ATMs, internet

Action Steps: Try to Develop As Many As of These 24

21. The capacity for Applied Faith

Enthusiasm comes from the Greek words ‘en’ which means

Prime Minister of India – Mr. Modi: Personifying

Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi urged the world

With his enthusiasm, Howard Schulz took a small three-

Enthusiasm Levels of Anil Agarwal, Chairman of

It is only enthusiasm that makes these people keep going

Action Steps: The Super Three Enthusiasm Boosters

“Celebrate your success. Find some humor in your failures.

“The longer I live, the more I am certain that the great

Self-Discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts and

I take the support of the three big religions in the world

leader who helped to unite Arabia under Islam. While

a link that’s related to an email and look at it while the email is