Byron Wien is awesome. He is one of my colleagues at
Blackstone, although I have not met him (yet?!). He is in his late 70s (or
possibly 80s) and is the Vice President of Blackstone Advisory Partners. He is a
very big cheese.
‘11. Water becomes the
central environmental issue of 2015, eclipsing carbon-caused air pollution.
While a shortage of water has always been a potential problem in the Western
United States, it becomes a source of considerable tension in India and China,
where large parts of the population do not have safe drinking water on a
consistent basis.’
I think he is right (and I am not just saying that because I
am a corporate suck-up!).
The second reason for mentioning Byron is because at the very
back of the 80 slide deck that was circulated with his predictions there were a
couple of slides listing out his 20 ‘Life Lessons’. These are pure genius. I am
still struggling with no 10, but I wholeheartedly agree with no 16. No 20 made
me smile.
I hope you like them too:
1 Concentrate on finding a big idea
that will make an impact on the people you want to influence. The Ten Surprises,
which I started doing in 1986, has been a defining product. People all over the
world are aware of it and identify me with it. What they seem to like about it
is that I put myself at risk by going on record with these events which I
believe are probable and hold myself accountable at year-end. If you want to be
successful and live a long, stimulating life, keep yourself at risk
intellectually all the time.
2. Network intensely. Luck plays a big
role in life, and there is no better way to increase your luck than by knowing
as many people as possible. Nurture your network by sending articles, books and
emails to people to show you’re thinking about them. Write op-eds and thought
pieces for major publications. Organize discussion groups to bring your
thoughtful friends together.
3. When you meet someone new, treat
that person as a friend. Assume he or she is a winner and will become a positive
force in your life. Most people wait for others to prove their value. Give them
the benefit of the doubt from the start. Occasionally you will be disappointed,
but your network will broaden rapidly if you follow this path.
4. Read all the time. Don’t just do it
because you’re curious about something, read actively. Have a point of view
before you start a book or article and see if what you think is confirmed or
refuted by the author. If you do that, you will read faster and comprehend more.
5. Get enough sleep. Seven hours will
do until you’re sixty, eight from sixty to seventy, nine thereafter, which might
include eight hours at night and a one-hour afternoon nap.
6. Evolve.
Try to think of your life in phases so you can avoid a burn-out. Do the numbers
crunching in the early phase of your career. Try developing concepts later on.
Stay at risk throughout the process.
7. Travel extensively. Try to get
everywhere before you wear out. Attempt to meet local interesting people where
you travel and keep in contact with them throughout your life. See them when you
return to a place.
8. When meeting someone new, try to
find out what formative experience occurred in their lives before they were
seventeen. It is my belief that some important event in everyone’s youth has an
influence on everything that occurs afterwards.
9. On philanthropy my approach is to
try to relieve pain rather than spread joy. Music, theatre and art museums have
many affluent supporters, give the best parties and can add to your social
luster in a community. They don’t need you. Social service, hospitals and
educational institutions can make the world a better place and help the
disadvantaged make their way toward the American dream.
10. Younger people are naturally
insecure and tend to overplay their accomplishments. Most people don’t become
comfortable with who they are until they’re in their 40’s. By that time they can
underplay their achievements and become a nicer, more likeable person. Try to
get to that point as soon as you can.
11. Take the time to give those who
work for you a pat on the back when they do good work. Most people are so
focused on the next challenge that they fail to thank the people who support
them. It is important to do this. It motivates and inspires people and
encourages them to perform at a higher level.
12. When someone extends a kindness to
you write them a handwritten note, not an e-mail. Handwritten notes make an
impact and are not quickly forgotten.
13. At the beginning of every year
think of ways you can do your job better than you have ever done it before.
Write them down and look at what you have set out for yourself when the year is
over.
14. The hard
way is always the right way. Never take shortcuts, except when driving home from
the Hamptons. Short-cuts can be construed as sloppiness, a career killer.
15. Don’t try to be better than your
competitors, try to be different. There is always going to be someone smarter
than you, but there may not be someone who is more imaginative.
16. When seeking a career as you come
out of school or making a job change, always take the job that looks like it
will be the most enjoyable. If it pays the most, you’re lucky. If it doesn’t,
take it anyway, I took a severe pay cut to take each of the two best jobs I’ve
ever had, and they both turned out to be exceptionally rewarding financially.
17. There is a perfect job out there
for everyone. Most people never find it. Keep looking. The goal of life is to be
a happy person and the right job is essential to that.
18. When your children are grown or if
you have no children, always find someone younger to mentor. It is very
satisfying to help someone steer through life’s obstacles, and you’ll be
surprised at how much you will learn in the process.
19. Every year try doing something you
have never done before that is totally out of your comfort zone. It could be
running a marathon, attending a conference that interests you on an off-beat
subject that will be populated by people very different from your usual circle
of associates and friends or traveling to an obscure destination alone. This
will add to the essential process of self-discovery.
20. Never
retire. If you work forever, you can live forever. I know there is an abundance
of biological evidence against this theory, but I’m going with it anyway.
