Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life (16 page)

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Authors: Donald Trump

BOOK: Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life
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Maybe you don’t have a coach in your life, but if you set your own standards, acknowledge your own value, and remain positive from the inside out, you will be heading in the right direction for a very promising future.
Intuition is perception via the unconscious.
—CARL JUNG
Go with Your Gut
W
e’ve all heard of instincts, intuition, and perception. In fact, all of us have these things. The important thing is to know how to use them. You may have superb academic credentials, but without using your instincts you might have a hard time getting to—and staying at—the top.
This is one of those gray areas that remain an enigma even to those who have finely honed business skills. It’s hard to pin down or to explain how business instincts are acquired. Some of them are inexplicable. But there are signs that can guide you to or away from certain deals and certain people.
For example, within a few seconds of meeting Mark Burnett, the creator of
The Apprentice,
I knew he was 100 percent solid, both as a person and as a professional. On the other hand, I’ve met people that I have an aversion to for no particular reason, and while I try not to be judgmental, I have reason by now to trust my gut. Carl Jung said our conscious minds use only 5 percent of our brain power for daily functioning. If we can learn to tap into that unconscious, subconscious, and dormant 95 percent, the results can
be amazing. Sometimes I think that’s what helps our perceptive abilities come to our aid.
It’s also a matter of tuning in. Ever notice how when we are in a situation that produces heightened alertness, whether it’s a survival course or trying to pass an important exam, how careful we are in our responses? Suddenly, everything we say or do matters a lot. That’s one way to notice how our instincts are there for us. Logic may say one thing, instincts may say another. Ideally, you should hone the best of both to make the best decisions.
I remember when I was acquiring 40 Wall Street, and literally every person I met with recommended that it be turned into residential units. I didn’t agree. My gut instincts told me it was a great business location. I remained steadfast in my beliefs and the building now houses businesses that are thriving. It’s been a lucrative deal for everyone, and 40 Wall Street is now worth in excess of $500 million.
When I was first starting out with my golf courses, my instincts told me it was a good direction to go. Logically, I knew that I had a passion for golf already, which is a crucial element for success, and that if I combined that with knowledge of the process, I’d have my bases covered. I found the best golf course designers in the world and spent many hours working with them. The results have been tremendous. I paired both instinct and logic to get these results.
Just as you would weigh your decisions carefully, be alert to your instincts and what they are trying to tell you. Spend some time with this innate aspect of yourself. See handling your instincts as an acquired skill—they can give you an edge in many situations, business or otherwise. There are a lot of things we can’t see or hear, and our instincts are there to guide us. For example, if you were in the jungle, which would you prefer, a map or a guide? I know I’d feel more comfortable with a guide. A guide has experience and is right there beside you.Your instincts are within you, so use them accordingly.
Be sincere; be brief; be seated.
—FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
Know Your Audience
A
big key to winning is knowing where the other side is coming from. Whether you are involved in negotiations, a war, or in public speaking, this information can be invaluable. It’s also necessary if you hope to connect in any way with other people. And in keeping with FDR’s public speaking advice, getting to the point is greatly appreciated by everyone.
A great portion of life and business involves acting. Life
is
a performance art, no matter what field you are in. I’ve come to understand that fact over the years, and it’s a helpful thing to realize. It includes people skills, negotiation skills, public relations, salesmanship, and the ability to read your audience, whether that audience is four people in your office or forty thousand at a speech. The same technique applies.
First of all, consider this: Is there a common denominator between you? Sometimes, even the weather can be a good starting point. Inclement or severe weather can affect all of us, whether we are billionaires or college students. That’s an obvious one. Others
take more time to determine. I can remember negotiating with someone I didn’t like very much, which put up an invisible wall between us, until I discovered he was an avid golfer like myself. We suddenly had something to talk about that we both enjoyed, and proceedings went better after that.
I’ve heard many stories of how people end up with terrific jobs, not because of their college grades, but because of their hobbies and endeavors outside of their field. Granted, they had the credentials, but so do a lot of people. The people in charge of hiring were looking for something else, something extra—a common denominator aside from the obvious requirements. I know a young lawyer who was hired by a top law firm because in addition to doing well in law school, he also had a master’s degree in music. This mattered because the partner doing the hiring happened to be a musicologist in his private time, and he was aware of the amount of discipline a degree in music requires. But it would also provide them with a mutual interest outside the usual legal environment that would enhance their daily routine.
Comedians know how to plug into their audience. The best public speakers know how to do that, too. Step number one is to know who your audience is. In my book
How to Get Rich,
I mention the common denominator as a way to relate to people. Ask yourself, what do we all have in common? I may be a billionaire, but I get stuck in traffic jams, too. I have bad days just like everyone else. Realize that a lot of your experiences can be understood and appreciated by your audience because they’ve had them, too. Make an effort to find what you have in common and lead with it. You will create a bond that didn’t exist before if you will take the time to think about it.
I recently spoke to an audience of about 40,000 people. Afterwards, a member of my staff asked me if I ever got nervous. I said that I had finally realized that a large part of life was acting,
and public speaking was just a part of that. I also thought about the people who would be in the audience instead of my own performance. That perspective frees you up from nervousness to allow you to focus on and know your audience.
Save yourself from some unnecessary learning experiences and realize that life is a performance art. Understand that as a performer, you have a responsibility to your audience to perform to the best of your ability. You also have to have the goods to hold your audience, no matter what the size may be. Performers prepare for every performance. That’s showmanship, and that’s life. Prepare yourself every day. Learn, know, and show. It’s a proven formula. Put it to use starting today.
2009 will not be the Endless Summer—but it may be the beginning of Spring.
—THOMAS J. BARRACK, JR.
The Good, the Bad, and the Rogue Wave
M
y friend Tom Barrack of Colony Capital is a brilliant guy, and he sent me an article he wrote in late November of 2008 with the headline: “Today’s Debt is Equity
Plus
a Few Suggestions to Help President-Elect Obama Ease the Pain.” He bullet-pointed the latest events pertaining to the economy—twenty-two of them—and I realized that at any other time, just a few of these would be huge topics in themselves. It’s a good indication of how alert we need to be.
His CliffsNotes summary: “Real estate is experiencing a seismic liquidity shock as a result of a complete closure of the credit and capital markets for both debt and equity. CRE (commercial real estate) and the debt which fueled its growth are in a massive meltdown.”
Then he adds: “And just when we thought that all of the unpredictables had passed—a tribe of African pirates in speed boats
hijack a Saudi tanker for ransom—a satirical headline read: ‘Somali Pirates in Discussions to Acquire Citigroup.’”
All this and pirates, too. Somehow it helps to know the world hasn’t changed all that much if pirates are still out there doing their thing. That’s one take on it. The other take is that vigilance is certainly necessary in every walk or strait of life—which brings me to the topic of Bernard Madoff and his scheme that came to our attention in December of 2008.
I can remember when Bernard Madoff would approach me in Palm Beach, Florida, about investing some money with him. He’d say “Why don’t you invest in my fund?” I didn’t know much about him and I’m not a fund guy so I said no. I had enough going on in my own businesses that I didn’t need to be associated or involved with his. Madoff was a frequent visitor at my Mar-a-Lago Club, and he was a respected guy.
I know people who have been victims of his unscrupulous scheme and what’s happened to them is dreadful. He is without a doubt a sleazebag and a scoundrel without par. The sad thing is that so many people trusted him and unfortunately some of them trusted him completely. Some people gave 100 percent of their money to this guy, and now they’re literally selling their houses in order to live. It’s a great lesson in doing your due diligence. Some very smart people were taken in by him. Just because someone is well established doesn’t mean they’re not above being a total crook. He was a Svengali for rich people and he could wipe out hundreds of millions of dollars after just one phone call.
Even the people in his own organization supposedly didn’t know about it, nor did his sons, he claims. He had several floors in a major office building. How could one man be manipulating that much money without at least some of the people knowing about it? The word here is greed. He certainly “made off” with some big bucks.
I know people are stunned by their losses and rightly so. I think we would all do well to pay heed to all of our transactions no matter how much we might respect or like someone. But the main lesson is never to invest 100 percent of your money with one person or in one entity. Even if someone or something is great, you can’t bet the ranch on it, especially a person—they can become dishonest or they can become sick. In Madoff’s case I think it was a combination of both. But you’ve got to spread your money around with numerous people, or at least three or four.You can’t have your well-being determined by one person. My CliffsNotes summary: There are no guarantees but there are precautions. Do not let your guard down. Focus on the positives—but don’t forget about the pirates.
The Rogue Wave
In January, Tom Barrack sent me his notes for a 2009 Survival Kit. I am sharing them with you because he tells a great story and he has an equally great insight in applying it to what’s been going on. Included here are the first two pages of his four page essay, and I hope everyone will give this their full attention:
The constant turmoil of the recent market is reminiscent of a story Laird Hamilton shared with us at our last annual meeting. No one has mastered the art of living more than Laird. He has spent his life in preparation and anticipation of riding big waves. The biggest waves in the Hawaiian Islands occur on Maui at a surf spot named Jaws.These waves reach 50 to 70 feet and can only be ridden by a few daring professionals utilizing “tow in surfing.” Tow in surfing was invented to “turbo charge” the entry speed of a surfer to match the speed of the mountainous walls of fury which would otherwise be unconquerable by traditional paddling
techniques.Tow in will take you deeper and faster and allow you to ride waves that were unthinkable. A little bit like leveraged loans and derivatives in leveraged buy out land.
One morning Laird and one of his surfing mates, Brock Lickle, were in search of bigger waves and less surfers. They pulled around the corner from Jaws to a spot near the Maui airport which was virgin territory and breaking at 60 to 100 feet wave heights. They watched, analyzed and thought these just might be the waves of the decade. Even though there was no one else in the water they started to sea, racing up the huge wave faces and pounding through white water trying to get through the treacherous break. Just as they thought they had made it through the impact zone they looked to the horizon and saw a rogue wave roaring towards shore. They raced as hard as they could towards its looming face, but couldn’t climb it in time and were tossed like rag dolls to the depths of the dangerous coral reefs. Laird related that he was no longer afraid at these moments because he had been in so many fearful situations in his decades of preparation that this was now his comfort zone. Both were the best in the world and knew that survival depended upon a few basic elements:
Remain calm—don’t panic
Save your “dry powder” (air)
Don’t fight the current—let it have its way with you
Don’t question your ability to survive—know that you have trained and prepared a lifetime for this moment
Remember when you get to the top, the another wave will no doubt pound you again
Monitor all conditions—sight, sound, smell, motion, pressure
Stabilize your own situation then look out for your buddy
Once you find your buddy, survival will depend on both of you sharing the pain
Laird and Brock had to hold their breath for up to four minutes as they dove to the bottom trying to avoid their limbs being ripped apart by the ferocious impact as wave after wave kept coming at them. Finally, Laird made it to the top of the last wave of the set and anxiously searched for his buddy. He saw Brock floating 200 yards away in a pool of blood and no jet ski. He swam through the washing machine to Brock to find him badly injured and bleeding. Before Laird could get them both to shore he had to take off his wetsuit and, in MacGyver-like fashion, use it as a tourniquet on his buddy’s nearly severed leg. He then wrapped his arms around Brock and swam them both to the jet ski bobbing in the crashing surf. He threw Brock on top and opened throttle to shore. Of course, the shore break was 30 feet high so the landing on the beach was the next heroic act. Laird picked his spot, gunned the jet ski, flew over the top of the wave and landed in the parking lot, which was now filled with hundreds of spectators. Laird pulled Brock off the jet ski to safety and then standing on shore realized that he was stark naked.
Once Brock was turned over to the emergency team and it was established that he would be okay, Laird grabbed another teammate and a new jet ski and marched back out into the monumental surf. He was not fearful. He got back on the horse (or jet ski in this case) and caught some of the best waves of his life. By taking the worst wipeout of his life he was now better equipped than those other professionals who had been watching unscathed from the parking lot.
HUMBLING 2008
2008 has been a year filled with surprises, volatility, disappointment, unfulfilled expectations and cyclic shock waves. As a new year dawns, I think it is important that we take a deep breath, relax and focus on the ingredients that are key to our continued survival. We must get back on the horse.
My boys share Laird’s love of surfing and in order to convince them to spend time with Dad, it requires Christmas vacations that involve waves. Being in the ocean watching the never-ending changes in the sea allows me to reflect on the similarity of the survival tools needed in these chaotic times.
The first great lesson is that of humility. No matter how good you are, when arrogance raises its ugly head, Mother Nature will put you back into your box. Mastery of a wave involves being attuned to all the circumstances surrounding you. It is not about domination—it is actually about submission. The currents, the riptides, the swell, the wind, the reefs, the temperature, the crowds, the shapes are changing every second. The quest, then, is not to stabilize the wave and make each one exactly alike and predictable
by all, but rather to perfect your own adaptability to an ever-changing situation and make it through to the other end. If you can survive, great. If you have executed it with style and grace, even better. In this quest, wipeouts are a way of life and planning to never be wiped out is foolhardy at best. World-class surfers train endlessly to be able to handle the inevitable trip to the “dark room.” It involves preparation, anticipation, calmness and an ability to control one’s fear. It is knowing
what
to do when everything goes wrong and you are gasping for breath. What surfers call “dry drowning”—to panic, flail and waste your valuable breath—is the worst thing you can do, even though it is the most intuitive. Experienced surfers concentrate on relaxing and not fighting the bone-crushing power of the wave until it relinquishes its force. They must be able to preserve their “dry powder”—to hold their breath and avoid being smashed on the coral reefs beneath them. This confidence comes from experience in previous wipeouts and a knowledge that they are truly prepared for the worst.
Furthermore, one surfer’s wipeout is another surfer’s “wave of the day.” It is all about anticipation and being in the right position, which is not necessarily the position that the rest of the surfers are seeking. Not following the crowds can be the difference between victory and defeat. At the same, time one must watch the crowd and where it’s going as their amateur moves can cause more damage than the wave alone.

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