Trump’s Secrets to Success
“Rise early. Work late. Strike oil.” JP Getty

After 24 hours of K-Tel sales pitches at the Toronto Wealth and Real Estate Expo a couple weekends ago, it was refreshing, yes, you might say, that is an odd word choice to describe “The Donald’s” 2 hours presentation, but it was. It was a hoot to see this billionaire icon in person. If nothing else, Donald Trump is, well, he is, a riot! He is so real and down to earth it is almost shocking, and he is brilliant, not to mention a male chauvinist pig and a very good negotiator! Aside from all the great stories and shocking realism of his life he shared his secrets to success.

1. Love your job – a couple weeks ago I wrote about finding passion in you job or career and how important it is to love what you do if you plan to get ahead and be happy in your career. Trump says he never takes a holiday because he loves what he does so much - not a great wife keeping move. Don’t try this in your life, you don’t own the company you work for.
2. Never give up – You know the quote “The harder you work the luckier you are.” Of course we make our own luck purports Trump. He told us about his $6 billion debt in 1990 and how he was also in the middle of a divorce, and the angst it caused; giving up doesn’t allow you to rally and come back with a vengeance, then marry the prettiest girl on the planet. Whether job hunting or transitioning into a new segment of your life, keep on keeping on; find a way to make it through.
3. Go against the tide if you know what you are doing. Be confident enough in your decision making ability, wisdom and experience to rely on your gut, your intuition to plan and execute ideas that the norm might deem to be crazy. Would you ever believe a face painted on a rock and sold in a box could make someone a household name? Be resourceful and have a strong network of people behind you to make you look good.
4. Get the best people in your camp. Trump was quite emphatic about getting the best people in the business to work for you or on your team, and then to watch them. He wasn’t big on letting people take the reins but he was adamant how important it was that you have their respect.
5. Don’t lose your momentum. The reason Trump lost his footing in 1990 was because he says he lost his focus. He got too cocky, he took a bit too much time off, he lost sight of what he wanted to be and do. He was appalled when he called a business associate to be told the man was away on a holiday and wouldn’t be back for 5 weeks. When you are running a multi-billion dollar conglomerate five straight weeks with no contact with your office and business dealings might be just a tad too long. For all of you, take every minute due you, you are entitled and deserve the time off.
6. When someone screws you, screw them back. Some people believe in the don’t get mad get even philosophy, and I guess Trump is one of them. That concept doesn’t encourage employee retention when you don’t own the company, nor is it a touted business strategy at any MBA school, so I would encourage you to leave that tip to The Donald.
7. Get a prenuptial agreement. Trump heard Paul Mc Cartney being interviewed on Larry King, before he married Heather Mills, say he was so in love that they would be married forever so no need to get a pre nup. Trump called Mc Cartney up, and told him he was a schmuck if he didn’t get a pre- nup. Trump paid Ivana $25 MM and Heather Mills now wants $400MM from Mc Cartney, and as Trump says, “she wasn’t even on Ed Sullivan.” I interpreted that as “get a signed contract or letter of agreement.” I got burnt on two engagements last summer because I didn’t have a contract, so now I have a contract for every booking I make. 9/11 caught a lot of people with only hand shake deals, and we all know what happened there.

If you aspire to greatness, read about accomplished people and emulate their strategies and philosophies – we are all great, we just need a stage in which to debut!

Colleen Clarke
Corporate Trainer & Career Specialist
www.colleenclarke.com
Author of Networking How to Build Relationships That Count and Work in Progress: Work Search and Job Retention.