BY: DAVID LIPMAN, Co-Founder, WEW Llc
Everyone in life ponders their fate and direction of their life and especially their career.
More often than not they look at other people and say to themselves boy that person was lucky. When I became Controller of Salomon Brothers at 29 years of age, people used to say that to me often and I would just nod my head and not let it bother me but just let it pass. As I got older and more mature, I realized that everyone in life is granted the same amount of luck and breaks and the people who were successful had one thing in common. When they were given a lucky break, they took advantage of it and put as much effort into it as possible to capitalize of their luck. This is what separates the people who over achieve and those who make excuses. My break came when I was 29 and believe me I not only recognized it but was not let it go wasted. I worked sometimes 80 hours a week to achieve and take advantage of the opportunity. I also recognized by using the same philosophy for people under me I built an organization that provided success. Every chance I could I moved people into a situation where they could earn more and more money. Often this was outside my department are onto the sales or trading areas of the Firm where earning power was much greater. This not only made the people happy that were given the opportunity (luck) but the rest of the people that waited for their luck to change and get the same opportunity.
To this day many people have retired very comfortably and thank me for the opportunity.
Life is always offering opportunities and people who look for them reap the benefits.
I tell young people all the time that there are no shortcuts in life. Life is what you make it and hard effort and hard work is always rewarded. In the end, we only can expect to succeed if we are willing to expend the effort.
