rockefeller’s 38 letters to his son-letter 31: be a telematic
dear john:
it is your glory and my glory that you can go to the core of standard oil. however, you need to know that when you are enjoying this glory, you undoubtedly have to shoulder the responsibilities that accompany it. otherwise, you will be ashamed of this glory, and will disappoint everyone's hope and trust in you. don't forget, you are the backbone of standard oil company. the ultimate success or failure of our business is closely related to you. you should demand yourself with a higher standard of strength and sacrifice.
frankly speaking, if you want to do a good job in that position, let everyone recognize and admire you, you still need to learn a lot. now, you need to think about a question: whether you can successfully master this role yourself.
every leader is an ambassador of hope, and a guide to lead his subordinates on the unavoidable thorny road in front of them. but it's hard not to be let down. as a leader, no matter who you are, you will face many problems, such as mountains of work, mountains of information, sudden changes, endless requests from top management, investors and customers, and employees who are difficult to train. challenges that are always changing can make you exhausted, feel frustrated, fearful, anxious, and overwhelmed, so that your dreams of achieving business and personal success will be shattered.
however, sometimes it is easier to become an excellent leader full of confidence and vitality than to become a leader who has lost vitality and is struggling and helpless. the premise is that he needs to know how to make his subordinates willing to die. attention, is willing, not chased.
as the leader of standard oil company, i enjoy both authority and pleasure, because i know that finding someone who can guarantee the completion of the task is equivalent to creating time for me. in other words, it will not only make me energetic, but also more important. yes, it will give me more time to think about how to make more money for the company.
there is an attitude problem here. actions are driven by attitudes. the attitude we choose determines what behavior we want to take. as for the results, we will soon be able to see the results. people can change their lives by changing their attitudes. if you believe that you can change your attitudes, you can change.
smart people always choose the attitude that is best for them. people who understand the art of leadership will always ask themselves: what kind of attitude can help them achieve the results they really want? is it an inspiring attitude? or is it sympathetic? they will never choose a cold or hostile attitude.
if you think of yourself as a supreme, desperate monarch, you are likely to become the next king louis xvi. as far as i am concerned, i never dominate, create conflicts, or put too much pressure on myself. instead, i have the habit of giving trust to subordinates, boosting morale, and achieving the business achievements i expect. this habit will help me achieve the purpose of using subordinates. . to do this, the method is very simple, that is, to know how to use the power of setting goals.
i am a teleologist. i never exaggerate the function of the goal like some people do, but attach great importance to the function of the goal. in my opinion, purpose is the key to driving our potential, and it is the power that governs everything. it can affect our behavior and inspire us to create the means to achieve our goals. a clear and decisive purpose will allow us to focus on the chosen direction and try our best to achieve the goal.
my experience tells me that the tasks that a person accomplishes and his final performance are closely related to the nature and power of his purpose, and have almost nothing to do with what he does for the goal. think about it, there is no golf game that can be completed in one stroke. you need to go through holes one by one. the goal of each stroke you make is to get as close to the hole as possible until you get it in.
the purpose is the basis of my leadership, and the purpose is everything. i am accustomed to establishing goals before doing anything, and every day i have to set goals, countless goals, such as the purpose of talking with partners, the purpose of convening, the purpose of making plans, and so on. i will also review the purpose i set before i do something. usually when i arrive at the company, i have successfully prepared everything. therefore, there have never been swallowing voices such as "i can't help it", "i don't care", "there is no hope anymore" in my heart. the purpose established every day has offset the power of these failures.
if you are unable to actively establish your own goals, you will passively or unconsciously choose other goals. as a result, you may lose your ability to control the overall situation. at the same time, you will also be subject to people or events that distract you or disturb you. .
it's like loosening the ropes of a yacht from the dock and forgetting to start the motor. you will follow the currents, and sea breeze, currents or other ships will kill you on the bottom of the sea at any time. maybe something good is waiting for you on the other side, but unless a miracle occurs, you will not be able to reach the other side smoothly. establishing a purpose is like turning on the engine of a yacht, which can drive you toward the path you choose. purpose can add direction and strength to human efforts.
however, the establishment of the purpose is only halfway to becoming a teleologist, and you have to go the other half of the journey. you need to unreservedly state your purpose to your subordinates—your personal intentions, motives, and inner strategic plans. for everyone who needs to understand what i want to achieve, i will explain my purpose to them. in every meeting, meeting, report or at the beginning of the matter, i will first express my motivation, thoughts, and expectations.
the benefits of this will surprise you. it not only enables your subordinates to know your purpose and the right direction to move forward, but most importantly, when you have the courage to be honest about your purpose, you will gain emotional loyalty. know that loyalty is the beginning of willingness to serve.
outstanding leaders are good at using two invisible forces: trust and respect. when you honestly stated your purpose, you also delivered this message: "because i have enough trust in you, i am willing to confess to you." it will open the door for people to trust you, and at the door in addition, what you embrace is not only the ability of your subordinates, but also the priceless loyalty from them-the loyalty that must be gathered to help you. trusting others and making others trust me is an important reason for my achievements in life.
disclosing your purpose can avoid unhelpful inferences. if you don't tell your subordinates about your purpose, you will spend time guessing your purpose, based on the clues that can be collected, and this information is easily distorted. only when you don’t need to interpret your motives can the morale and ability of subordinates have a chance to be improved. therefore, it seems more advantageous to treat subordinates as "fools."
the power that the purpose shows is irreplaceable. what it conveys is not only a statement, but also a leader's courageous and resolute oath for personal behavior. the purpose of resolute will and absolute tenacity can often inspire and encourage subordinates, so that they can have more outstanding performance in the future work.
the bounden duty of a leader is to discover problems, and to solve problems depends on subordinates. how to mobilize subordinates and fulfill their responsibilities is the first priority for leaders. i think that by showing your purpose and treating everyone with enthusiasm, you can achieve what you want.
the purpose is like a diamond: if it is to be valuable, it must be real. an insincere purpose confession is only a bad thing. if a person abuses the power of purpose, he will only destroy mutual trust and lose the trust of others. this is the risk of expressing purpose.
john, the road to hell is paved with kindness. unless you are fully prepared, this sentence is likely to come true.
love your father
may 11, 1902
rockefeller famous quote:
1. loyalty is the beginning of willingness to serve.
2. the road to hell is paved with kindness.
3. the purpose is the basis of my leadership, and the purpose is everything.
