What It Takes

For me, the greatest rewards in life have come from creating something new, unexpected, and impactful. I am constantly in pursuit of excellence. When people ask me how I succeed, my basic answer is always the same: I see a unique opportunity, and I go for it with everything I have. And I never give up.

You put in experienced operators you trusted to improve whatever you bought. And if all went well, the debt you put in place enhanced the rate of return on the value of your equity when the time came to sell.

As I was sitting there, I began to feel dizzy, as if my whole body wanted to collapse. I felt I was failing on every count. I was overwhelmed by self-pity. Wall Street loves nothing more than watching other people fail. To see Pete and me, who had been so powerful at Lehman, so sure of our success, take a beating would have given many people pleasu

Getting to know Jack and watching him in action reinforced my growing belief that the most important asset in business is information. The more you know, the more perspectives you have and the more connections you can make, which allow you to anticipate issues.

If ever I ran an organization, I promised myself I would make it as easy as possible for people to see me and I’d always tell the truth, no matter how difficult the situation. As long as you can be honest and rational and are able to explain yourself, there is no reason to feel uncomfortable.

To be successful you have to put yourself in situations and places you have no right being in. You shake your head and learn from your own stupidity. But through sheer will, you wear the world down, and it gives you what you want.

At a minimum, this includes the airport test: Would I want to be stuck waiting at the airport with you if our flight were delayed?

me a lesson I have replicated throughout my life: if you’re going to commit yourself to something, it’s as easy to do something big as it is to do something small. Both will consume your time and energy, so make sure your fantasy is worthy of your pursuit,

From 2007 to 2015, nearly 40 percent of all the growth in the global economy occurred in China. Its growth rate in 2019, even as it slows, is still more than double that of the United States.

So if you’re going to dedicate your life to a business, which is the only way it will ever work, you should choose one with the potential to be huge.