Sublime

institution that mattered. I have often said that if a dog were made the president of Yale, Yale would still get its money. This attitude had to change, and the most reliable way to make sure it changed was to increase the number of black people on company boards and in the higher echelons of corporate enterprises.

His unrivaled success seems to be due to a combination of vision, intellect, drive, and focus. Many individuals have one or two of those elements, but few have all four.

Thus, once Schultz initiated business operations, he began to accumulate privileged information.

“I have always had the viewpoint that every situation is a learning opportunity.… People say to me, ‘When you hire people now, what do you look for?’ and I will say one of the biggest traits I look for is curiosity.”

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.

Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Mary Kay, Donald Trump, Warren Buffett, Jack Welch, Bill Gates, and Ted Turner are some good examples. Use their story for inspiration,

Blackstone is a remarkable success because of our culture. We believe in meritocracy and excellence, openness and integrity. And we work hard to hire only people who share those beliefs. We are fixated on managing risk and never losing money. We are strong believers in innovation and growth—constantly asking questions in order to anticipate events

At $10,000,000 to $50,000,000, a business will often stabilize and achieve predictable growth.