Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day Margaret Thatcher once observed that being powerful is like being a lady: If you have to tell others you are, you aren’t. Truly great leaders gain respect by the way they conduct themselves, not by the loudness of their orders. You gain respect by respecting others. Follow the Golden Rule in your treatment of others, and you will win their undying loyalty. If you ever expect to have authority over others, you must first prove yourself worthy. You must demonstrate to them that you care about them, that as their leader you will always look out for their interest. A good officer always makes sure the troops are provided for before be takes care of his own needs. It’s a lesson that all too often is lost in the scramble to get to the top — but one that will most certainly undercut your progress if you overlook it.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day Worries, like sheep, seem to flock together. One worry leads to another, and soon you are overwhelmed with the potential for problems. When you allow yourself to play the “what if?” game — to speculate about additional problems that one potential problem might cause — worries multiply, each making the next seem worse. If you must play the “what if?” game, play it to win. Focus on solutions, not on the problems themselves and the additional problems they might create. However serious your worries may seem when they awaken you at midnight, if you analyze them carefully, you will find that every problem has a solution.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day The mind is the most powerful weapon known to man. It simply cannot be controlled or contained by an outside force, however formidable that force may at first appear. Throughout history, tyrants have tried to control those who opposed them, but eventually these rulers discovered the power of the imagination was far greater than the threat of the sword. As Victor Hugo said, “An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.”

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day Napoleon Hill liked to tell a story about his grandfather, a wagon builder in North Carolina. When the old man cleared the land for cultivation, he always left a few oak trees in the middle of the field at the mercy of the elements, unsheltered by other trees in the forest. It was from those trees that his grandfather made the wagons’ wheels. Because they were forced to struggle against the fury of nature, they grew strong enough to bear the heaviest load. Welcome difficult challenges, for the greatest opportunities will come from challenges that force you to expand your mind as you search for creative solutions. During life’s bleakest hours, take solace in the face that you are strengthening yourself through struggle so that in the future you will be prepared to take on even greater challenges. Like the old oak tree, you grow strong only when you are forced to struggle.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day Your mind is unquestionably your most valuable possession. You may lose every material thing you own, but knowledge can never be taken from you. With it, you can earn a new fortune, build a new home, and buy anything you truly desire. No one else can control your thoughts; even the cruelest tyrant cannot force you to think about something you refuse to accept. When you make a deliberate decision to take control of your mind and feed it positive, constructive thoughts, you are on your way to taking control of your life. The thoughts you allow to dominate your mind will determine what you will get from life.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day When you take the initiative, you become a de facto leader whose success will depend in large measure upon your ability to inspire others to work with you. They will follow your lead when they have confidence in you and when they know they will share in your success. Few of us are good enough or lucky enough to achieve great success completely on our own. We need others to help us. When we give more in return than we ever ask of our friends and associates, not only will be able to accomplish much more in life, but it will also make the entire experience much more enjoyable.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day One of the most wonderful things about life is that we are all unique with different levels of intelligence, interests, aptitudes, and desires. How dreadfully dull it would be if we all wanted to be nuclear physicists — or bakers. But, regardless of the gifts we may have received at birth and whichever skills we may have since developed, we all have the capability to be the best at what we do. Being the best is strictly a reflection of your attitude and your desire. Whether you are a salesperson, an executive, a secretary, or an assembly-line worker, you have the capacity to be as good as you choose to be. When you become outstanding at what you do, you will discover greatly increased demand for your services. When you become the best in your line of work, you may be asked so often to help other “sheep” that you will soon own your own “flock.”

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day The best-managed companies are those in which management creates opportunities for employees to own a piece of the business through various types of stock-ownership programs. Management has found that when individual employees are also owners, they are more loyal, more creative, and more cost-conscious. They also work harder and are more responsive to customers. If you have the opportunity to participate in employee stock programs, do so. If possible, extend the same opportunity to your employees. If such programs are not available to you, conduct yourself as though you were already an owner, and sooner or later you will be. It is inevitable that when you think like an owner, you will eventually become one.