While catching up on some reading, I came across an article that mentioned Maria Bartiromo’s latest book, “The 10 Laws of Enduring Success”. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Ms. Bartiromo is the host of CNBC’s Closing Bell. Considering that we are inundated with messages about the importance of success throughout life: school (high grades), job/career (best title – highest pay) or sports (winning), my interest was piqued.
As someone who is a “self-help” junky and continues to struggle to define my own meaning of success — money, power, job, salary, access, title, debt-free, boss-free the list goes on, I was curious to find out how this seemingly successful woman defined success.
This book is a tale of Ms. Bartiromo’s story as well as other well known figures such as politicians, business people, and entertainers. According to Ms. Bartiromo, the events of September 11, 2001 forced her to reexamine the meaning of success and look at those qualities that are not easily reflected in something such as a title.
Ms. Bartiromo identifies ten (10) qualities that are the bedrock of enduring success. Possession of these fundamental qualities “makes for success that is enduring.” They are:
1. Self-knowledge (Listen to your heart): Bartiromo states that nothing is possible without self-knowledge and defines it as the ability to define for yourself what shape your life will take, and how you will pursue success. Self-knowledge is a state of being content in your heart. She reminds readers that success means different things to different people, so you have to figure out what it means for you as an individual. She suggests two keys for identifying personal measures of success: (1) should be achievable and (2) the measures should come from inside.
2. Vision (plant your dreams on solid ground): is the ability to look ahead and see possibilities. It is the place where your dreams and actions come together. Vision involves looking at the world around you and asking, “What am I going to do about it? How am I going to use the precious gift of my life?”
3. Initiative (keep rattling the cage): The drive to move to the next level – to take the first step, and then the next and keep going. You can’t sort of want it. If you want to be successful, then you have to imagine what you want and then go get it.
4. Courage (be bold, smart and fair): Courage is the inner fortitude that allows you to overcome barriers and to step up and take a chance, even when it seems impossible. It’s not bravado or taking unnecessary risks, rather it’s deciding to live in a mind-set of possibility instead of fear. I like that!
5. Integrity (do the right thing): Integrity is about doing the right thing: How you take care of others. What you give back to the community. The example set by how you live your life and how you live in an organization. It’s also a natural instinct; something felt in your gut.
6. Adaptability (stay open to change): Adaptability requires being open to change versus resisting change. The key to adaptability is having the attitude that there is always something to learn, even if you are at the top.
7. Humility (hold on to your humanity): Possessing the understanding that you are human. Believe in yourself but don’t believe that you are the center of the universe. Humility in business is essential to success.
8. Endurance (build your stamina): Since success is fleeting, you can never count on keeping it once you have it. Success is a long march, and you need the tools to endure. Endurance means measuring success, not as an ultimate goal at the end of the road, but as a daily fact of life.
9. Purpose (know what matters most): We all have a calling that transcends the material factors of job, income and lifestyle. Don’t wait for a disaster to find your purpose. Look for what really matters now.
10. Resilience (get up and move on): Life is a seesaw. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down. Find out what attitudes and abilities allow you to weather any storm.
Is Ms. Bartiromo saying anything ground-breaking or new? No, not really. But for me, this book served as a great reminder of what’s important in life.
So, what do you think about these 10 laws? Which ones resonated most with you? Are there any qualities that you think can be added to this list?
Great items. I’m big on 8 and 10 – those are the hardest for me. Keep pushing and keep things moving. Rome wasn’t built in a day. 3 steps forwards, 1 step back, 3 steps forward
I like items 8 & 10 as well. Right now, endurance is big on my list.
Thanks for sharing, Nakesha!!
This is a solid summary of the core lessons from the self-help books out there. And it’s important to keep these ideas in the forefront of our minds, otherwise, we just end up falling back to a default of living the status quo…or failing to see each of our lives as unique and far from ordinary!