Chapter 31 Letter Thirty-One: Be a Purposeist

Motto: Loyalty is the beginning of willingness to serve. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Purpose is the basis for my leadership, and purpose is everything. (A human can alter his life by altering his attitude, and if you think you can do it, you're right.) May 11, 1902 Dear John: It is your honor and mine that you can go to the core of Standard Oil.However, you need to know that when you enjoy this glory, you will undoubtedly also shoulder the responsibility that goes with it.Otherwise, you will be ashamed of this honor, and you will let down 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 higher standards of strength and sacrifice.

Frankly speaking, if you want to do a good job in that position and 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, a guide to lead his subordinates on the unavoidable thorny road ahead.But it's hard not to be let down.As a leader, no matter who you are, you will face many problems, such as piles of work, overwhelming information, sudden changes, endless demands from the top management, investors and customers, difficult to train employees, Constantly changing challenges can leave you exhausted, frustrated, fearful, anxious, and overwhelmed, shattering your dreams of commercial and personal success.

However, sometimes it is easier to be a great leader with confidence and energy than to be a leader with no energy and struggling to survive, provided that he knows how to make people willing to work hard.Note that it is willingness, not being chased. As the leader of Standard Oil, 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 more importantly Yes, it will give me more time to think about how I can make more money for the company.

There is a problem of attitude here. Actions are driven by attitudes. What kind of attitude we choose determines what kind of behavior we will take. As for the result, we will soon see the outcome.People can change their lives by changing their attitudes, and if you believe you can change your attitudes, you can. Smart people always choose the attitude that is best for them.People who know the art of leadership always ask themselves: What kind of attitude can help them achieve the results they really want?Is it an encouraging attitude?Or is it sympathetic?They will never choose a cold or hostile attitude.

If you see yourself as a high-spirited, talkative despot, you could very well be the next King of France, Louis XVI.As far as I am concerned, I have never been domineering, created conflicts, or put too much pressure on myself. On the contrary, I have the habit of giving my subordinates trust, boosting morale, and achieving the business achievements I expect. This habit will help me realize the purpose of making use of my subordinates .The simple way to do this is to know how to use the power of purpose setting. I am a purposeist. I never exaggerate the role of goals like some people do, but attach great importance to the function of purpose.In my view, purpose is the key to driving our potential, the dominant force that can influence our behavior and motivate us to create the means to the end.A clear and decisive purpose will allow us to focus on the chosen direction and try our best to achieve the goal.

My experience has taught me that what a man accomplishes, and how he ends up performing, has much to do with the nature and strength of his purpose, and has little to do with what he does with it.Think about it, there is no golf game that is completed in one shot. You need to play hole by hole. The purpose of every shot you make is to get as close to the hole as possible until you hit it. Purpose is the basis for my leadership, and purpose is everything.I am used to setting 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 calling meetings, the purpose of making plans, and so on.I also examine the purpose I set before doing anything.Usually by the time I arrive at a company, I've managed to be fully prepared.Therefore, there have never been devouring voices such as "I have no choice", "I don't care", "There is no hope", etc. in my heart.The purpose established each day has counteracted these failed forces.

If you are unable to actively establish your purpose, you will passively or unconsciously choose another purpose, which will likely cause you to lose your ability to control the overall situation, and you will also be subject to people or events that distract you or disrupt you . It's like letting a yacht off the dock and forgetting to start the motor.You will be drifting with the current, and the wind, current or other boats can kill you at any moment.Maybe there are good things waiting for you on the other side, but unless a miracle happens, you will not be able to reach the other side smoothly.Establishing a purpose is like turning on the engine of a yacht that propels you along your chosen path.Purpose adds direction and strength to human endeavor.

However, establishing a purpose is only halfway to becoming a purposeist, and you have to go the other half. You need to state your purpose to your subordinates without reservation—your personal intentions, motivations, and inner strategic plans.I will explain my purpose to everyone who needs to know what I am trying to achieve.In every conversation, meeting, presentation, or beginning of something, I start by expressing my motivations, ideas, and expectations. The benefits of doing this will surprise you.It can not only make your subordinates clear about your purpose and know the right way forward, but most importantly, when you have the courage to be open and honest about your purpose, you will gain emotional loyalty.Know that loyalty is the beginning of willingness to serve.

Great leaders are good at mobilizing two invisible forces: trust and respect.When you are honest about your purpose, you are also sending the message: "Because I trust you enough, I am willing to tell you." It will open the door to people trusting you, and in the door Moreover, you embrace not only the abilities of your subordinates, but also their invaluable loyalty—a loyalty that must rally strength to help you.Trusting others and making others trust me is a big reason for my success in life. Disclosing your purpose can avoid unhelpful inferences.If you don't tell your subordinates what your purpose is, you will spend your time speculating about your purpose, speculating based on the clues you can gather, and this information is easily distorted.Only when there is no need to interpret your motives can the morale and ability of subordinates have a chance to improve.Therefore, it seems more beneficial to treat subordinates as "fools".

The power of statement of purpose is irreplaceable. What it conveys is not only a statement, but also a leader's vow to act bravely and resolutely.The purpose of firm will and absolute tenacity can often motivate and inspire subordinates, so that they can have more outstanding performance in their future work. The bounden duty of a leader is to discover problems, and to solve them depends on subordinates. How to mobilize subordinates to fulfill their duties is the first thing that leaders consider.I think that by showing your purpose and being warm to everyone, you will get what you want.

A purpose is like a diamond: if it is to have value, it must be real.Insincere purpose confession will only do bad things.If a person abuses the power of purpose, he will only destroy the trust between each other and lose the trust of others.That's the risk of expressing purpose. John, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.Unless you are fully prepared, this statement is likely to be true. love your father