Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, was lamenting to Tony Robbins about his less than desirable level of success. “I don’t understand it,” said Hansen. “I just can’t seem to get from where I am to where I want to be.”
“Well, who are the people around you?” asked Robbins.
“The thing is,” replied Hansen, “I’m hanging out with millionaires.”
“That’s the problem,” declared Robbins. “You need to start hanging out with billionaires.”
Mark Victor Hansen took Tony Robbins’ advice, and the rest is history.
Now, obviously, surrounding himself with billionaires wasn’t the only reason that Hansen became incredibly successful with his Chicken Soup empire. And we can certainly argue that those two play in a league very different from our own. But the story illustrates one of the fundamental laws of success: If you want to be successful, then surround yourself with successful people. The converse of that is also true. For no matter what else you do right, if you associate with the wrong people, you will find it virtually impossible to succeed.
Much of my success can be attributed to not only surrounding myself with success, which I wrote about in a recent blog article, but also to “standing on the shoulders of giants,” which I have done repeatedly, throughout my career.
In a letter to Robert Hooke in 1675, Isaac Newton made his most famous statement: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” The shoulders of giants metaphor can be traced to the French philosopher Bernard of Chartres, who said that we are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more and at a greater distance – not by our own ability or virtue, but because we are “carried” by the wisdom, experience and insight of others.
I remember very clearly my first significant investment in my own personal development. I had read many of the great personal development classics, and purchased a cassette program called Personal Power, by Tony Robbins. Those tapes had a profound impact on my life – so much so, that I invested a significant amount of time and money attending Tony’s Mastery University – a comprehensive series of live events with Tony, where I put every area of my life under a microscope, made decisions about how I wanted to live, and then took massive action to achieve my desired results.
For me, Tony was a giant. Not just because he’s 6’7”, but because of the experience, insight and wisdom he imparted on me. Interestingly, Tony’s longtime mentor was Jim Rohn, who also had a profound impact on my life. My annual goal setting workshop for years has been modeled on a process I learned from Rohn years ago.
Throughout my career and life, I have stood on the shoulders of giants. I have had the privilege of being coached, mentored and taught by a handful of amazing people whose lessons have had a tremendous, positive impact on every area of my life.
As I think about those relationships, the all shared the following qualities:
1. Same values. Each giant not only shared my values; they epitomized my values. The older I got, the more important this became.
2. Style resonates. People have different personality styles. It’s very important that you “click” with the person you’re learning and growing from.
3. Expertise. Obviously, you want your “giant” to have the specific knowledge and skill you seek. You want someone who has done what you want to do, and can help you get from where you are to where you want to be.
I’ve always believed that the best investment you can make is investing in yourself. This is true whether you want to improve your marriage/relationships, health and fitness, or grow your business or career. Seek out a “giant” in an area you want to grow, and then invest the time, money, and energy in learning and growing from that person. It will be the best investment you ever make!