This session today is for two types of people: those who think in principles and those who think they can improve. A man who says his business is different from all others does not think in principles. He thinks in techniques, and a man like that should not be head of the organization unless he owns all of the stock.
There was a wonderful article in a Miami paper last night (1961). It had a great headline: "Work out the principle; the solution will follow." I have never seen better advice. Let me quote briefly:
"Your mind is a wonderful thing. It will solve problems of surprising complexity if you feed it the necessary facts and ideas and give it the chance to operate at its top efficiency. So few persons do. They are satisfied with half measures. Or, if dissatisfied, do not know how to do better. Mental laziness is a pitfall."
Finding one answer and applying it to all situations is like the man who only has a hammer and to him everything looks like a nail!
How many times do business leaders do the same thing? They find a technique and think it ought to solve their problems. It will not, but if they understand the principle involved in the problem, then they can work out their own technique.
Now, for the second group — those who believe they can improve. If you don't believe you can improve your business, then I won't feel the least bit hurt if you go ahead and leave because I think you'll be much better off drinking coffee, visiting with your wife, or doing something else.
I am convinced about one thing in regards to success. No business ever owned success. We only lease success. We cannot own it. There never comes a time when you can say, "I am successful." There comes a time when you can say, "I am currently leasing success and the rent you pay on success is the commitment to thinking and doing. The lease is never prepaid nor paid up ---- the rent comes due year after year that you want to experience success.
Just a few weeks ago I got on one those big transcontinental jets to go from Los Angeles to Miami. I was just sitting there waiting for them to take off. I love for them to gun it and take it up. All of a sudden I had the craziest feeling — I felt myself slowly moving backwards. Here these four big motors were turned on, we were ready to go, yet we were moving backwards slowly. I looked back and there was a tractor tied onto the tail and it was pulling us backwards. I said to myself, "You know, old fat Fred, this is just exactly like you. You got your motor running, you got plenty of power to go forward, but you let some little old habit, some little old silly thing like a tractor get hold of your tail and pull you backwards.
Our job is to cut those tractors loose, turn the power on and to take off.
