When I Look in the Mirror - I see Elon Musk

My Job Here Is Done - Career Success Podcast

On this podcast episode of My Job Here Is Done, Dave and Kelli scan the plethora of business superhero books to see if they’re worth reading. Well, the answer is maybe - but only at the right time, and when you’re in the right mindset.

Books like Steve Jobs, by Steve Jobs - Autobiography, Andrew Carnegie - Thrive, Arianna Huffington, or Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson are all exceptional. We love hearing about these great leaders - or, more appropriately - these great unicorns!

As you know, a unicorn is defined as a mythical icon typically represented as a horse with a single straight horn projecting from its forehead. Unicorns in the business world are rare, and you’ll likely never see one in person or become one.

As entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs, we tend to idolize, heroize, even affectionately adore a few strangers, those celebrity business people who are just so exceptional (or lucky) that we call them “Business Unicorns.”

People like Buffet, Sandberg, Rockefeller, Zuckerberg, and Gurley-Flynn are rockstars with personalities as large as their fortunes. The trouble we illustrate in this episode is that sometimes we read about them in their books or see their movies, we then try to emulate them, or want to be just like them! We think that’s a bad thing to do.

Well, the truth is it's not going to happen. You won’t be ‘just like them,’ and you can’t and shouldn’t try to be like them. (We're pretty sure Elon Musk would tell you that same thing to your face.) We’ve seen good people hurt themselves professionally by mimicking or acting like these unicorns during the ascending stage of their careers.

This episode offers alternate suggestions that have worked for enthusiastic and driven people climbing the career ladder or running their businesses. We talk about starting local, visiting three successful companies in your hometown that have been operating for a while, and meeting the owners for a chat. They have stories you need to hear, and they are relatable to you at the right time in your career trajectory. They are likely not in the One Percent Club, they probably don’t own a jet, and they work each day just like you. Lots and lots to learn here.

Kelli and Dave offer some general suggestions on reading to learn more about doing business well, but they focus on broad topics instead of people.

Kelli’s favorite book is Sydney Finkelstein’s, “Why Smart Executives Fail (and what you can learn from their mistakes).” Amazon has it, here.

Dave recommends a classic Dale Carnegie’s, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” also on Amazon, here

(Note: these are affiliate links, at no extra charge to you, we will earn a small commission)

The show finishes with some words of encouragement and which are hopefully inspiring enough for you to give the advice a try.

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