I was flipping through FORBES magazine today and stumbled upon a great article written by, “Paul Johnson”.  I thought you might enjoy it as well.

What can we learn from some of the great people in our history?

Napoleon.  The lesson from his life is clear:  The important thing about success is knowing when to stop.  Had Napoleon stopped after his victory over the Russian and Austrians at Austerlitz, he’d have enjoyed a long and honorable retirement and gone down in history as a man of moderation whose brillance never obscured his judgment.  As it was, he went from victories to near defeats to outright defeat and humiliating exile on a rock in the Atlantic.

Washington.  He was the opposite of Napoleon.  After liberating the 13 colonies, Washington retired to his farm in Virginia.  The moral?  A successful general should not seek political power; he should wait to be called by the unanimous voice of the people.  Business people should also wait for the summons before jumping into politics-and it should be a pretty general one before they obey it.

Churchill.  Though he experienced tremendous triumphs and terrific downfalls, CHurchill’s motto was “Never despair.”  He is the ideal role model for anyone whose business collapses or meets a deadly reversal.  Churchill never gave up.  Learning from his mistakes, he picked himself up, dusted himself off and had another go at things.

Jesus.  He taught that people are infinitely more important than things and that all people matter.  He went out of his way to meet the poor, the sick, the disadvantaged, the outcasts of society.  In an overwhelmingly masculine world, he took time to listen to women-and learned from them.  Thus, the New Testament is a rich source of instruction for anyone working in the materialistic worlds of business and finance.

Socrates.  The moral from his life?  Never think you know all the answers.  The oracle of Delphi, when asked who the wisest man in Athens was, replied: “Socrates.”  He himself commented, “Yes, and I suspect I know why.  I am ignorant.  I know nothing.  But at least I know I know nothing.  There are a lot of clever people in Athens who think they know it all.  Foolish fellows!”  Wisdom lies not in possessing knowledge-which quickly becomes outdated-but in perpetually seeking it.

To read this full article pick up a Forbes mag and flip to page 14 of the August 22nd 2011 issue.

-Michael R Roberts