From the course: Career Advice from Some of the Biggest Names in Business

Jamie Dimon on how to be successful

(music) - Are there a couple pieces of advice you would give to someone who's just maybe starting their career and looking at this fast changing business environment asking how their going to maintain their, - Yeah, work hard, there's no such thing as success without hard work. So some people have this get rich quick notion. I've never seen it, I mean maybe, it's like a casino, maybe it's happened, but it's not the normal way. Second, you just spend your life learning. I read four or five newspapers every morning. I read tons of stuff. I read everything that people send me. You're going to learn, when you go out on the road, learn, learn, learn. You learn from clients, you learn from competitors, you learn, when we meet with small businesses you're always learning. And that could be a small thing that someone said why do you do this, you say, my God, we should do that differently. To a very large thing. Even innovation sometimes not an aha, a lot of little things added on top of each other. The iPhone was 3G, you know, the glass, the semiconductors, the batteries. It wasn't one thing that created the iPhone. So learn, learn, learn. Treat people the way you want to be treated. You know, like have respect for people. And be willing to change the job a little bit. Don't worry about your income level. You know people, if only I got, I'd take that job, I love the people, but it's less money. You know what, sometimes it's the absolute right thing to do. So be a little bit of flexible in the job you take. And you know you're, in you're lifetime you should be prepared to do a bunch of different things. We tell people it's your job to take care of your mind, your body, your spirit, your soul, your friends, your family and you need to do that at any level because if you don't, you know you probably won't be a particularly productive worker. We can help, but we can't do it for you. We can provide opportunities but we can't do it for you. Second, you know, - Really so what does that mean? You want people to basically say I'm going to leave, I got to, - Yes, you got to go take care of your kids baseball game, you don't feel well, you need a spiritual getaway. You should do those things and it can be done. Most of the people in my life who are always frezy they can't get it done, I always tell them it's you. It's not the company. A lot of people are doing that exact same job, and they are always at peace, at ease. And they have their family time. You know, if you're a male who just had a bunch of babies you can't play golf every day and the weekends. Maybe you got to just cut back on other things and forego that. You can't give kids for example quality time only. You don't get to quality without quantity. And I tell people so you have to arrange your life so it works for you in a way that works for you and a way that you're taking care of your health. Like when I go travel overseas, I schedule exercise time. Management is get it done, follow up, discipline, planning analysis, facts, facts, facts. And now it's just get the right people in the room, you know kill the bureaucracy. All these various things are going to get done, which if you don't you won't be be particularly good. But the real keys to leadership aren't just doing that or making sure its done, but having people who want to work at the place. So you might want to work for me if you trust me. If you know what I care about as a client, the country, something different. If the person's selfish, you know, blames you and takes the credit you're not going to want to work there. So to me humility, openness, fairness, being authentic, that's what creates leadership. Not the smartest person in the room, or the hardest working person in the room. And you can, you know if you made a list of good CEO's it's not their charisma, it's not always their brain power, but you won't be a good CEO without that because people won't want to work there. And so to me that is a whole different way of making sure you manage it. (music)

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