Page 77 - Think Like a Champion

1593155308_trump:trump 2/2/09 11:05 AM Page 58
DONALD J. TRUMP
for the entertainment industry? Maybe, but I’ve also always paid
attention to it. I understand how it operates, and I’m always learn-
ing. When I was in school, I always did more than was expected
and studied on my own in addition to what was required. I’ve no-
ticed that a lot of very successful people have done the same thing,
no matter what their respective fields might be.
Winston Churchill was known for being a great orator, and I
remember thinking he must have been born with this talent until
I read about him and discovered he spent a great deal of time de-
veloping this skill. It wasn’t just a natural ability—he worked at it
constantly. His talent was the result of deliberate and focused work.
Mozart studied music at an unusually early age, and his aptitude
was obviously there, but that aptitude was carefully developed.
The natural ability I may have as a businessman is being able to
see the big picture while I’m taking care of a lot of details. I can
focus on a few things at once at this point and find them working
themselves out. That comes with experience, but I remember mak-
ing a deliberate attempt to assimilate as much as possible at all times,
even back in school.
Some people are visionaries. Bill Gates is an example, as is
Mark Burnett, but they are also very good businessmen. So where
does talent come in? Some people just seem to have an edge for
what they do, like Tiger Woods or Roger Federer in sports. There
are prodigies, it seems, but under close scrutiny all prodigies were
carefully trained. I think talent has to do with aptitude for what
you are doing. Some people are simply doing the wrong thing, and
when they find the right thing, they become successful. Working
hard and working intelligently should go together.
Heredity and environment are two factors that I consider se-
riously, from personal experience. My father was a great example:
He was in the construction and real estate industry, and I saw first-
hand what it took to succeed. I had no delusions of it being an

58