Page 153 - Midas Touch

writers and journalists who can and will be fair.

I can remember being criticized when Trump World Tower at United
Nations Plaza went up. An article appeared in The New York Times by the
esteemed architecture critic Herbert Muschamp, who praised it as “a
handsome hunk of a glass tower.” He then commented that “Trump does

better when he ignores his critics than when he pays attention to them.”
Criticism is easier to take when you realize that the only people who aren’t
criticized are those who don’t take risks. Don’t be afraid of the risk
involved—and know you’re in good company if you’re criticized.

People will target you if it will bring attention to themselves. There’s
usually a subtext to their attack, which is something I realized after being
targeted multiple times. One way to fizzle their fire is not to respond,

because they’re just trying to get a reaction from you. In the meantime,
they’ve brought attention to you, and that can work for you in some cases.
Be sure to view both sides when and if this happens to you, because there
are times when a response of self-defense is warranted.

I’ve also been involved in a lot of lawsuits, which aren’t my favorite thing,
but sometimes they’re just plain necessary. People step out of line and
become unreasonable or unscrupulous. You have to deal with them, or

you’ll be known as a pushover. You have to stand up for yourself.

“Business is easy. People are difficult,” as Robert’s rich dad said. But
people skills come with experience and attentiveness. And like Robert,
I’ve had some tremendous people in my life who are solid gold, and their
backgrounds, experiences and professions are as diverse as can be. Many
of them have become friends as a result of deals we’ve done. So from day

one of your business life, take into account the importance of your
partnerships—on both a personal and professional level.

Distilling It Down: Relationships
Business is easy. Dealing with people is hard. There is a saying that goes,

“You cannot choose your family, but you can choose your friends.” If you
are an employee, you cannot choose your fellow employees. But if you are
an entrepreneur, your most important job is to choose who works with you.
In fact, there is no job that is more important, because your employees are
the ones who will represent you and your company.