Page 168 - [Donald_J._Trump,_Meredith_McIver]_Trump_101_The_(BookFi)

I T T A K E S C O U R A G E T O P E R S I S T

geous to succeed during a tumultuous time in history in which
he dealt with the Medici family, a variety of popes, warring fam-
ilies, and Girolamo Savonarola—famous for burning artistic
works. Michelangelo often worked in appalling conditions and
under demanding, dictatorial, unreasonable people, but he
consistently created magnificent art. To reach such heights
took persistence and courage as great as his talent. Although
few of us know the names of other figures from the sixteenth
century, most of us know about Michelangelo. That’s real stay-
ing power.
The candidates on The Apprentice are courageous. They had
to survive interviews, auditions, and intense competition. Over a
million people apply each year to be on the show. In the face of
those odds, the candidates who are selected had to be persistent.
This demonstrates that we’ve had no losers on the show. Every-
one who appeared on the program has been a winner.
No one wants to be rejected, especially on television in front
of millions of people. So being a candidate on The Apprentice
takes guts, real courage, and I give each participant a great deal of
credit. I know that they will all succeed, whether they are chosen
as my apprentice or not.
I can be hard on people when I believe they can do more and
I don’t feel that they have been living up to their potential. I may
have more faith in their abilities than they do; I may be the cata-
lyst that gets them going.
A young executive was in my office when I learned I
wouldn’t be able to make a speaking engagement. When I told
him he would have to step in for me, he said, “Oh, I don’t do
public speaking.” “You do now!” I replied. And do you know
what? He spoke, and he was terrific. And he has now become an
accomplished public speaker. That young man just needed a
nudge—well, maybe a shove—to get going. I need people who
can think—and speak—on their feet, and that’s one way to
develop them.

147