How Andrew Carnegie Became One of the Richest People in the World: Lessons for Modern Business

12.12.2024 10:20

“You can take away from me all my factories, all my capital, everything that I have.

But leave me my five best managers, and before you know it, I'll be ahead of everyone else again," said Andrew Carnegie.

Andrew Carnegie is an American entrepreneur, industrialist, philanthropist, and one of the richest people in the world.

Life principles of an entrepreneur

Andrew Carnegie's quote means that money, assets, savings and enterprises are important. But much more important are the people who can manage these valuable resources. That is, the businessman speaks about the importance of the human factor in achieving success.

Let's trace how Andrew Carnegie's beliefs turned him, a man with one dollar in his pocket, into a major entrepreneur.

money
Photo: © Belnovosti

Communication and life experience

Carnegie did not shy away from any work, even the simplest and lowest paid. This helped him understand how production is organized at all its stages, from the worker to the manager.

Education and self-development

Even being a simple worker, Andrew Carnegie did not stop learning and developing, taking courses and mastering new professions. Knowledge from different areas of life allowed him to prove himself well and surround himself with equally passionate and educated people.

Financial literacy

Carnegie collaborated with several large enterprises, was well versed in the financial sphere, knew everything about stocks, bonds, investments. He learned to literally extract money from thin air, so the collapse of his own enterprises did not pose a danger to him.

Contribution to people

In his old age, Andrew Carnegie took up charity. He was convinced that in the first half of your life you should take, and then give.

That is, to invest in people and help them achieve success. He supported athletes, students, families who lost their breadwinners. And his main investment in humanity is the founding of the Peace Fund.

Cultural heritage

The entrepreneur opened a whole network of public libraries across the country. He sincerely believed that in order to be a successful and competitive person, it is important to read and absorb the wisdom of other people.

How to put Andrew Carnegie's experience into practice

Andrew Carnegie is an inspiring example of a man who was able to rise from the very bottom and prove by his own example that anyone can reach the heights, even a fireman with a salary of a couple of dollars a week.

Try to apply his life principles on the path to your own changes for the better.

1. Don't beat yourself up for not getting a prestigious and highly paid job right away. Think about what you can learn from your current job. Remember that sooner or later any knowledge will come in handy.

2. Do you have an opportunity to learn something new, take a course or improve your skills? Grab it, try to show yourself from the best side, gain knowledge. At such events you can meet potential employers.

3. Even if you have fabulous money in your hands, there is a high probability that you will manage it incorrectly. Improve your own financial literacy, learn to manage assets and savings correctly.

4. Can you help someone, share your knowledge and experience? Do it! Remember Andrew Carnegie's advice that it is important not only to take, but also to give.

5. Read whenever you can! Read on the subway, during your lunch break, before bed. Remember that if you have the opportunity to read, you are already much happier and luckier than many people.

Conclusion

These rules will help you to follow your own path of development and achieve a lot in life, even if now you cannot boast of a huge capital.

Earlier I talked about how to understand that they want to fire you.

Author: Vitaly Kisterny Editor-in-Chief

Content
  1. Life principles of an entrepreneur
  2. Communication and life experience
  3. Financial literacy
  4. Contribution to people
  5. Cultural heritage
  6. How to put Andrew Carnegie's experience into practice
  7. Conclusion