The Law of Success: In Sixteen Lessons. Reading Time
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by the late Andrew Carnegie.
Knowing nothing whatsoever of the technical end of the steel business, Carnegie so combined and grouped the men of which his “Master Mind” was composed that he built the most successful steel industry known to the world during his life-time.
Henry Ford’s gigantic success may be traced to the successful application of this selfsame principle. With all the self-reliance a man could have, Ford, nevertheless, did not depend upon himself for the knowledge necessary in the successful development of his industries.
Like Carnegie, he surrounded himself with men who supplied the knowledge which he, himself, did not and could not possess.
Moreover, Ford picked men who could and did harmonize in group effort.
The most effective alliances, which have resulted in the creation of the principle known as the “Master Mind,” have been those developed out of the blending of the minds of men and women. The reason for this is the fact that the minds of male and female will more readily blend in harmony than will the minds of males. Also, the added stimulus of sexual contact often enters into the development of a “Master Mind” between a man and a woman.
It is a well known fact that the male of the species is keener and more alert for “the chase,” let the goal or object of the chase be what it may, when inspired and urged on by a female.
This human trait begins to manifest itself in the male at the age of puberty, and continues throughout his life. The first evidence of it may be observed in athletics, where boys are playing before an audience made up of females.
Remove the women from the audience and the game known as football would soon become a very tame affair. A boy will throw himself into a football game with almost superhuman effort when he knows that the girl of his choice is observing him from the grandstand.
And that same boy will throw himself into the game of accumulating money with the same enthusiasm when inspired and urged on by the woman of his choice; especially if that woman knows how to stimulate his mind with her own, through the law of the “Master Mind.”
On the other hand, that same woman may, through a negative application of the law of the “Master Mind” (nagging, jealousy, selfishness, greed, vanity), drag this man down to sure defeat!
The late Elbert Hubbard understood the principle here described so well that when he discovered that the incompatibility between himself and his first wife was dragging him down to sure defeat he ran the gamut of public opinion by divorcing her and marrying the woman who is said to have been the main source of his inspiration.
Not every man would have had the courage to defy public opinion, as Hubbard did, but who is wise enough to say that his action was not for the best interest of all concerned?
A man’s chief business in life is to succeed!
The road to success may be, and generally is, obstructed by many influences which must be removed before the goal can be reached. One of the most detrimental of these obstacles is that of unfortunate alliance with minds which do not harmonize. In such cases the alliance must be broken or the end is sure to be defeat and failure.
The man who has mastered the six basic fears, one of which is the Fear of Criticism, will have no hesitancy in taking what may seem to the more convention-bound type of mind to be drastic action when he finds himself circumscribed and bound down by antagonistic alliances, no matter of what nature or with whom they may be.
It is a million times better to meet and face criticism than to be dragged down to failure and oblivion on account of alliances which are not harmonious, whether the alliances be of a business or social nature.
To be perfectly frank, the author is here justifying divorce, when the conditions surrounding marriage are such that harmony cannot prevail. This is not intended to convey the belief that lack of harmony may not be removed through other methods than that of divorce; for there are instances where the cause of antagonism may be removed and harmony established without taking the extreme step of divorce.
While it is true that some minds will not blend in a spirit of harmony, and cannot be forced or induced to do so, because of the chemical nature of the individuals’ brains, DO NOT BE TOO READY TO CHARGE THE OTHER PARTY TO YOUR ALLIANCE WITH ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LACK OF HARMONY — REMEMBER, THE TROUBLE MAY BE WITH YOUR OWN BRAIN!
Remember, also, that a mind which cannot and will not harmonize with one person or persons may harmonize perfectly with other types of minds. Discovery of this truth has resulted in radical changes in methods of employing men. It is no longer customary to discharge a man because he does not fit in the position for which he was originally hired. The discriminating leader endeavors to place such a man in some other position, where, it has been proved more than once, misfits may become valuable men.
The student of this course should be sure that the principle described as the “Master Mind” is thoroughly understood before proceeding with the remaining lessons of the course. The reason for this is the fact that practically the entire course is closely associated with this law of mind operation.
If you are not sure that you understand this law, communicate with the author of the course and secure further explanation by asking such questions as you may wish concerning points in connection with which you believe you need further information.
You cannot spend too much time in serious thought and contemplation in connection with the law of the “Master Mind,” for the reason that when you have mastered this law and have learned how to apply it new worlds of opportunity will open to you.
This Introductory Lesson, while not really intended as a separate lesson of the Law of Success course, contains sufficient data to enable the student who has an aptitude for selling to become a Master Salesman.
Any sales organization may make effective use of the law of the “Master Mind” by grouping the salesmen in groups of two or more people who will ally themselves in a spirit of friendly co-operation and apply this law as suggested in this lesson.
An agent for a well known make of automobile, who employs twelve salesmen, has grouped his organization in six groups of two men each, with the object of applying the law of the “Master Mind,” with the result that all the salesmen have established new high sales records.
This same organization has created what it calls the “One-A-Week Club,” meaning that each man belonging to the Club has averaged the sale of one car a week since the Club was organized.
The results of this effort have been surprising to all!
Each man belonging to the Club was provided with a list of 100 prospective purchasers of automobiles. Each salesman sends one postal card a week to each of his 100 prospective purchasers, and makes personal calls on at least ten of these each day.
Each postal card is confined to the description of but one advantage of the automobile the salesman is selling, and asks for a personal interview.
Interviews have increased rapidly, as have, also, sales!
The agent who employs these salesmen has offered an extra cash bonus to each salesman who earns the right to membership in the “One-A-Week Club” by averaging one car a week.
The plan has injected new vitality into the entire organization. Moreover, the results of the plan are showing in the weekly sales record of each salesman.
A similar plan could be adopted very effectively by Life Insurance Agencies. Any enterprising General Agent might easily double or even triple the volume of his business, with the same number of salesmen, through the use of this plan.
Practically no changes whatsoever would need to be made in the method of use of the plan. The Club might be called the “Policy-A-Week Club,” meaning that each member pledged himself to sell at least one policy, of an agreed minimum amount, each week.
The student of this course who has mastered the second lesson, and understands how to apply the fundamentals of that lesson (A Definite Chief Aim) will be able to make