Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life (2 page)

After 9/11, this country received a lot of compassion from countries and people around the world. Within a short amount of time, however, we were hated. How did that happen? We had no dialogue with other countries because they just plain hated us. What’s different today is that we have a new chance, a new beginning. The world is excited about Barack Obama and the new United States. Let’s keep it that way.

—RALPH WALDO EMERSON

I
n the
New York Times Book Review
of September 30, 2007, is an essay by Stephen King on the short story. As you most likely know, Stephen King is the prolific and very successful author of sixty books and nearly 400 short stories. One of his short stories won the O. Henry Prize in 1996. His point in his essay is that in reviewing the state of the short story today, he notes that they seem to “feel show-offy, and written for editors and teachers, rather than for readers.” This is an insightful comment and it got me to thinking about why we write and who we think our audience might be.

I like essays and so I can relate to the short story, although the short story is a fictional prose tale. The short story is not an easy medium, as any writer will tell you, because you must be concise. Essays are a bit the same, because they are succinct and specific. If you read Stephen King’s essay, you will see that he gets his point across beautifully in the span of one page.

I may not be Stephen King, but I can appreciate what he does. You may not be a mogul yet, but I think you can appreciate the complexities of what I have to deal with daily. Stephen King is pointing out that the market for short stories is limited these days, so the writers of short stories seem more determined than ever to make their mark—but on the editors who might be able to get their story into print, not the reader, who might be expecting to be entertained. A valid consideration, I will say. We all have target markets and the demographics are important, no matter what your industry may be.

In short, Stephen King is astutely acknowledging that the short story writers of today are protecting their assets by targeting their writing to the people who will most likely be able to get it into print.Their second consideration is the reader because, unless they consider the editor first, their reader will have no chance of ever seeing the short story, no matter how wonderful or how mediocre it might be. It’s an intelligent approach, but I can understand the point Mr. King is making when he laments the fact that the stories seem prefabricated to appeal to a certain audience—editors and teachers, in this case.

When I build a residential building, for example, I will first consider who will be living there. I study the demographics, as does any business person, whether you’re in advertising or residential property management. To get the message out, I will also have to appeal to the people who will choose—or not choose—to promote the building. By now, my name is big enough and equated with the gold standard to the extent that I don’t have to say too much about it. The name Trump is a guarantee of a certain level of quality. Stephen King mentions that short stories seem to be delegated to the bottom shelf at the bookstores. He says the American short story is alive but not well these days. The main reason seems to be that the target market is simply dwindling.

I think that he does a spot-on analysis of the situation when he notices that the stories seem to be written for publication purposes, not for the edification of the reader. I know that if I did something that was intended to impress the so-called critics that I would be selling not only myself short, but other people as well. That’s one reason I’m liked as well as disliked. In fact, one critic from the
New York Times
, Herbert Muschamp, mentioned that I do better when I choose to ignore my critics than when I pay attention to them. I have to agree, and Stephen King might agree to that as well when it comes to the fate of the short story.

Being true to yourself and your work is an asset. Remember that assets are worth protecting. No one will ever tell you it will be easy to stick to your own convictions, but I believe it is necessary. Otherwise, what are you doing and who are you doing it for? Keep it straight and simple.You will be richer—in more ways than one—in the long run.

—VICTOR HUGO

P
eople often talk about something new being “innovative.” Most of the time, it’s simply putting together existing elements to create what appears to be new. I was touted as being innovative when I came up with the mixed-use condominium and hotel tower, which I did with the Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York City. Since then, the concept has been copied (by myself and others) and it has proven to be tremendously successful, nationally and internationally.

To me, the idea was common sense, and I didn’t think I was being particularly creative. When I look back, maybe I was. But when I read subsequent articles about innovation and certain inventors, it got me thinking about how one might become an innovator, which is something I think is important for students to think about.

I remember reading about a composer named Steve Reich who came up with a new idea called phasing, which is like windshield wipers going in and out of synch. Apparently he was caught in a traffic jam one rainy day and the rhythm of the windshield
wipers caught his attention and he applied what he heard to his musical compositions. He has had a significant influence on contemporary music, and I think he’s a great example as an innovator. Sometimes new ideas can come from something as mundane and functional as your windshield wipers. The key is to pay attention and keep your brain and senses open to new stimuli.

It also helps to be thinking of two things at once—multilevel focusing is what I call it. The intersecting of ideas is when innovation will follow—thinking in musical terms while listening to your windshield wipers, or thinking of a hotel tower and condominiums at one time, or maybe watching a stone roll and imagining a wheel. Who knows what will result? Sometimes it will be fantastic and other times it won’t, but it gets the mind working in new dimensions that can sometimes prove fruitful.

This can also happen without deliberately attempting to be innovative, so the other technique to employ—consciously and unconsciously—is to keep an open mind. That’s very important in business as well as in the creative arts. Don’t limit yourself to staid thinking because you want to excel in business. My first book was called
The Art of the Deal
because I view business deals as being an art form. Maybe that’s why I’ve been a successful dealmaker. I employ both sides of my brain when I’m thinking and working.

You may be aware of the number phi (pronounced “fee”), which has an astonishing history. It’s been employed by people from Pythagoras to da Vinci, and most likely the builders of the pyramids used it as well. It’s been around for a long time and the number itself is 1.6180339887. It’s called the golden ratio, and if you want to know more specifics, you can read
The Golden Ratio
by Mario Livio, who goes into great detail about it. My point is that it appears that some people use the number deliberately, and other people know it subconsciously and it can appear in their work with or without intention. But it can be used intentionally,
and very often is. It’s very mysterious, as this ratio appears in unrelated works and natural phenomena, from the chambered nautilus to galaxies to artwork and architecture. It can make your innovative attempts a little easier when you make an effort to understand that there are mysteries in life and to be open to them.

I’m not advising you to dwell on the mysterious—a successful life requires common sense and hard work—but to be aware of things that are sometimes inexplicable because they can be a big step toward innovation. We don’t really create, but we assemble what has been created for us. Be a great assembler—no matter what your interests may be—and you’ll be on your way to inventiveness. A big mind requires a variety of thoughts and impulses to keep it well occupied, so make sure you keep your mind engaged in the best ways possible. It could very well be your calling card for success.

—HENRY FORD

I
have always known the importance of having the ability to be a team player, even though I am an entrepreneur. In a big sense, we’re all in this together, and thinking otherwise won’t give us the results we might be aiming for. More than ever, working together is integral to survival as well as to success.

As I was thinking of this, I remembered a couple of good examples of team players. Most of us know of Tom Brokaw, the television journalist and author. He has received many awards and is highly esteemed within his industry as well as with the public. I remember when
The Apprentice
first premiered and it was doing very well—it was the number one rated show that week and I had been invited to sit in George Steinbrenner’s box for a Yankees game. Tom was there with his lovely wife, and he tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Thanks, Donald, for what you’ve done for NBC. We really appreciate it.”

What he said was a perfect example of team spirit. We were on the same network, and he cared about what I’d done for them. “Them” became “us,” and I understood where he was coming from immediately. He may be famous, but he knows his programs aren’t just about him. My program isn’t just about me, either. In fact, as you will discover as you gain wisdom over the years, most of the things you do will rarely be just about you. Tom cared about the network, and his team was being helped by the success of
The Apprentice.
His comment gave me great insight into his integrity as a person—and maybe that’s why everyone at NBC, as well as the public, loves and respects him.

Likewise, while I was standing backstage in Los Angeles for the Emmy Awards when
The Apprentice
had been nominated for an award, Debra Messing, who had won acclaim and an Emmy Award for her performance in
Will and Grace
, was standing nearby. I had always liked Debra, maybe because her hair is so great, but she came up to me and very graciously thanked me for the success of
The Apprentice.
Once again I realized that here was another team player of note—her show was also on NBC.

It’s been a few years, but I can clearly recall the day Jeff Zucker came to my office to ask me if I’d host
Saturday Night Live
. One reason I wanted to say yes to Jeff was that
Saturday Night Live
was an NBC show and I was a part of their team. Team spirit was important, and I have to say it was a great choice. Everyone had a good time, and everyone won.