The Road to Success

It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom, and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. I notice we have janitors and janitresses now in offices, and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of business education. But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning, the boy who has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom. It does not hurt the newest comer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself.

Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started, my advice to you is “aim high”. I would not give a fig for the young man who does not already see himself the partner or the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk, or foreman, or general manager in any concern, no matter how extensive. Say to yourself, “My place is at the top.” Be king in your dreams.

And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy, thought, and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun in one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it.

The concerns which fail are those which have scattered their capital, which means that they have scattered their brains also. They have investments in this, or that, or the other, here there, and everywhere. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” is all wrong. I tell you to “put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket.” Look round you and take notice, men who do that not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets that breaks most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head, which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration.

To summarize what I have said: aim for the highest; never enter a bar room; do not touch liquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate; never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund; make the firm’s interest yours; break orders always to save owners; concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure always within revenue; lastly, be not impatient, for as Emerson says, “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves.”

成功之道

年輕人創業之初，應該從最底層干起，這是件好事。匹茲保有很多商業巨頭，在他們創業之初，都肩負過“重任”：他們以掃帚相伴，以打掃辦公室的方式度過了他們商業生涯中最初的時光。我注意到我們現在辦公室里都有工友，于是年輕人就不幸錯過了商業教育中這個有益的環節。如果碰巧哪天上午專職掃地的工友沒有來，某個具有未來合伙人氣質的年輕人會毫不猶豫地試著拿起掃帚。在必要時新來的員工掃掃地也無妨，不會因為而有什么損失。我自己就曾經掃過地。
假如你已經被錄用，并且有了一個良好的開端，我對你的建議是：要志存高遠。一個年輕人，如果不把自己想象成一家大公司未來的老板或者是合伙人，那我會對他不屑一顧。不論職位有多高，你的內心都不要滿足于做一個總管，領班或者總經理。要對自己說：我要邁向頂尖！要做就做你夢想中的國王！
成功的首要條件和最大秘訣就是：把你的精力，思想和資本全都集中在你正從事的事業上。一旦開始從事某種職業，就要下定決心在那一領域闖出一片天地來；做這一行的領導人物，采納每一點改進之心，采用最優良的設備，對專業知識熟稔于心。
一些公司的失敗就在于他們分散了資金，因為這就意味著分散了他們的精力。他們向這方面投資，又向那方面投資；在這里投資，在那里投資，到處都投資。“不要把所有的雞蛋放在一個籃子里”的說法大錯特錯。我要對你說：“把所有的雞蛋都放在一個籃子里，然后小心地看好那個籃子。”看看你周圍，你會注意到：這么做的人其實很少失敗。看管和攜帶一個籃子并不太難。人們總是試圖提很多籃子，所以才打破這個國家的大部分雞蛋。提三個籃子的人，必須把一個頂在頭上，而這個籃子很可能倒下來，把他自己絆倒。美國商人的一個缺點就是不夠專注。
把我的話歸納一下：要志存高遠；不要出入酒吧；要滴酒不沾，或要喝也只在用餐時喝少許；不要做投機買賣；不要寅吃卯糧；要把公司的利益當作自己的利益；取消訂貨的目的永遠是為了挽救貨主；要專注；要把所有的雞蛋放在一個籃子里，然后小心地看好它；要量入為出；最后，要有耐心，正如愛默生所言，“誰都無法阻止你最終成功，除非你自己承認自己失敗。”