"Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal..." - T.S. Eliot
I love that idea. If you are mediocre you can imitate. Monkey see, monkey do. But, if you are excellent you can intellectually consume the greatness of those around you and those who came before, process that greatness and make it your own. Build on it. Create something new. Elevate the material.
I'm a transactional entertainment attorney by trade. As a professional, I find inspiration and guidance from history, politics, pop-culture; basically everywhere. With that in mind, here are some figures which have been instructive to me as a Dealmaker.
Napoleon Bonaparte - Compartmentalization
"My mind is a chest of drawers. When I wish to deal with a subject, I shut all the drawers but the one in which the subject is to be found. When I am wearied, I shut all the drawers and go to sleep." - Napoleon Bonaparte
As professionals, we are constantly dealing with a multitude of complex and diverse issues simultaneously. How does one do so effectively without going insane? I look to Napoleon. As a short guy, I can't help but be a big fan. So please forgive me if I seem too effusive. His level of productivity was beyond belief. He completely overhauled the French Legal System by drafting the egalitarian Napoleonic Codes, created the Banque de France, initiated an expansive program of public works, became one of the greatest military leaders in history and got himself crowned the Emperor of France. Admittedly, the Battle of Waterloo didn't work out so well. But, you get the idea. His secret? Compartmentalization. The human brain does not multitask efficiently. Pick your most important problem, open that drawer of information, decide on the best course of action, close that drawer and on to the next one.
Julius Caesar - Never Give Anyone an Angle
"Et tu Brute?" - Julius Caesar
When Julius Caesar walked into the Roman Senate in 44 BC, he was probably feeling pretty good. His military victories, immense popularity and power enabled him to be declared "Dictator in Perpetuity." A great gig, if you can get it. But, on the ides of March, a group of dagger-wielding assassins led by his "friend" Marcus Junius Brutus, whom he had appointed to political office, put an end to all that "in Perpetuity" stuff. Apparently, Caesar initially fought the attackers, but when he saw that Brutus was among them, he covered his face with his toga and resigned himself to his fate.
This is an extreme example, but you get the idea. Betrayal happens every day and the insider has the best opportunity to do the most damage. Never give anyone an angle to take a shot at you, wether they are on your side or the opposing side. If you indiscreetly divulge a sensitive piece of information, if you lose your cool in a situation that requires composure, if you appear unprepared at an important moment in the negotiation, you have put yourself in danger.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Crisis as Opportunity
"Franklin's illness..gave him strength and courage he had not had before. He had to think out the fundamentals of living and learn the greatest of all lessons - infinite patience and never ending persistence." - Eleanor Roosevelt
FDR contracted polio when he was 39 years old. It cost him the use of his legs and put his rapid rise in politics on hold. He founded a treatment center for others suffering with polio in Warm Springs, Georgia. The photos of him from that time are quite powerful. He thought that swimming could be a form of therapy to help him walk again. I recall watching some footage of him floating in a pool at the facility surrounded by adoring children also suffering from polio paddling towards him. Hands splashing water this way and that. For some reason that image stuck in my mind. The look in his eyes. The smile on his face. The hope that he could get better. That he could help these children get better.
His legs didn't get much better, but he did. Something about that experience helped him evolve from a good politician to a great statesman and humanitarian. Contracting polio didn't diminish FDR, it "gave him strength and courage he had not had before."
Crisis is opportunity, because it provides us a unique opportunity to evolve.