Never give up, keep learning, and find your passion — here's what top executives from the world's most successful corporations have to say to aspiring professionals.
Be inquisitive
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella believes that curiosity is the only personal quality that predetermines a person's success. According to him, the ability and desire to acquire new knowledge is more important than innate intelligence or even genius.
"To learn, one must have curiosity. Even now I try to find things that are incomprehensible to me in order to understand them. As I learn new things, I think about how I can apply that knowledge to my work".
Satya Nadella
Find your passion
According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, passion goes far beyond a passing interest in a particular topic or field. It is consuming and gives you a strong belief that working in that area will make the world a better place.
"Take the time to define yourself and figure out what you really care about. This step takes courage, because deciding your own priorities is much harder than following the advice of your parents, the experiences of your peers, or societal stereotypes".
Sundar Pichai
The “follow your dreams” advice is the worst in history
That's what Netflix co-founder and former CEO Mark Randolph thinks. In a speech to Cape Cod Community College graduates, he said that monetizing hobbies or interests is a good but challenging task, especially without practical guidance.
"There is no such thing as a good idea because you can't know if an idea is good or bad until you try to implement it. So stop thinking, start acting".
Mark Randolph
Don't avoid awkward pauses
Apple CEO Tim Cook is a firm believer in thinking things through carefully before responding, even if the silence becomes awkward.
He follows the “Rule of Awkward Silence,” which allows you to make better decisions, reduce mistakes, and communicate effectively.
"Take a few minutes to think before answering questions about your opinion".
Tim Cook
Welcome challenges
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang disagrees that you should always set the bar high for yourself. He believes that people with high expectations have extremely low resilience, which is so important for executives. Huang's advice is based on personal experience: he says he had a challenging childhood.
"I was fortunate that my parents set us up for success. But on the other hand, there were many opportunities for failure and suffering. I wish you to go through pain and suffering. After all, greatness comes from character, and character is not formed from smart people, but from those who have suffered".
Jensen Huang
Don't stop learning
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says he spends about 50% of his time reading and learning.
"Learning is a lifelong endeavor. Your job is to constantly learn, and it doesn't end when you get your degree. No matter what you do or will do in life, you will need to be constantly learning and have endless intellectual curiosity to succeed".
Jamie Dimon
