From making $12 a month at a local university to a net worth of US $36.2 billion, Jack Ma’s success is legendary. The man took 8 years to learn English, failed the university entrance exam twice, and two startups.
It was his “Attitude” that kept him growing.
Jack Ma is often quoted saying, “Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine,”
It is all in your attitude
Jack Ma believes a skill is acquired, but attitude and passion are what drives success. He was introduced to the world of the internet in the year 1995 and was never educated to be an IT expert. Yet he became the co-founder of Alibaba Group that operates in 200 countries across the globe. The group is a conglomerate specializing in internet commerce, technology, and retail. Stressing the importance of the right attitude, Jack Ma inspires aspiring billionaires.
Ma says-“Once in life try something. Work hard at something. Try to change. Nothing bad can happen.”
Treading beyond the comfort zone
It took Alibaba three long years to earn its first revenue. Jack Ma says it was easy to give up than to keep Alibaba up and running. But this is where his attitude makes a difference. His vision was clear and he was ready to go beyond his comfort zone to materialize his vision.
It requires mental strength and determination to convince one’s self to go beyond the comfort zone. Perseverance is the key.
Ma says-“ On the path of success, you will notice that the successful ones are not whiners, nor do they complain often.”
Focus on what you desire
After facing many failures, Jack Ma was mocked by his closer ones. Friends labeled him “the good for nothing fellow”. When he approached his friends with the idea of an internet marketplace, it took a lot of effort to convince them to join in. He had no idea about the internet and computers. But he hired the right workforce who worked for him to achieve his vision of Alibaba.
Jack Ma was broke before Alibaba took off, he received severe criticism by family and friends, but his focus was unwavering.
Ma says-“Try to find the right people, not the best people.”
Get Into Action
Jack Ma believes that every leader has a foresight but it is very important to get into action. To stay ahead of the competition one needs to stop being lazy, build and strategy and primarily implement that same in a consistent manner. If you do not have skills acquire it, if you cannot acquire it, outsource it but the ball must keep rolling.
Ma says-“ The opportunities that everyone cannot see are the real opportunities”
Never give up
“Giving up is failure,” says Jack Ma. Failure teaches you more than success. Overcoming obstacles and hindrances is the actual success. The self-made billionaire faced multiple failures in life but had this never give up attitude that took him from rags to riches.
Ma says-“If you don’t give up, you still have a chance. Giving up is the greatest failure.”
EQ over IQ and LQ over EQ
Talking to Entrepreneur.com, Ma said Emotional Quotient plays a vital role in one’s success. While Intelligence Quotient is important, the EQ takes an entrepreneur a long way. EQ keeps you strong when the odds are against you.
Another aspect that is important is the “Learning Quotient”. A leader needs to learn from the market turbulence and must make sure the business follows the trend.
Ma says– “When you are small you have to be much focused and rely on your brain, not your strength.”
Focus on making your team work together
As a strong believer of teamwork, Jack Ma believes as a leader he must listen to all the viewpoints and conclude a strategy. A leader needs to make sure to keep the conflicts under control and all his team work in a synchronized manner.
Ma says-“If we are a good team and know what we want to do, one of us can defeat ten of them” .
To wrap
Jack Ma started with zero technical knowledge and no management skills. He worked his best to find the people who were smarter and were ready to work for him. At the age of 54 Ma is ready to retire as he believes, “Your attitude is important than your capabilities. Similarly, your decision is more important than your capabilities”.
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