How to say goodbye to a dying parent? And 3 other stories.
I have four stories to share with you today. One is about how Elon Musk manages to be such a productive CEO, one is about love, death and what your kids really want and one is about why fit people are perceived as leaders.
Remember that “reading is the only way to get better”, so don’t default to just watching content. This is why I tend to type out, re-read and transcribe content that I find inspiring – it allows me to absorb lessons, change behavior and get better.
Let’s begin!
How Is Elon So Productive?
This question was asked to Marc Andreessen, one of the most successful investors of all time. Since he has seen him work closely at X, SpaceX and XAI, it’s worth listening to what he says:
“He has an operating method that he has developed to fully, deeply, understanding what the company does. He is completely knowledgable about every aspect of the company and he is completely in the trenches and talking directly to the people who do the work; deeply understanding the issues and being the lead problem solver in the organization.
He shows up every week in each of his companies. He identifies the biggest problem that the company is having that week and he fixes it. And then he does that every week for 52 weeks in a row. So each of his companies have solved the 52 biggest problems in that year.
While most of the large companies are still having the planning meeting for the pre-planning meeting for the board meeting, for the presentation, for the compliance review, for the legal review….
So it’s this level of incredible intellectual capability coupled with incredible force of personality, moral authority, execution capability, and focus on fundamentals, that is really amazing to watch.”
Elon is definitely a one of a kind personality. I recommend learning from him but not trying to emulate him because his strengths are a unique blend of upbringing, experiences and a god given intellect that is impossible to replicate. You have your own set of skills that makes you uniquely qualified to win. So identify what makes you special, copy mental models from Elon that can make you better at what you do, and then go all-in.
How To Say Goodbye To A Dying Parent?
One of the stories I highlighted in The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life is about a priest, love and kids. Here it goes:
“This priest spent decades delivering last ries in hospitals. It’s the kind of experience that puts you in a unique position: You become familiar with how people say goodbye to loved ones.
When a parent is dying, their children often go to the priest with a sense of despair. How do I say goodbye to a parent who was so instrumental in my life? How can I possibly tell them how much they meant to me?
The priest’s advice to the kids is to go into the room, one by one, and thank the dying parents for the one thing they’re most grateful for.
“In families that I know have had a lot of problems – strained relationships – the child will often thank the parent for something that cost money,” he said.
“Thank you for putting me through college. Thank you for putting food on the table. Thank you for buying me a car.”“In the best families, the ones I know have solid relationships,” he said, “the kids say the same thing every time.”
“Thank you for believing in me.”
The book then follows this story up with another titled:
What Your Kids Want
“A dad played a game with his son every week. He offered the son a dime and a nickel, and told him to pick one.
The son picked the nickel every time.
His brother told him he’s crazy, because the dime is worth more.
“No, because if I pick the dime, Dad might stop playing this game,” the son replied.
If you’re fortunate to have enough money to spend some on your kids – or your friends, your neighbor, your partner, whoever it might be – remember that the ones who love you almost certainly don’t want your money as much as they want your love and attention.”
As I build my family, it is stories like these which remind me to not get lost in my own world of building businesses and making money (something I enjoy doing!) at the cost of ignoring those who give me the stability, love and security I need to take on the world. This is why my calendar has a daily block which says “family time” – something I need to protect.
People Respect You More When You Are In Shape
“People respect you more when you are in shape.
You don’t have to like it.
But you can’t deny it.
No amount of money or status can fake that.
You can rent the car.
Buy the suit.
Wear the watch.
But you can’t buy the body.
You have to earn it every day.
Before you say “But I’m busy”.
Everyone’s busy!
Before you say “But it’s hard!”
Exactly… that’s why it earns respect.A fit body is a walking billboard for
…discipline
…control
…follow through.An unfit body is a billboard too. It just says:
…I quit when it gets hard.
…I let myself slide.
…I don’t value myself enough to protect what’s mine.
Harsh? Yes!
But you thought it about other people.
You don’t like hearing it about you!
And whether you like it or not, people notice.
They make silent judgments.
They decide whether you’re someone to follow or someone to ignore.
Because if you can’t master yourself, why should anyone trust you to lead, build and protect anything else?
While this talks about other people judging you and you judging others, it also applies to how you see yourself. The opinion you have about yourself is shaped by the hard work you do. This – your internal scorecard – is more important than the external scorecard you keep on social media or amongst your family and friends.
Now I am heading straight to the gym :D! You can bookmark this video to get yourself going too.
That’s all for this week. See you next Sunday.
👋 I’m Harsh. I build with people I like and collect useful ideas to win at business and life.
Here’s where I spend most of my time:
iDeals Virtual Data Rooms – helping IB, PE & Corp Dev close deals faster
M&A Community – where dealmakers connect, learn and grow
Happy Ratio – loaded wraps that make healthy eating delicious
Marcellus Investment Managers – compounding wealth to make millions
Harsh Batra (Connect with me on LinkedIn)