Ronald Gross’s first job was at Simon and Schuster. On his first day, he was summoned to the office of Max Schuster, one of the cofounders of the publishing company. Schuster said:
I have one piece of advice for you — not just for success in this business, but personally. Begin at once — not today, or tomorrow or at some remote, indefinite date, but right now, at this precise moment — to choose some subject, some concept, some great name or idea or event in history on which you can eventually make yourself the world’s supreme expert. Start a crash program immediately to qualify yourself for this self-assignment through reading, research, and reflection.
I like the idea that the head of a company would offer advice not aimed at promoting the business but at helping a new employee become a better person.
• Source: Ronald Gross, The Independent Scholar’s Handbook; Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1982, p. xii.
No comments:
Post a Comment