For him, dreaming big is the first step to achieving success
Businessman and economist Jorge Paulo Lemann , a billionaire with a fortune valued by Forbes at US$16.1 billion (R$81.4 billion) , is one of the minds at the helm of 3G Capital , the manager that owns companies such as Ambev, Burger King and Americans. Despite his retail giant’s latest stumbles, the executive claims he has had more successes than “non-successes” – as he likes to say – in his career spanning more than 60 years.
This was the theme of the talk given by the executive at Harvard University, Massachusetts, during the Brazil Conference . There, Lemann told a little about his life path, his setbacks and successes and his new dreams, which continue to emerge.
As a child, the businessman says that he was a very free child and that with this freedom he learned to create his independence, a characteristic that he took to business. It was also at this time that he began to practice surfing and tennis, sports that he still loves today and that taught him how to compete, know how to lose and understand his opponents, essential factors for his success in business.
As a teenager, Lemann needed to develop a method to learn to prioritize really relevant things in college, at work and even in family matters . He says that he always looks for the 5 really important topics on the subject and prioritizes them as the objective of that task, leaving aside what won’t make a difference at the end of the day. “The people I draw inspiration from always had an obvious notion of what the main issue was, making the process very simple,” he says.
This was one of the pieces of advice the billionaire gave during the talk for entrepreneurs who want to be successful. Check out 5 other essential tips for those just starting out:
1. Dream big
For the executive, dreaming big is the first step for anyone who wants to be a successful entrepreneur.
“When I was young, my thinking was very short. I just wanted to know where I was going to surf tomorrow. But, upon entering college, I realized that there was a much bigger world than I imagined and that, to reach my potential, I needed to think big and long-term, knowing that I would reach that goal one day”, says Lemann.
2. Take risks
Lemann was averse to the theory that studying is everything in people’s lives. Obviously it is necessary to study and he, who graduated from Harvard, knows the importance of this. However, very academic people tend to get stuck in theory and not take business into practice.
“Those who study too much rely too much on their studies and do not develop the risk side. In business, you need to know how to take risks and develop that feeling,” she says. “Not taking risks is also a risk.”
3. Have a product that is a little different from others
For the executive, the entrepreneur does not need to look for the product or service that has the greatest innovation on the market to be successful. He believes you need to do something slightly different from your competitors to get there.
“If you do everything exactly as others are doing, you will not be successful. So try to be a little different, innovate in some way to gain your place in the market”, says the executive.
4. Have the best people by your side
In Lemann’s view, knowing how to select the best people to work alongside you is a very important talent to be developed by entrepreneurs.
He says that, at the beginning of his career, he believed it was necessary to join people similar to him in the search for success. So, he teamed up with students from renowned colleges in the United States and opened a company. “We went broke in three years,” says Lemann. “It was there that I understood that you need different people to build a healthy business.”
5. Measure, measure and measure
He highlights the importance of measuring, measuring, measuring. For the executive, it is necessary to know at all times how his business is going, whether it is progressing or not. And, even when you make a mistake, you need to start again, measuring what you should do differently and how this has already brought new results.
“Understand what the objectives are, do and measure how you get there and are getting there”, adds the executive.
He highlights the importance of measuring, measuring, measuring. For the executive, it is necessary to know at all times how his business is going, whether it is progressing or not. And, even when you make a mistake, you need to start again, measuring what you should do differently and how this has already brought new results.
“Understand what the objectives are, do and measure how you get there and are getting there”, adds the executive.
