Life lessons from a true emperor to empower your life.
Napoleon (1769–1821) was one of the greatest strategists in history.
It is normal because…
He studied at the military school Brienne-le-Château at the age of ten.
At the age when our faces were pimpled from puberty, Napoleon had already attended the École Royale Militaire in Paris and acquired naval and artillery knowledge.
At 16 years old, Napoleon was already a second lieutenant of artillery.
At 20 years old, Napoleon was already risking his life in the French Revolution (5 May 1789–9 Nov 1799.)
Napoleon spent his life-fighting. He fought against the Spanish and the English, among others. His military genius is legendary.
From boy to soldier, and later to the emperor (9 years and 22 days in this position)
These credentials give him the necessary status to advise on strategy and power.
I have read his books, and among all his quotes, I want to share three that have blown my mind and improved my life.
I hope to do the same with you
Let’s start.
1. On leadership
The only way to lead the people is to show them a future; the bosses are merchants of hopes. — Napoleon Bonaparte.
Bonaparte said that success is the greatest orator in the world. And he was right.
A person’s success on a particular subject proves he knows what he is doing on that subject.
But even with success as proof, a good leader must learn how to sell his dreams to gain collaboration and to sell himself to gain respect.
Having a clear vision of the future you want is fundamental for others to help you reach it.
A good leader has to generate three things in people: faith, trust, and respect.
That is why your reputation is critical, perhaps the most important thing to being a leader.
As Sun Tzu said, “Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” And that can be achieved with an exemplary reputation.
In the words of Napoleon, “A great reputation is a great noise: the more it sounds, the more it spreads. Everything falls laws, nations, monuments, but the noise remains.”
The takeaway: learn to build trust among your allies. Be able to show them the future you want them to accompany you to and make excellence your hallmark; that will make your good reputation spread like the flu.
2. On resource management
In Egypt, when the administration is good, the Nile prevails over the desert; when it is terrible, the desert prevails over the Nile. — Napoleon Bonaparte.
Not even all the water of the Nile will save you from thirst in times of drought if you do not know how to keep the water in the rainy season.
Napoleon made me realize that it’s not that I don’t have enough; it’s that 1) I don’t know how to see with new eyes the resources I have, and 2) it’s always enough if you know how to invest it.
Every time I have gone broke and recovered, it has been thanks to the efficient management of my resources. Unfortunately, I have not been saved by a fairy godmother or a genie with a magic lamp. I did it myself. How? By using my resources.
So it was enough with what I had around me.
The mistake is believing all the resources you can use must have a Benjamin Franklin face.
Many times it’s not money that gets you out of trouble. For example, sometimes your resources are disguised as an old coworker, a new social network, or a freelance site.
The takeaway: Make a list of all the people in your life right now (even the guy who serves you coffee at Starbucks). Among all those people, someone is sure to hold the key to getting the waters of your Nile flowing again, no matter how big a desert you are facing in your life.
3. On mind-set
The superior human being is impassive; it does not matter whether he is praised or criticized: he never stops. — Napoleon Bonaparte.
According to Napoleon, one can only make a mark in this life by mastering one’s character, and to do so, one must first acquire it.
Where do you acquire character? By facing adversity.
The point is not to get too excited when you overcome that adversity and not to fall into the trap of praise because it leads to complacency and straight back to square one. After all, he who rests on his laurels loses his fortune.
On the other hand, you must not let criticism affect you when you do poorly, or you will never recover from defeat.
In his book The Daily Laws, Robert Greene leaves a great reflection on this, “Displaying anger and emotion are signs of weakness; you cannot control yourself, so how can you control anything?”
The takeaway: The first thing is to forge a character: to be brave and dare to live with all the consequences that imply. And the second is to become a master in managing your emotions. Don’t let praise or criticism distract you from your goals.
I hope this article has motivated you to move forward with your dreams and helped you to resist setbacks. For that purpose, I also give you this quote from Elon musk, “Quitting it’s not in my nature, and I don’t care about optimism or pessimism. F*ck that we’re gonna get it done.”
Let’s go, mate. We’re gonna get it done.
A virtual hug
AG
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