Key Takeaways

• A publication by Inc. opined that it is arguable that no figure has had a bigger impact on the emergence of the multibillion-dollar personal improvement industry than Napoleon Hill.

• Napoleon Hill experienced a turning point in 1908 during an assignment to interview Andrew Carnegie where he was advised to invest his time and efforts of study and exploration in wealthy people to understand their success formula without payment.
• Having adhered to the instructions of Andrew Carnegie, Hill shared his first acknowledgments of 45 interviews in his first best-seller Law of success (1928) and continued his work, interviewing, writing, speaking, and publishing, and set the base for his next best-seller.

• His books and audio lectures remain top sellers, are widely known, and demonstrate the continuing appeal of the myth of a secret of success, the 17 Principles of Success, and the lessons learned from his study.

Introduction

• The research provides an overview of Napoleon Hill to include why he was/is deemed to be among the wisest of his time, and some examples of sage advice/words to live by credited to him.

Napoleon Hill

• According to an article by Inc., "It is arguable that no figure has had a bigger impact on the emergence of the multibillion-dollar personal improvement industry than Napoleon Hill."
• Hill first wrote about the still-popular concept of Mastermind Groups, which entails entrepreneurs and executives getting together outside of work to swap ideas and share advice.
• He also introduced the idea of the Law of Attraction, which opined that "if you focus your attention and on getting the things you want, you will attract them to you.
• In several ways, Hill is said to be the direct inspiration for the bulk of the gurus who now fill the airwaves, shops, and stages, including Tony Robbins and Robert Kiyoaski.
• Napoleon Hill experienced a turning point in 1908 due to an assignment to interview Andrew Carnegie.
• The duration of this interview was three days instead of three hours.
• At the time, mister Carnegie who happened to be one of the most powerful men in the world advised Napoleon Hill to invest his time and efforts of study and exploration in wealthy people to understand their success formula without payment.
• This challenge took Napoleon Hill because he already was poor and had nothing to lose. Also, his curiosity led him to the motivation to go for this challenge.
• It was recorded that Napoleon did many interviews with successful people of the time, like Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell, and Thomas Edison, among other successful people.
• He shared his first acknowledgments of 45 interviews in his first best-seller Law of success (1928) and continued his work, interviewing, writing, speaking, and publishing, and set the base for his next best-seller.
• Hill identified that freedom, democracy, capitalism, and harmony are the foundation of this philosophy.
• He later discovered during the interviews a secret, which he later described as “the Golden Rule”.
• Napoleon Hill also discovered that 98% of people had few or no firm beliefs, which put success out of their reach. During the following years, he invested lots of time in lecturing people on having beliefs, happiness, and goals in life.
• His books and audio lectures remain top sellers, are widely known, and demonstrate the continuing appeal of the myth of a secret of success, the 17 Principles of Success, and the lessons learned from his study.

Sage Advice and Words

•  The Golden Rule: “Only by working harmoniously in cooperation with other individuals or groups of individuals and thus creating value and benefit for them will one create sustainable achievement for oneself.”
• “The object of your definite chief aim should become your "hobby." You should ride this "hobby" continuously; you should sleep with it, eat with it, play with it, work with it, live with it, and THINK with it.”
• “What the mind can conceive, it can ACHIEVE!”
• “Failure cannot cope with persistence.”
• 43 of his best quotes to inspire success in life and business are contained herein.

Research Strategy