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Flying High: Hughes’ Success Factors

Article Overview: Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Hughes never knew what it was like to be anything but rich. But, it was the degree of his wealth that would drastically change over time. From inheriting $1 million to becoming North America’s first billionaire, Hughes would prove to be one of the greatest and most-talked about entrepreneurs of the 20th century. His significant feats were a result of the following factors:

Flying High: Hughes’ Success Factors

Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Hughes never knew what it was like to be anything but rich. But, it was the degree of his wealth that would drastically change over time. From inheriting $1 million to becoming North America’s first billionaire, Hughes would prove to be one of the greatest and most-talked about entrepreneurs of the 20th century. His significant feats were a result of the following factors:

He was stubborn. When Hughes was told ‘no’, he didn’t listen. When he was denied something, he found a way to get it himself. And, when others thought he couldn’t do something, he set out with even more determination to get it done. He became known as ‘the world’s fastest man’ not because people said he could, but because they said he couldn’t. Hughes’ passion for his work was so strong that nothing was going to stand in his way. He knew what he wanted to achieve in his lifetime and he set out to do so regardless of anything that seemed to stand in his way.

He had a great team. With every project Hughes devoted himself to, it was the circle of people he chose to surround himself with that made the difference. He looked for people with similar values to himself, who valued hard work, dedication and who would settle for nothing less than perfection. Once he had found himself someone with whom he could identify and trust, he made sure to keep them on board for as long as possible. With a healthy dose of paranoia that running a company often requires, it was the team that Hughes had assembled who allowed him to reach the heights that he did.

He involved himself at every level: Hughes was a detail-oriented person with a controlling nature, which served him very well in the business world. Insisting on being involved in even the minutest detail of a project, Hughes was thereby guaranteeing the creation of a product that he could proudly stand behind. Though he had surrounded himself with the best, in order to ensure perfection, Hughes often felt the need to do things himself. His hands-on approach was an inspiration to his staff and one of the distinguishing features of his management style.

He took things one step at a time. Hughes had the critical ability to be able to set high goals for himself and think about the bigger picture, all the while recognizing that it was only through small, short-term actions that he would be able to achieve his goals. He did not get lost in his youthful wish to be the richest man in the world, but rather focused on the short-term goals he needed to accomplish in order to propel him to great new heights.

He knew that business was business. Hughes was a mastermind when it came to separating the two spheres of business and personal. When tough business decisions had to be made, Hughes was willing to make them. He did not let personal emotions or his personal life interfere with the task at hand. Despite tremendous challenges in his private life, Hughes also kept focused on his goals, remained determined and continued setting out to achieve them.

At times an aviator, engineer, film producer, and playboy, Hughes was all the while an eccentric businessman who made his fortune doing what he loved most.

Related Articles
  Lesson #1: Never Compromise on Your Goals
  Lesson #3: Be Hands-On
  Lesson #5: Separate Business from Personal
  Rise to the Top: How the Flying Billionaire First Got His Wings
  Lesson #4: Think Big, Act Small

Article Tags: 1 million, 20th century, americas first billionaire, business world, detail oriented person, feats, lifetime, paranoia, passion, silver spoon, work dedication, worlds fastest man



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