Lesson #2: Never Surrender
Lesson #2: Never Surrender
The determination Turner demonstrated in both his business ventures and sailing races came from his desire for adventure as well as his plain stubbornness. Turner thrived on competition and knew he would be held down by those who did not want to see him succeed. But, the more people that tried to stop him, the more Turner’s ambition to succeed grew.
“You can never quit,” he said. “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” In 1979, Turner took part in the biennial Fastnet race, a 605-mile course in which over 306 yachts raced to a set finish line in the Irish Sea. But, this year would prove different than the rest. Two days into the race, Force 11 hurricane winds struck the sea and began powerfully gusting over the waters; 25 boats sunk, almost 200 others were damaged, and 19 people in all were killed. The resulting dispersal of emergency services became one of the largest rescue operations ever recorded in peacetime.
But, in an amazing feat, Turner not only sailed his yacht to safety, but also to victory. Appropriately named ‘Tenacious’, the boat that was both owned and skippered by Turner became the victor in one of the most disastrous ocean races in history. “Why do you think my own racing yacht is name ‘Tenacious’,” asks Turner. “Because I never quit. I’ve got a bunch of flags on my boat, but there ain’t no white flags. I don’t surrender. That’s the story of my life.”
His achievements on the water are reflective of those in his professional life. He fought tooth and nail to get his cable news network off the ground and continued fighting for its survival until it became one of the most successful networks in American history. He revolutionized the media industry by refusing to give up on his dreams. “Watch me,” says Turner. “I’m like a bulldog that won’t let go.”
Reflecting on what it took to take him to the top, Turner says the secret lies in his survivor attitude. No matter what obstacles were thrown in his way, Turner knew he could succeed if only he kept on going. “I’ve never run into a guy who could win at the top level in anything today and didn’t have the right attitude, didn’t give it everything he had, at least while he was doing it,” says Turner.
In his ongoing battle against the power and control of big media conglomerates, Turner says he has begun to appreciate more the contribution of entrepreneurs and small businesses to society. “People who own their own businesses are their own bosses,” he says. “They are independent thinkers. They know they can't compete by imitating the big guys; they have to innovate. So they are less obsessed with earnings than they are with ideas.” According to Turner, it is thus crucial for entrepreneurs to stay focused and committed and refuse to wave the white flag. “When you lose small businesses, you lose big ideas.”
Lesson 2 Never Surrender
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“All my life people have said that I wasn’t going to make it,” said Turner. “They laughed at me when I started with CBS. They laughed at me when I started CNN. They laughed at me when I bought the Braves. They laughed at me when I bought the Hawks. They laughed at me when I bought MGM.” But, the billionaire entrepreneur can now look back on the success of his 40-odd year career and be thankful he never listened to any of those people.
The determination Turner demonstrated in both his business ventures and sailing races came from his desire for adventure as well as his plain stubbornness. Turner thrived on competition and knew he would be held down by those who did not want to see him succeed. But, the more people that tried to stop him, the more Turner’s ambition to succeed grew.
“You can never quit,” he said. “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” In 1979, Turner took part in the biennial Fastnet race, a 605-mile course in which over 306 yachts raced to a set finish line in the Irish Sea. But, this year would prove different than the rest. Two days into the race, Force 11 hurricane winds struck the sea and began powerfully gusting over the waters; 25 boats sunk, almost 200 others were damaged, and 19 people in all were killed. The resulting dispersal of emergency services became one of the largest rescue operations ever recorded in peacetime.
But, in an amazing feat, Turner not only sailed his yacht to safety, but also to victory. Appropriately named ‘Tenacious’, the boat that was both owned and skippered by Turner became the victor in one of the most disastrous ocean races in history. “Why do you think my own racing yacht is name ‘Tenacious’,” asks Turner. “Because I never quit. I’ve got a bunch of flags on my boat, but there ain’t no white flags. I don’t surrender. That’s the story of my life.”
His achievements on the water are reflective of those in his professional life. He fought tooth and nail to get his cable news network off the ground and continued fighting for its survival until it became one of the most successful networks in American history. He revolutionized the media industry by refusing to give up on his dreams. “Watch me,” says Turner. “I’m like a bulldog that won’t let go.”
Reflecting on what it took to take him to the top, Turner says the secret lies in his survivor attitude. No matter what obstacles were thrown in his way, Turner knew he could succeed if only he kept on going. “I’ve never run into a guy who could win at the top level in anything today and didn’t have the right attitude, didn’t give it everything he had, at least while he was doing it,” says Turner.
In his ongoing battle against the power and control of big media conglomerates, Turner says he has begun to appreciate more the contribution of entrepreneurs and small businesses to society. “People who own their own businesses are their own bosses,” he says. “They are independent thinkers. They know they can't compete by imitating the big guys; they have to innovate. So they are less obsessed with earnings than they are with ideas.” According to Turner, it is thus crucial for entrepreneurs to stay focused and committed and refuse to wave the white flag. “When you lose small businesses, you lose big ideas.”
Lesson 2 Never Surrender
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