Lesson #5: Be Clear About Who You Are

“When you think about it, you should compare the World Wrestling Federation to other major entertainment companies or motion picture studios,” says McMahon. “We are Hollywood. We're entertainment, and that's what the World Wrestling Federation is all about.”

McMahon understood his place in the world and in business, and refused to give in to critics who took his ‘entertainment’ too seriously. For the entire length of his career, McMahon was saddled with those who criticized the direction in which he was taking the wrestling industry as a whole, with its gratuitous focus on sex and violence. But, McMahon was clear on his vision and on who he was as a businessman and would not pander to his detractors.

“You have some years that are very good, and some years that aren't quite as good,” says McMahon. But, he learned from an early age that survival meant endurance and faith in his own abilities. As one abusive stepfather after another entered the young McMahon’s life, he decided early on that if he could make it through that, he could make it through anything. “As long as you live through it, you survive,” he says.

It was that early lesson in fortitude that enabled McMahon to withstand all the criticism that would come throughout his career. “I would dare say that most anyone in public life, if they stay in public long enough, is not treated fairly,” he says. From the failure of certain business ventures, including the XFL and the World Bodybuilding Federation, to what seemed like a never-ending string of lawsuits, McMahon experienced his share of losses. Along with each, came the inevitable public backlash.

But, McMahon understood that business was business, and this was his business; he would continue to do what he thought was best for the company. That also included putting his own personal hang-ups on hold for the sake of the company as a whole. “I always put my personal ego aside, which people find hard to believe, to do what's right for business,” says McMahon. “Despite the way I would feel personally about someone, if it's the right business thing to do, I'll do it for our audience.”

McMahon maintained a clear distinction between what was business and what was personal, both in his own actions and in judging those of others. He knew that his vision was a controversial one that would be met with much disapproval. “We're living by that sword, and we're going to get cut every now and then from it's backlash,” he says. But, instead of giving in, he stood firm in his vision and in his own abilities, and used that backlash as fuel to chase his dreams even harder.

“We're going to be treated very poorly, I think that goes with the territory,” says McMahon. “You have to get over it, get beyond it and know who you are among your peers and especially among your family when you look in the mirror.”



Lesson #5: Be Clear About Who You Are

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