Book Review

Think Like A Champion –
An Informal Education in Business and Life
By Donald J. Trump, with Meredith McGiver
Vanguard Press, 2009
Hardcover, $24.95

Reviewed by
Bill Willard
www.Freestylentrepreneur.com

More than just the product of an indifferent barber, Donald Trump is a self-made, deservedly self-confident businessman instantly recognized wherever he goes. He is, in fact, a Brand unto himself!

Trump’s interests include real estate, entertainment, gaming, sports, education and philanthropy. Among those other ventures, Trump is also a successful author whose best-selling business books include The Art of the Deal, The Art of Survival, and How to Get Rich. Most recently, Think Like a Champion—with co-author Miriam McGiver, joins the ranks of Trump titles.

The theme of Think Like a Champion is best summed up in the book’s subtitle—“An Informal Education in Business and Life,” and by Trumps’ dust-jacket quote: “I may be successful already, but I learn something new every day.”

Think Like a Champion–a compilation of essays that Trump penned over his years observing people aspiring for success, he included–presents the author’s cogent views of business and life. Though Think Like a Champion may or may not become a best seller, the cumulative effect of the book’s ideas, advice and wisdom has been sufficiently powerful to ratchet up my regard for the man who wrote of them. That said, if Champion is “an informal education in business and life,” here’s the short course…selected quotes from just a few of the 185 topics Trump addresses:

Innovating – How one might become an innovator? The key is to pay attention and keep your brain and senses open to new stimuli…A big mind requires a variety of thoughts and impulses to keep it well occupied, so make sure you keep your mind engaged in the best ways possible. It could very well be your calling card for success.

Being a Team Player – Keeping the team spirit alive and well in your personal and business lives will give you some very good, even surprising results…Never negate the power of the team, and you’ll be a team player of note as well as power.

Giving Thanks – We should realize that we all have a lot to be thankful for, whether it’s New Year’s, Thanksgiving, or just another Wednesday in our lives.

Learning – When I start something new, I know I have a lot to learn. This does not discourage me—in fact it gives me energy. It is similar to the feeling of a new beginning, a fresh start…Ask yourself this question: What do I need to know more about? If I’d started in business thinking I knew everything, I’d have been sunk before I got started. I had a lot to learn and no one else could learn it for me. But every day I would learn something, apply it, and make progress. Believe me…it didn’t happen overnight.

Thinking on Your Feet – The reason I can move quickly [now] is that I’ve done the background work first, which often no one sees…I prepare myself thoroughly, and then when it is time to move ahead, I’m ready to sprint…Don’t wait for dire circumstances to test your quick-thinking ability. Test yourself daily. Be alert at all times.

Striving for Wholeness – See yourself as an organization. Pay attention to every facet of your life. What’s strong? What’s weak? What’s missing? What can you do to make the picture better? Whatever you do, don’t stagnate. Don’t pretend that 50 percent is enough.

Gaining Wisdom – Make certain things your guideposts. It’s good sign you’re reading this book because that means you are serious about your education and gaining knowledge…[As a student] I made an effort to learn everything I could in order to gain wisdom …I realize now when I can assess a situation quickly that it’s a result of wisdom gained through a variety of experiences.

Thinking Like a Champion – Champions are born and champions are made. One definition of a champion is someone who shows marked superiority…the winner of first prize or first place in competition….[who] wanted to achieve special. As Jack Dempsey said: “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” Let’s hope that applies to you.

Being Clear, Brief and Bold – Someone who analyzed my negotiating technique said I had an advantage over most people because I have the ability to get to the point faster than anyone else…[S]imple as it sounds, there is great wisdom in the short, fast, and direct route.

Maintaining Momentum – [J]ust as negotiation takes practice, so does momentum. You don’t do a great deal and then think that every deal you subsequently make will automatically be great. You don’t get a great rhythm going once and then think it will always be there…Momentum comes in different forms, but its common denominator is energy…power, force, strength, impetus, and drive.

Learning From Mistakes – Rarely is anything worth doing just a breeze…One way to avoid mishandling mistakes is to realize they can happen to us every day. It’s a way of being prepared without being pessimistic. [But] here’s where it gets tricky. You have to know when to call it quits and when to keep moving forward.

Telling People About Your Success – It’s very important to be your own best friend. As Mark Twain put it, “Be comfortable with your own approval…I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position”…[Ignore your critics] Be smart enough to serve your own purpose.
Seeing Problems as a Way of Proving Yourself – If you’ve got…problems today [a lot of baggage], that’s a good sign. It means you’re alive for one thing. So give that some thought, and make the most of the situation.

Thinking Like a Genius – Brain power equals a very powerful leverage…Famed geniuses…[have] held metaphorical thinking in high regard…believed in restructuring a problem to make it more accessible or broader in scope. I realized I did all of those things, but not necessarily deliberately…[G]eniuses tend to…think in opposites. This is outside the boundaries of logic and allows your mind to operate on a new level.

Knowing How to Get Rich – In summing up, if you want to get rich, two important considerations are passion and efficiency: Have passion for what you do and be efficient about it at the same time. That combination has worked for me.

Hugo had it that: There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea who time as come. Moreover, you can never tell where your next great idea will come from or how far it will take you. Think Like a Champion is packed with ideas that hold the highest possible potential for those who will seek them out and act upon them. This is, in short, onehelluva good book for us entrepreneurs, and an ideal bonus (a term of high import these days) for our business associates or young folks preparing for a life in or out of commerce.

Bill Willard is a freelance writer and editor in Clearwater FL. He has been a high-impact writer and editor for over 30 years. He began his “faith journey” to Catholicism in 2008 at his wife, Sue’s urging. After putting up with him for 40 years, all she had to do was ask! Visit his Website: www.writergazette.com/WillardAssociates.shtml.

Or contact him at billw15@tampabay.rr.com to sign up for his popular eblog: Daily Grin.

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