A Secret to Business Success: Always Be Learning

There was a time when entrepreneurs and business leaders had a somewhat limited 
knowledge base that would help guide them through 40 or more years of their career. 
Things didn’t change much. They did business with a certain set of customers while 
continuing to pitch and sell new ones on essentially the same products and services 
they’d been selling since they started. Sure, there were small changes and the 
occasional new advances. But for the most part, as you can see in Barry Levinson’s 
excellent movie Tin Men, aluminum siding back then was aluminum siding.

How things have changed. My generation grew up with access to the entire world via 
our computers and smartphones. We know who’s doing what at any hour of the day. 
Real-time is the rule, not the exception. And thanks to technology, we can be not only 
aware of new business developments in mere seconds, but we can also make deals 
and communicate with colleagues and customers anywhere in the world whenever 
we want to. What this means to entrepreneurs and business leaders is that it’s crucial 
to continue increasing your knowledge to stay competitive. Learn as much as you can 
as often as you can. 

Today, there is no dearth of opportunities for business leaders to continue enriching 
themselves about their industries, the business world and the newest developments in 
virtually any field. What used to be called continuing education is now everyday education. 
The information is out there and much of it is free.

I urge you: take advantage of it.

As a student in Las Vegas, and later, as a professional in the golfing and hospitality 
environment, I always tried to learn new things that would help me navigate my career 
and move myself toward success.

I was also regularly attending events that enabled me to not only market the products I 
was hired to represent, but to learn what others were selling. Seeing and trying new 
things and comparing and contrasting them gave me a real edge in my chosen industry. 
My mind was active. Learning new things in the golfing business was always, and 
continues to be, time well spent.

If you own a company, want to own one or just want to be really valuable in the company 
for which you work, I strongly recommend becoming a lifelong learner. Know your 
landscape better than anyone else in it. Look for online or in-person classes or courses 
that can help you develop new skills or enhance the ones you already have. Attend trade 
shows and conventions where you can network with others. Check out websites on a 
regular basis, especially news sites and those that cover your business interests. 

It’s a global marketplace these days, my friend. Knowing as much as you can about the 
world economy and other cultures, as well as what’s happening in other countries’ 
industries, will also enhance your already stellar leadership skills. If information is power, 
education is the advantage.