Continually improve yourself by learning from others’ success

What you need to know:

To understand the importance of that hug, you have to go back to “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance”.

The Obama fever has now broken. Things are returning to normal. But there is one little detail I would like us to indulge in – Auma Obama’s warm embrace from her smiling brother in what looked like a family reunion.

To understand the importance of that hug, you have to go back to Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, Barack Obama’s memoir.

The book was first published in 1995 as Obama was preparing to launch his political career in a campaign for Illinois senator. The book chronicles the events of Obama’s life up until his entry into law school in 1988.

It is an intensely personal story of a younger Barack Obama’s struggle to find his identity and calling in life.

Much of who we are and how we learn is determined by our life experiences. A successful career is like a rollercoaster, with many ups and downs. Understanding how to maintain your success and move past your failures can help you lead a more productive and fulfilling career.

And the best way to learn is to listen to those who have achieved the same types of goals you’ve set for yourself.

You don’t have to have a direct connection to Bill Gates, Warren Buffett or any other mogul to get this insight. Autobiographies give a personal look at these successful people’s motivations, successes, failures and lessons.

Autobiographies of successful people allow you to learn from your role models, to take inspiration and to glean tips and tricks of knowledge that will aid you in your journey.

Think about some of the most influential people in the past century. Almost all of them have an autobiography or biography published. This is a goldmine for people looking to reach success. There is no secret to success; just lots of little tips and experiences that work. It is nearly impossible to be over armed with knowledge of the experiences that helped successful people achieve their goals.

The “secrets” to their success are available and accessible in their autobiographies. These successful people are dying to share what helped them, in hopes of inspiring and helping others, so take advantage of it.

One of the most impacting biographies I have read is Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. It was recommended to be by a good friend, Ahsan Manji.

Based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs and hundreds more with those who knew him, this no-limits warts-and-all biography sheds light on a complicated man and his vision for how technology could be. And it has the typical Jobs’ punch line, “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

I read to “sharpen the saw” as Stephen Covey calls it. Sharpening the saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have – you. It means having a balanced programme for self renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual.

I hope I have convinced you to become a book reader if you haven’t been one. My goal is to get you to choose to read one biography soon. That experience will have a much more profound impact, and serve as a compelling argument for you to be a more avid reader.

Mr Waswa is a management and HR specialist and managing director of Outdoors Africa. E-mail: [email protected]