Be the best at creating & communicating value

5:00

If I had a piece of advice to give to young people, it is:

1. Be very, very good at creating value. Aim to be the best at what you do. (A few years ago, when I moved out of my appartment in downtown, I threw away a two-foot-tall chess trophy. I put it near the garbage and somebody picked it up. I threw it away because I received the trophy for being the 4th best chess player in the province. That's how serious I was and still am, about being #1. Being #4 is almost a disgrace. I believe we eventually achieve the standard we set out to achieve.)
2. Be very, very good at communicating to people the value that you are creating for them.
   

A person can be very talented, yet live poor his/her entire life. Vincent Van Gogh was perhaps a tragic illustration of that.

The lesson: It's not enough to be good. The world has to also believe you ARE good.