Think & Grow Rich
| Author: Napoleon Hill, 1937
What’s It All About?
Can a book written in 1937 still be relevant today? At first, I was skeptical that a book written so long ago could still have lessons for today’s leaders. But after I read another book, You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero, I changed my perspective. If one author can be inspired by their predecessors, maybe it’s worth the time to take a trip back in history and see where it all began. I’m glad I went into Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich with this new mindset, because his classic book presents some very relevant thoughts on personal mindset and independence.
The story behind Think and Grow Rich began with Andrew Carnegie, an icon in manufacturing history. He asked Napoleon Hill to look at people exhibiting success—and failures—throughout a wide variety of industries to determine what makes for a successful leader. Hill researched over 25,000 people over the course of twenty years and uses his book to highlight 30 common reasons for failure.
Favorite Quote
“You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct, and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.”
Biggest Takeaway
Where you are in life depends on way more than just circumstance. As this book shows, you also must take intentions, thoughts, and belief into account. If you think about positive results for your future, they have a better chance of happening. For example, if you clearly envision a positive outcome, you will start behaving in a way that will help you get what you want. On the other hand, if you always think about gloom and doom, you’re not going to have a great day.
Bonus information
The Audible version of Think and Grow Rich has a PDF workbook, which really helped me get momentum after using a hard copy of the book for years. And you get to hear some original audio, which is awesome!
Reviewed by: Trevor Blondeel, September 5, 2022
At Manufacturing Greatness, Trevor Blondeel works with manufacturers to connect the top to the shop floor. If you’re ready to improve your own organization, contact Trevor to learn how Manufacturing Greatness can help you build stronger leaders and develop a dynamic, high-performing workplace.