VIIBoost the Other FellowReturn to ContentsJust as our property is safe only as the other fellow’s property is safe, just as our daughter is safe only as the other fellow’s daughter is safe, so it also is true that in order to develop the human soul in other men, we have to give those men something.Mylittle girl has a black cat; about once in four months this cat has kittens. Opposite our place is a man who has an Airedale dog. When that dog comes across the street and that cat has no kittens, the cat immediately “beats it” as fast as she can, with the dog after her. But when that dog comes across the street and that cat has the responsibility of some kittens, she immediately turns on the dog and thedog“beats it” with the cat after him. It is the same dog, the same cat, and the same backyard; but in one instance the cat has no responsibilities and in the other case she has. Responsibilities develop faith, vision, courage, initiative, and other things that make the world go round.Just as our property is safe, only as theother fellow’s property is safe; just as our daughter is safe, only as the other fellow’s daughter is safe; so is it also true that, in order to develop the human soul in other men, we have to give those men something. We must give them a chance. We must give them opportunity. We must give them a boost. All of us are simply storage batteries. We get out of life what we put into life. We care for others, not in accordance with what they do for us, but rather in accordance with what we have done for them.I am quite often asked about investments. Well, there are times, about once in three or four years—during panics, when every one is scared to death—that I invest in stocks. There are other times when I advise the purchase of bonds. The fact is, however, that I have not made my money investing either in stocks or bonds. What money I have made has come from investing in boys and girls, young men and young women.There is a common belief current to-day that only people with experience are worthwhile. But I say: Quit looking for the experienced salesmen and trying to make a man out of him; get aman, and then make a salesman of him. I have a young man in my business who was delivering trunks for an express company twelve years ago. To-day he is my sales manager and has built our gross from $100,000 to $1,000,000. One of my best experts, a man who is sought for by the leading Chambers of Commerce all over the land, was a carpenter on my garage nine years ago. Another one of my experts, a man the demand for whose services I cannot supply, never acquired recognition until he was over forty-five years of age. I found him keeping hens at Wellesley Farms! A young lady in my office to whom I pay $200 a week and who is worth, to me, $1,000 a week, I picked up at $4 a week twelve years ago.Such cases exist everywhere. You men yourselves know them. You look over your own organizations. Who are the men who are really doing things? Are they the men you acquired ready-madefrom other concerns? No! They are the men that have been taken up and developed. These are the men that have made money for you and have created the business enterprise of which you are the head. Yet when we have reached a point of prestige, and have a big business, we are tempted to say: “I haven’t time to develop any more people, I have got to get them already made.” This is a big mistake.******I beg my readers—those who have them—to get your foremen together. Say to the partners or the officials of your concern: “Haven’t we given too much thought to developing the structure? Aren’t we piling too many stories one upon another with too little thought to the foundation?” Then go out and look over your plant and select a few people in each department to whom you will give a real opportunity. Start in to develop them and thereby strengthen the foundation of the business and the prosperity of the nation.
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Just as our property is safe only as the other fellow’s property is safe, just as our daughter is safe only as the other fellow’s daughter is safe, so it also is true that in order to develop the human soul in other men, we have to give those men something.
Mylittle girl has a black cat; about once in four months this cat has kittens. Opposite our place is a man who has an Airedale dog. When that dog comes across the street and that cat has no kittens, the cat immediately “beats it” as fast as she can, with the dog after her. But when that dog comes across the street and that cat has the responsibility of some kittens, she immediately turns on the dog and thedog“beats it” with the cat after him. It is the same dog, the same cat, and the same backyard; but in one instance the cat has no responsibilities and in the other case she has. Responsibilities develop faith, vision, courage, initiative, and other things that make the world go round.
Just as our property is safe, only as theother fellow’s property is safe; just as our daughter is safe, only as the other fellow’s daughter is safe; so is it also true that, in order to develop the human soul in other men, we have to give those men something. We must give them a chance. We must give them opportunity. We must give them a boost. All of us are simply storage batteries. We get out of life what we put into life. We care for others, not in accordance with what they do for us, but rather in accordance with what we have done for them.
I am quite often asked about investments. Well, there are times, about once in three or four years—during panics, when every one is scared to death—that I invest in stocks. There are other times when I advise the purchase of bonds. The fact is, however, that I have not made my money investing either in stocks or bonds. What money I have made has come from investing in boys and girls, young men and young women.
There is a common belief current to-day that only people with experience are worthwhile. But I say: Quit looking for the experienced salesmen and trying to make a man out of him; get aman, and then make a salesman of him. I have a young man in my business who was delivering trunks for an express company twelve years ago. To-day he is my sales manager and has built our gross from $100,000 to $1,000,000. One of my best experts, a man who is sought for by the leading Chambers of Commerce all over the land, was a carpenter on my garage nine years ago. Another one of my experts, a man the demand for whose services I cannot supply, never acquired recognition until he was over forty-five years of age. I found him keeping hens at Wellesley Farms! A young lady in my office to whom I pay $200 a week and who is worth, to me, $1,000 a week, I picked up at $4 a week twelve years ago.
Such cases exist everywhere. You men yourselves know them. You look over your own organizations. Who are the men who are really doing things? Are they the men you acquired ready-madefrom other concerns? No! They are the men that have been taken up and developed. These are the men that have made money for you and have created the business enterprise of which you are the head. Yet when we have reached a point of prestige, and have a big business, we are tempted to say: “I haven’t time to develop any more people, I have got to get them already made.” This is a big mistake.
******
I beg my readers—those who have them—to get your foremen together. Say to the partners or the officials of your concern: “Haven’t we given too much thought to developing the structure? Aren’t we piling too many stories one upon another with too little thought to the foundation?” Then go out and look over your plant and select a few people in each department to whom you will give a real opportunity. Start in to develop them and thereby strengthen the foundation of the business and the prosperity of the nation.