25 Life-Changing Lessons From Super-Successful Men
Emily Baldwin
Updated on February 22, 2026
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." — Steve Jobs
"I won't make a deal that's only favorable to me." — Russell Simmons
"If you're not stubborn, you'll give up on experiments too soon. And if you're not flexible, you'll pound your head against the wall and you won't see a different solution to a problem you're trying to solve." — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos
"Always look for the fool in the deal. If you don't find one, it's you." — Mark Cuban, AXS TV chairman and entrepreneur
"Don't worry about failure; you only have to be right once." — Drew Houston, Dropbox founder
"Chase the vision, not the money. The money will end up following you." — Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO
"You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over." — Richard Branson, Virgin Group founder
"Be useful, and be kind" — President Barack Obama
"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him." — David Brinkley
"Success is having what you want and wanting what you have, and having the people whom you love love you." — Warren Buffett
"It's not how much money you make, but how much money you keep, how hard it works for you, and how many generations you keep it for." — Rich Dad Company founder Robert Kiyosaki
"If I wasn't able to recover from 'We don't like what you did,' I would have a different job or I would be living in my parent's basement." — Matthew Weiner, creator of Mad Men
"Make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect." — Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder
"The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus." — Bruce Lee
"See things in the present, even if they are in the future." — Larry Ellison, Oracle co-founder
"Success? I don't know what that word means. I'm happy. But success, that goes back to what in somebody's eyes success means. For me, success is inner peace. That's a good day for me." — Denzel Washington
"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing." — Dale Carnegie
"The ultimate is not to win, but to reach within the depths of your capabilities and to compete against yourself to the greatest extent possible. When you do that, you have dignity. You have the pride. You can walk about with character and pride no matter in what place you happen to finish." — Billy Mills
"Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." — Winston Churchill
"Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical." — Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO
"Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success." — Biz Stone, Twitter co-founder
"The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be." — Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder
"If you set your goals ridiculously high and it's a failure, you will fail above everyone else's success." — James Cameron
[President Obama photo: Frederic Legrand — COMEO/Shutterstock.com]
Filed UnderCareer • Finance • Wealth AdviceRead This NextThe Smart Man's Guide to Spotting Counterfeit Wine
That $2,000 bottle of Bourdeaux might be worth $20. Here’s how to be sure it’s the real thing.April 13, 2017The 5 Best Light-Bodied Red Wines for Extending Your Summer
Don't let September ruin a killer party. August 25, 201717 Insanely Cool New Luxury Bicycles for Spring
Meet the bikes that cost more than a car.March 31, 2017Best Life Essentials
You deserve the best. Live life to the fullest with these ultimate essentials.October 21, 2016This Is the Safest Way to Store Meat
Don't let that filet set you up for food poisoning. February 7, 2018Here Are the 10 Wealthiest Cryptocurrency Millionaires Under 40
Including one guy who is only 24 years-old!February 7, 2018This Is the Safest Way to Clean Your Floors
Keep your floors clean and looking brand new with this easy tip. February 8, 201815 Things Your Real Estate Agent Won't Tell You
These are sure to shock even the most intrepid homebuyers. February 14, 201820 Financial Decisions You're Guaranteed to Regret
The experts have spoken: It's time to start saving for your future.March 9, 201820 Secrets Your Financial Advisor Won't Tell You
Here are the best ways to keep your wallet as full as possible.March 10, 2018
