The Billionaire, Ray Dalio, one of the world's largest and best-performing hedge funds has published his autobiography which I recommend. A true entrepreneurial success story, Dalio started his company in a tiny apartment. He was a self-described poor student. Forty years after starting his company, Dalio decided to share his success secrets in his new book,Principles.
Ray says the most important chapter that reveals the number one roadblock to success that is so engrained in the human experience, and in our DNA, it's difficult to overcome. But those who recognize it and take steps to knock down the barrier will be in a much stronger position to get what they want out of life.
Dalio's advice: Be radically open-minded
Good decisions aren't necessarily the ones that stroke your ego. A good decision is what's best for you and your company. To make good decisions, argues Dalio, a person must have the ability to explore different points of view and different possibilities, regardless of whether it hurts your ego.
Ask any of your friends or any entrepreneur if he or she is open-minded, and most--if not all--will say they are. But are they? Are you? According to Dalio, here are some cues that will tell if you are truly open-minded.
- Close-minded people don't want their ideas challenged; open-minded people are not angry when someone disagrees.
- Close-minded people are more likely to make statements than ask questions; open-minded people genuinely believe they could be wrong.
- Close-minded people focus much more on being understood than on understanding others; open-minded people always feel compelled to see things through others' eyes.
- Close-minded people lack a deep sense of humility; open-minded people approach everything with a deep-seated fear that they may be wrong.
Dalio believes that recognizing these traits in yourself is just the first step. The second step is recognizing them in others. Once you do, "surround yourself with the open-minded ones," he says.
