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What Motivates the World’s Richest Man, Jeff Bezos?

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Jeff Bezos
Image Credit: The New Yorker

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, founder of Blue Origin aerospace company, owner of The Washington Post, and currently the richest man in the world, has reached heights of unparalleled success. But what goes on in the mind behind this super human level of success? How does the way he thinks set him apart?

The following 8 quotes from Jeff Bezos himself can shed light into the psyche of his entrepreneurial mind:

1. “Big things start small. The biggest oak starts from an acorn.”

Even the most gigantic of empires start as just a whisper in the mind of one person. Before starting Amazon.com, Bezos was working at a quantitative hedge fund. He left the comfort of a high paying job to start a small online company originally selling books out of his garage. He chose the whisper of dream over the life he was content with. He chose the great over the good. He had a vision.

2. “Do something you’re very passionate about and don’t try to chase what is the hot passion of the day.”  

Listen to that passion inside you. Let that be the guiding force. Trends are a flash in the pan, but deep passion is long lasting. Legacy is built from sustained output into the world over the long haul. A love for what you do is the fuel to create something that lasts. Chasing others will only make you an imitator. Follow that calling inside you and be the originator.

3. “You can have a job, or you can have a career, or you can have a calling. And the best thing is to have a calling. If you find your passion, you’ll have that and all your work won’t feel like work to you.”

Find that thing that has juice in it for you. What gives you life when you think about it? Find those things in your life that bring you intensely positive emotion. At the end of your life, you will never regret taking the chance on that one big idea that you had.

4. “The mission and vision of Amazon.com is: ‘Our vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”

Jeff Bezos built his entire Amazon empire around this simple mission statement. Boiling down a clear vision of your destination that you can burn into your subconscious will allow you to build a solid basis for your trajectory. When that destination is immensely clear in your mind, noticing you are not moving towards it, will create a negative emotion that will compel you to get on track.

5. “I’ve made billions of dollars of failures at Amazon.com. Literally billions… They don’t matter.” “A few big successes compensate for dozens and dozens of things that didn’t work.”

It’s important to at least take aim, even if you miss wildly with your first shot, you will gain valuable knowledge with each subsequent shot that will help you get closer to your mark. You cannot let the failures get the best of you, instead celebrate your successes, let those be your main driving force.

6. “If you absolutely cannot tolerate critics, don’t do anything new or interesting. Then think how wonderful your life will be.”

Jeff Bezos jokingly remarks about the importance of taking the critical words of others light-heartedly. There is always going to be someone that doesn’t see eye to eye with you regarding your vision and what you are trying to do. Breaking through walls attracts all kinds of attention, both positive and negative. Whenever you measure yourself by the opinions of others, you make yourself vulnerable because they are not objective in their views. Peoples’ perspectives are based on where they are at, not where you are at. Do what calls you and leave others’ opinions completely aside.

7. “In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story.”

The story we allow to play out and reinforce in our minds will inspire the actions we take. Having a destination mapped out beforehand allows making choices in that direction seamless and logical. The story we narrate in our minds and continually reinforce creates the foundation for every choice we make. Write yourself a good one.

8. “When I’m happy at work I come home more energized. I’m a better husband. A better Dad. And when I’m happy at home I come in a better boss and a better colleague.”

Happiness is a vital piece for improving your relationships at home, vastly enhancing your work life, and increasing your energy overall. Happiness at home will allow you to uplift those loved ones in your life and to fully appreciate them- Bezos sees that. Happiness creates clarity, patience, flexibility, and vitality. Not to mention, happy people are much more pleasant to be around. The real juice of life is the happiness found along the road to success.

There’s no difference between you and someone that’s super successful other than the way you think. A few small changes today over the long haul can make gigantic positive shifts in your life. If you can install the same mental framework as someone you admire and want to be like, you will experience the identical results. You’re always your greatest investment, make it count.

What do you think of Jeff Bezos? Comment below!

Zachariah Bourne is the Author of the upcoming book "Blissed Out". He’s a writer for Success Magazine and Huff Post and Co-Authors articles with Jacquelyn Denissoff. As a producer, songwriter and artist living in NYC, he uses music as a way to spread the message of positivity to the world. Follow him on Instagram or go check out his YouTube.

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Business

The Entrepreneur’s Reading List That Transforms Ideas Into Empires

These must-read titles and writing insights reveal how entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into empire-level success.

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top entrepreneurship books for business growth
Image Credit: Midjourney

Entrepreneurship is powered by stories—of accomplishment, failure, and decision moments that define businesses. Books are maps, providing insight from individuals who’ve traversed the road ahead. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
Image Credit: Midjourney

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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entrepreneurial leadership skills and traits
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When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs

Learn essential lessons, success strategies, and mindset shifts every aspiring entrepreneur needs to overcome challenges and build a thriving business.

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how to build a business empire
Image Credit: Midjourney

Back in July 2017, I attended a business seminar on entrepreneurship in India. With my appetite for learning and meeting new people, I wanted to explore the latest developments in the entrepreneurial world. (more…)

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