People often ask me what makes me tick. I think that’s part of
it—I simply respond to my own tempo, and my mode is working
fast. Maybe yours is slower, maybe it’s even faster, but we all know
what speed is best for us. Stick to that tempo and keep at it. Peo-
ple will learn to plug into that, and you will see faster results be-
cause of it. Can you imagine if every musician in the orchestra had
their own idea of what the tempo should be? It’d be cacophony, a
mess. That’s what can destroy businesses, too. Be a good conduc-
tor and make sure you’re all in accord on this basic component.
When I conduct a meeting, I’m in charge and I need people
to keep up with me. People who work with me know my tempo,
and they’ve adjusted. New people learn how. No matter what sit-
uation or business you are in, be alert to the level of energy around
you—it will help you through every day. So if you’re not in charge
yet, realize it’s your responsibility to take the cue and respond
accordingly.
People talk about being in “the zone” when they reach a cer-
tain level of achievement, whether they are runners or writers. It’s
when things come naturally, a sort of synchronicity. I know the
feeling when I am making deals and I see the pieces falling into
place the way they should. It’s something to aim for, and tempo
has a lot to do with it.
For example, you probably all know the feeling of having to
write a term paper. Sometimes it’s not so easy to get started—
maybe you’ve procrastinated, but finally one night you get down
to it and, after awhile, you are producing the pages without a lot
of agony. Thinking about doing it was probably harder than actu-
ally getting it done. Something takes over and the work evolves.
A lot of that is tempo, or getting into the groove, and pretty soon
performance takes over and you’re done.
I’ve noticed that some people need a new speedometer be-
cause their positive momentum is so slow that they couldn’t pos-
DONALD J. TRUMP