Three Inspiring Leaders To Help Define Your Path To Success

Forbes

3 days ago

Ask any successful person, and they'll tell you how they were inspired by a leader who paved the way.
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We've all heard the expression 'self-made' when referring to a successful individual. But ask any successful person and they'll tell you how they were inspired by a leader who paved the way.
Perhaps it was their hard-working parents, like so many immigrant entrepreneurs. Or maybe a teacher who believed in them when no one else did. Or maybe a well-known businessperson whom they admired from a distance.
In my book, Underdog Nation, I call these people 'Admirables': people you strategically look to for guidance. Along your journey, you'll need three types of Admirables: the Pusher, the Supporter, and the Mentor.
As you might expect, the Pusher is the Admirable who gives you the needed 'push' in the right direction. For me, that was Marine Corps Officer Selection Officer Doug Hamlin, who is the current CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
When I first met him at UCLA, he saw the potential I didn't yet see in myself. There were few Asian-Americans in the Marines at the time, and he strongly encouraged me to go to Officer Candidates School. At one point, I told him that I was going to take an entry-level position after graduation and start working my way up the corporate ladder instead of pursuing my dream to be a pilot like my father, who flew for South Vietnam.
He looked me in the eyes and said, 'You can go into business or work for IBM at any time. Now is your chance to serve your country and fulfill your childhood dream of being an aviator like your father. You can't do this later.'
It was just the push I needed: A reminder of my dream and a reminder that the window of opportunity was closing. To this day, I'm grateful for the push because it started me on the path to where I am today.
The next Admirable you need is someone who can become a key member of your support system. Someone ahead of you who sees your potential and becomes your loudest cheerleader. For me, that has been Wayne Yetter.
Wayne was CEO when I first joined Astra Merck in 1995 as a pharmaceutical sales representative. At a company event, I decided to introduce myself since he was a Vietnam veteran and thank him for his service. This act of gratitude shocked my peers, who couldn't fathom approaching the towering 6'5' gray-haired CEO.
Wayne was nothing but warm and kind, asking me about myself and how I was doing so far. Suddenly, as a brand-new drug sales rep, I had an ally in the head of the company. We kept in touch even after I left Astra Merck, and he later became a director for my first startup (MyDrugRep.com) and the key board member for my second startup (Espero BioPharma). And I should mention he's been a fine golf buddy, too.
Finding a strong Supporter like Wayne isn't just about the corporate politics of 'knowing the right people.' It's about creating immense accountability for yourself. When the CEO knows your name, it gives you the extra drive to earn and maintain their support.
Both the Pusher and the Supporter are mentors in their own right, but when discussing the Mentor in terms of Admirables, it helps to think of someone whose career trajectory you'd like to emulate. And you don't even have to know them personally. For me, that person has been Fred Smith, the founder and CEO of FedEx.
Though I've never met Fred, I've become acquainted with his story and strategy. For one thing, he was a USMC Vietnam veteran, but also, he was told his idea was impossible. His concept for FedEx earned him a C from his professor at Yale. But Fred believed in his idea and was able to get others to believe in it, too. What I admired most about Fred was his risk taking and undying belief in FedEx. In 1973, when he couldn't make payroll, he flew to Las Vegas, won $27,000 playing blackjack, and wired the money back to his company! And, as they say, the rest is history. (Yes, I am sure his Yale connections were also helpful.)
Fred's journey to success is one of many such stories of resilience—leaders who were told their idea would never work, yet they went on to be world changers. At my current venture, Cadrenal Therapeutics, we face similar obstacles in completing an impossible IPO in the most difficult financial climate and in developing a drug that Big Pharma had no interest in.
You may already have a Mentor in your life, whether it's someone you know or an inspiring leader you've followed from afar. You may not do everything exactly as they do, but the point is that they become a sort of inspirational 'template' for your journey.
When thinking about your network, who are the Admirables in your life? Do you have a Pusher, a Supporter, and a Mentor? If not, there's no better time to start than today.