GO TO THE EXTRA MILE
EARLY ONE FROSTLY MORNING, THE PRIVATE RAILROAD CAR OF CHARLES M.SCHWAB WAS SHIFTED TO THE SIDE-TRACK AT HIS STEEL PLANT, IN PENNYLVANIA.
AS HE LEFT THE CAR HE WAS MET BY A YOUNG MAN WHO EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS A STENOGRAPHER IN THE OFFICE OF THE STEEL COMPANY, AND HE HAD THE CAR WITH THE HOPE THAT HE MIGHT BE OF SOME SERVICE TO MR.SCHWAB.
WHO REQUESTED YOU YO MEET THE HERE? SCHWAB ASKED.
IT WAS MY OWN IDEA, SIR, THE YOUNG MAN REPLIED, AND I KNEW TELEGRAM THAT STARTED YOU WERE COMING, I BROUGHT MY NOTEBOOK WITH ME, SIR, AND I'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY LETTERS OR TELEGRAMS YOU MAY WISH TO SEND.
MR. SCHWAB THANKED THE YOUNG MAN FOR HIS THOUGHTFULLNESS, BUT SAID HE NEEDED TO SERVICE AT THE MOMENT, ALTHOUGH HE MIGHT SEND FOR THE LAD LETTER IN THE DAY. AND HE DID! WHEN THE PRIVATE CAR RETURNED TO THE NEW YORK THAT NIGHT IT CARRIED THAT YOUNG MAN BACK TO THE CITY, WHERE HE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED AT MR.SCHWAB'S REQUEST FOR DUTY IN THE STEEL MAGNATE'S PRIVATE OFFICE.
THE YOUNG MAN'S NAME WAS WILLIAMS, WE DO NOT RECALL HIS FIRST NAME, BUT THAT IS UNIMPORTANT, WHAT WE DO RECALL IS THE FACT THAT MR.WILLIAMS PROMOTED HIMSELF FROM ONE JOB TO ANOTHER IN THE STEEL ORGANIZATION UNTIL HE EARNED AND SAVED ENOUGH MONEY TO ENABLE HIM TO GO INTO BUSINESS FOR HIMSELF, AND HE LATER FOUNDED A DRUG COMPANY OF WHICH HE BECAME THE PRESIDENT AND MAJORITY STOCKHOLDER.
NOTHING VERY DRAMATIC OR INTERESTING ABOUT THIS BRIEF STORY, IS THERE? WELL, THE ANSWER DEPENDS ALTOGETHER UPON WHAT ONE CALLS DRAMA. TO EVERY MAN WHO IS TRYING TO FIND HIS PLACE IN THE WORLD, THIS STORY, IF ANALYSED CAREFULLY, CARRIES THE DEEPEST SORT OF DRAMA, FOR IT DESCRIBE THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT OF THE SEVENTEEN PRINCIPLES OF INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT, THE HABIT OF GOING THE EXTRA MILE!
WE SAID THAT THIS YOUNG MAN WILLIAMS PROMOTED HIMSELF FORM ONE JOB TO ANOTHER IN THE STEEL COMPANY. LET US FIND OUT HOW HE MANAGED THIS SELF-PROMOTION IN ORDER THAT WE MAY LEARN HOW OTHERS CAN PROFIT BY HIS TECHNIQUE. LET US LEARN, IF WE CAN, WHAT YOUNG WILLIAMS HAD IN THE WAY OF ABILITY WHICH OTHER STENOGRAPHERS IN THE GENERAL PLANT OPERATION OFFICE OF THE STEEL COMPANY DID NOT HAVE, THAT CAUSED HIM TO BE SINGLED OUT BY MR.SCHWAB AND ASSIGNED TO HIS PERSONAL SERVICE.
WE HAVE MR.SCHWAB'S OWN WORD THAT YOUNG WILLIAMS DID NOT POSSES A SINGLE QUALITY THAT ENTITLED HIM TO RATE ABOVE THE AVERAGE AS A STENOGRAPHER, BUT HE DID HAVE ONE QUALITY , A QUALITY THAT HE DEVELOPED ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE AND PRACTICED AS AN INVIOLABLE HABIT, WHICH BUT FEW PEOPLE POSSES, AND THAT WAS THE HABIT OF RENDERING MORE SERVICE THAN HE WAS PAID FOR.
IT WAS THIS HABIT THAT ENABLED HIM TO PROMOTE HIMSELF! IT WAS THIS HABIT THAT ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION THAT HEAD OF A CORPORATION WHERE HE BECAME ALSO HIS OWN BOSS.
AND IT WAS THIS HABIT, AS WE SHALL SEE FROM ANDREW CARNEGIE'S ANALYSIS OF THE SUBJECT IN THIS CHAPTER, WHICH MANY YEARS PREVIOUS TO THE INCIDENT HERE RELATED, BROUGHT MR.SCHWAB HIMSELF TO THE ATTENTION OF MR.CARNEGIE AND GAINED FOR HIM HIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE HIMSELF INTO A POSITION IN WHICH HE BECAME HIS OWN BOSS.
IT WAS ALSO THIS SAME HABIT THAT ENABLED THE IRREPRESSIBLE CARNEGIE TO RISE FROM THE POSITION OF DAY LABORER TO THAT OF THE OWNER OF AMERICA'S LARGEST INDUSTRY, WHERE HE ACCUMULATED A VAST FORTUNE IN MONEY AND STILL GREATER FORTUNE IN USEFUL KNOWLEDGE WHICH IS NOW AVAILABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA WHO HAVE THE VISION AND THE AMBITION TO APPROPRIATE AND USE IT.
MR. CARNEGIE VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT OF GOING THE EXTRA MILE PROVIDE THE STUDENTS OF THIS PHILOSOPHY WITH A PRACTICAL WORKING TECHNIQUE WITH WHICH THEY MAY USE THIS PRINCIPLE EFFECTIVELY FOR THEIR OWN SELF-PROMOTION. HIS ANALYSIS OF THE SUBJECT IS HERE PRESENTED IN HIS OWN WORDS.
HILL : MR. CARNEGIE I HAVE HEARD SOME MEN EXPRESS THE BELIEF THAT SUCCESS OFTEN IS THE RESULT OF LUCK. MANY PEOPLE SEEM TO THE FAVORABLE "BREAKS" OF LIFE, AND THAT OTHERS FAIL BECAUSE THEY GET THE UNFAVORABLE "BREAKS".
CROESUS, THE WEALTHY PERSIAN PHILOSOPHER, MADE SOME SUCH REFERENCE TO CHANCE WHEN HE SAID.
"THERE IS A WHEEL ON WHICH THE AFFAIRS OF MEN REVOLVE,
AND ITS MEHANISM IS SUCH THAT IS PREVENTS ANY MAN FROM
BEING ALWAYS FORTUNATE."
HAVE YOU, IN THE RICHNESS OF YOUR BUSINESS EXPERIENCE, SEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF SUCH A WHEEL? DO YOU ATTRIBUTE ANY PORTION OF YOUR SUCCESS OF LUCK, OR FAVORABLE "BREAKS"?
CARNEGIE: YOUR QUESTIONS GIVE ME A SUITABLE STARTING POINT FOR AN APPROPRIATE DESCRIPTION OF THE FIFTH OF THED SEVENTEEN PRINCIPLES OF ACHIEVEMENT. LET US CALL IT THE HABIT OF GOING THE EXTRA MILE, BE WHICH I MEAN THE HABIT OF REDERING MORE SERVICE AND BETTER SERVICE THAN ONE IS PAID FOR.
FIRST, I WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS BY SAYING YES, INDEED, THERE IS A WHEEL OF LIFE THAT CONTROLS HUMAN DESTINIES, AND I AM HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU THAT THIS WHEEL CAN BE DEFINITELY INFLUENCED TO OPERATE IN ONE'S FAVOR. IF THIS WERE NOT TRUE THERE WOULD BE NO OBJECT IN ORGANIZING THE RULES OF PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT.
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