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Leader Who Had No Title
A MODERN FABLE ON REAL SUCCESS IN BUSINESS AND IN LIFE

The

Robin Sharma
#1 International Bestselling Author of The Greatness Guide

Free Press
NEW YO RK LO N D O N TO R ONT O S Y DNE Y

CHAPTER 1

Leadership and Success Are Your Birthright
Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations.
—RALPHCHARELL

The sight of an achievement is the greatest gift a human being could offer others.
—AYN RAND

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ACH O F U S I S B O R N I N T O G EN I U S . Sadly, most of

us die amid mediocrity. I hope it doesn’t upset you that I reveal this closely held belief so early in our brief time together. But I need to be honest. I also should share that I’m just an ordinary guy who happened to getlucky enough to learn a series of extraordinary secrets that helped me become supersuccessful in business and deeply fulfilled in life. The good news is that I’m here to offer you everything that I discovered on a pretty stunning adventure. So you too can work at wow. And live full-out. Starting today. The powerful lessons I’ll reveal will be given gently, carefully, and with sincere encouragement.Our ride together will be full of fun, inspiration, and entertainment. The principles and tools you’ll discover will automatically cause your career to fly, your
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The Leader Who Had No Title

happiness to soar, and your absolute best to fully express itself. But above all else, I promise you, I will be honest. I owe you that respect. My name is Blake Davis, and though I was born inMilwaukee, I’ve lived here in New York City for nearly all of my life. And I still love this place. The restaurants. The pace. The people. And those hot dogs on the street—incredible. Yes, I do adore food— one of life’s best pleasures, if you ask me, along with good conversation, my favorite sports, and great books. Anyway, there’s really no place on Earth like the Big Apple. I have zero plans toleave. Ever. Please allow me to quickly mention a little of my background before I tell you about the bizarre yet precious events that shifted me from where I once was to the place I’d always wanted to be. My mom was the kindest person I’ve ever met. My father was the most determined person I’ve ever known. Salt-of-the-earthtype people. Not perfect. But find me someone who is. The main thing is thatthey always did the best that they could do. And in my mind, the best you can do is all you can do. Once you’ve done that, go home and have a good night’s sleep. Worrying about things beyond your control is a pretty good formula for illness. And most of the things we so concern ourselves with about never actually happen. Kurt Vonnegut said it beautifully when he observed: “The real troubles in yourlife are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4:00 p.m. some idle Tuesday.” My parents shaped me in so many ways. They didn’t have a lot of things, yet in many ways they had everything: they had the courage of their convictions, they had superb values, and they had self-respect. I still miss them deeply and not a day goes by that I forget toappreciate them. In my quieter moments, I sometimes reflect on the fact that we generally take the people we love the most for granted. Until we lose them. Then we take long, si-

Robin Sharma

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lent walks and pray for a second chance to treat them the way they deserved to have been treated. Please don’t let that sort of regret infect your life. It happens too often, to too many among us. If youare blessed enough to still have your parents, honor them. And do it today. Growing up, I was a good kid. “A heart on two legs” is how my grandfather used to describe me. I just didn’t have it in my constitution to hurt anyone or disrupt anything. I did fairly well in school, was pretty popular with the girls, and played some solid football on my high school’s varsity team. Everything changed...