Howard Hughes was a deeply troubled, eccentric billionaire. He was also an undeniably successful businessman.
From his earliest boyhood he was overprotected by a mother whose letters reveal that she was constantly worried about his health. She wrote concerned missives to his summer counselor expressing concerns about whether her son would be fairly treated by his peers, be given enough food to eat, and about whether his delicate constitution would be adequately protected from the rigors of his sleep away camp.
In light of his childhood, it is less surprising then that, enabled by his wealth, Hughes became a recluse, and in his last few decades never left the self-imposed confines of his bedroom.
What’s most remarkable about Howard Hughes, though, is how a few important decisions early in his life shaped everything that came afterwards.
In the 1890s, Howard Hughes’ father, Howard Hughes Sr., set out to build his fortune. In 1909, after decades of failed attempts, he succeeded in creating the Hughes Drill Bit, an important technological development in oil mining.
After Hughes Sr.’s death, Hughes Jr. quickly consolidated his power by purchasing the outstanding shares of his father’s Hughes Tool Company from his relatives – estranging himself from them in the process.
Throughout his life and career thereafter, Howard financed movies in Hollywood, flew novel aircraft, and even financed an airline company. All of these innovations were possible because of the fundamental control he had over the Hughes Tool Company, and the resources that company provided.
Without that decisive moment where he took over the Hughes Tool Company, Howard Hughes would not be the man he became. That’s the power that the right sale at the right time can have.
Growth and change happen incrementally. As Steve Jobs said in a 2005 Stanford commencement address, you can’t know your path until you look backwards. But you can prepare for the moments that matter most. You can be ready to act when it is important.
How are you preparing yourself for moments that can change everything?
Until next week,
Robin