The philosophies of success, resilience, and leadership that drive Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are born of his own personal journey, starting from childhood when he was washing plates. Here are 10 bits of basic life and career advice from Jensen Huang.
Suffering Creates Character
Huang has a strong belief that greatness is not about brilliance, but character. A person’s character is developed during their difficulties. A famous speech to Stanford students reads, “Give him plenty of pain to make him strong,” and he said that this is the only way to strengthen him.
Lower Your Expectations to Build Resilience
Many people are extraordinarily successful who have lots of expectations. A large part of Huang’s success is being underwhelmed, which means he expects things to be tough and can get through when things go wrong.
Focus Intently on the Present Moment
Huang is no big fan of wearing a watch, and it is a tradition that has been passed down through the years. He says not to get caught up in long-term plans or chasing the future. But he encourages people to commit to “now,” to perform whatever they have to do “now” to the fullest.
Prioritise Your Time and Make Sacrifices
If you don’t let the outside world take over your day, you have lots of time to accomplish a lot. Instead of trying to do it all at once, Huang recommends prioritizing what is important and what isn’t.
Strategy is Defined by Deciding What to Give Up
The key to your operations and personal success is the ability to kill projects or ideas that are no longer aligned to your mission. Huang isn’t only looking to know what he wants to chase, but what he wants to avoid.
Value Past Performance and Reputation
Your resume tells more about you than a fancy presentation. Your work ethic and reputation can’t be altered, says Huang, which can change with interviews or presentations. He says that his own discipline was being a meticulous dishwasher in Denny’s.
Love What You Do to Endure the Journey
It takes a lot of patience to create new technologies and start a long-lasting business. You have to have a passion for your craft,” Huang adds. If he or she doesn’t have an insatiable need, then it is very hard to endure the long periods of struggle necessary to make breakthroughs.
Seek Out “Zero-Billion-Dollar” Markets
Do not go into saturated competitive markets, but find problems that are totally unsolved, complex, and where your unique skill or service can be essential. Nvidia’s early strategy in investing in areas that weren’t widely explored, such as the CUDA ecosystem, was a good idea.
View Constructive Criticism as a Form of Care
Huang’s parents would always urge him to do better, and he learned to see constructive criticism as a gift rather than an insult. To him, the process of spending time and giving thoughtful and detailed criticism is an indicator of a person’s growth that you are interested in.
Run for Food, Lest You Become Food
It encourages individuals to be agile, have a sense of urgency, and strive for constant improvement. You have to continue to press ahead with purpose, even if you are successful, to prevent complacency.
