The Greatest Business Book of All Time

There are a lot of great business books out there. I have read many of them.

So, it may surprise you what I consider to be the best business book of all time.

It’s not found in the business section of bookstores or libraries. 

Business schools don’t use it.

A child can read it in about an hour. Any idea?

The best business book of all time is “The Tortoise and the Hare.”

You remember the child’s book, based on Aesop’s Fable, about the fast rabbit named Hippy and the slowly moving but always consistent turtle named Toby?

Hippy was very cocky and always harassing Toby about being slow. One day Toby got fed up and challenged Hippy to a race. Hippy happily accepted and soon the day arrived.

At the starting line, they said “on your mark, get set, go!”  The rabbit takes off running and the turtle starts out walking nice and steady.

The rabbit Hippy gets so far ahead he decides to wait for Toby. He wants to relish his victory.  He waits so long he falls asleep.  In his sleep he sings this song in his dream:

“What’s the use in hurrying your whole life through?

What’s the use in worrying about things you got to do?

There’s lots of time tomorrow to get things done.

Oh, what’s the use of worrying when you can snooze in the sun.

Ho Hum”

After some time, the turtle catches up with the rabbit and sees him asleep just 100 yards from the finish line. 

He decides he shouldn’t wake him and just keeps plodding along. He is not snoozing in the sun. He is getting things done.

When the rabbit wakes, he looks up just as Toby the Tortoise crosses the finish line. The rabbit learns an important lesson about being cocky.

“Slow and steady wins the race

Slow and steady wins the race

If you want to be somebody and get some place

Remember……oh what

slow and steady wins the race”

That has been my experience in business. Look at the greatest businesses every built and you will see that slow and steady wins the race. They just keep going, they just keep building, they just keep learning.

I have been tempted many times by the “big money,” do it faster, create it now, and sell it sooner approach.  But every time I do, I remember the best business book of all time.

I go back and read it and every time the Tortoise wins the race.

Isn’t this also true in life?  Pick an area of your life you want to be a master at.

Anything.

Now think about it. Doesn’t slow and steady win that race too?

Life and business are a marathon not a sprint.  Each day, every day, slow and steady.

Show up, do your part, learn, fail, get better and get back up and do it again.

Be like the Tortoise. Slow and steady wins the race.

Living Every Minute,

Dr. Tim