Billionaire investor and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, has a multifaceted life. The “Shark Tank” star has built a career creating and investing in many profitable companies. Here’s a piece of advice he has for people struggling with their managers at the workplace.
During an interview on the “In Search of Excellence” podcast, Cuban shared an unconventional perspective, explaining that, even in negative work situations, there exists an opportunity for growth and learning.
“There are two things to consider,” Cuban said during the podcast. “One, always realize you’re a free agent. You’re allowed to look for your next job while in your current job. But more importantly — and this particularly applies to your first job — is that, in college, you paid to learn, but now that you’ve graduated you’re getting paid to learn. Take advantage of the ‘to learn’ part of it.”
“That’s where people who are in jobs they don’t like make a mistake,” he further explained. “They’re so miserable they just can’t wait to get out, and they don’t realize that you can learn more from the jobs you don’t like than the jobs you do like.”
“Learning what not to do is just as critically as learning what to do — particularly if you have any aspirations to go on to management or launch a company. If you really make an effort to learn,” the billionaire investor continued. “But ask, ‘How is the company run? How are managers managing? If I don’t like my boss — why? Is there a way I can communicate with that boss that makes me better at communicating?'”
In a recent discussion with best-selling author Chris Voss on Fireside, Cuban also shared how he learned to use silence to his advantage.
Speaking about his experience on “Shark Tank,” the billionaire said, ″Silence gives you a chance to learn. There will be times when someone walks in on ‘Shark Tank,’ and I’m thinking to myself: ‘There’s no way I’m interested. Or, if I am, I don’t have quite all the data that I need to make a decision.”
“The more you pay attention and the more aware you are, the better opportunity you have to get what you want. Silence is powerful; silence is money … money in the bank,” he added.
Produced in association with Benzinga
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