After graduating in the top five percent of his business school class at Harvard, no one can argue that Mitt Romney went on to achieve incredible success in the world of business.
But, as a father, bishop, and husband, how did he manage to balance it all? How did he find success?
Recently, in a video posted by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Mitt Romney shared some tips for how he achieved success—and few of them had to do with business.
Instead, Romney shared the advice to hold onto those values and things in your life that matter most. In fact, Romney shared an example of when he went to work for Bain & Company and stood firmly by his belief to keep the Sabbath holy.
"I remember when I was talking to Bill Bain about joining Bain & Company," Mitt Romney says. "I said, 'Look, I have to take all day Sunday off. If there's like a company meeting or if you want to come in for case meetings on Sunday, I just won't be there. If that's something that the firm can't accept, then I'm probably not the right guy for the firm.' And I live by that. . . . I think that made me more effective and more productive."
Romney went on to explain the promotions and success he received by living his life in a way that valued what matters most. "I don't think it hurts to have something more in your life that just work. I think having faith or community that you care about, politics, and children, I think that makes you a more full human being, more able to understand how the world works and how most people think, and may actually make you effective," he says.
But, even if those who take Romney's advice don't get promotions or make as much money as they hoped, Romney adds, "So what? Life is not about getting promotions and money. If that's how you measure your life, I got some bad news. There's serendipity in the world. Bad things happen in business and the economy. . . . But if you measure yourself by the things that count most to you—your relationship with your spouse, your friendships, your children, your family . . . you can have success regardless of what happens in the world around you."
To see the full interview, watch the video below.
Disclaimer: Some viewers may find the language used in this video strong or objectionable.