Everything starts with a dream. You will become big if you dream big and you will remain small if you dream small. You will not be successful in life if you don’t have a dream. You are hallucinating if you have a dream but have not put this into action.
Your dream is related to a higher calling. Everyone has a higher calling, a so called inner assignment. We should be aware of this higher calling and must have the courage to follow it in order to be successful in life. Remember what Oprah Winfrey said: “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a higher calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you”. Your dream can be thought of as a synonym for your vision. Your mission is aimed at the being (is an articulation of what you’re all about), and your vision at becoming. Your vision is a description of how you would like to realize your dream in the long term. Once you discover the core of your nature, your higher self, and know who you really are, you will find that it is possible to make every dream come true. In Walt Disney’s words, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Henry David Thoreau said— “If a man advances confidently in the direction of his dreams to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours……Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that— “Your dream is the germ from which all growth of nobleness proceeds.” By discovering and formulating your higher self, you will become visionary and will find out that you have something unique to offer. Your work is to find out what that is, and to work at it with passion and love. It is important that you think big. I want to illustrate this with the picture below that I received last year from Donald Trump after I did send him a copy of my latest book Be The CEO of Your Life. On this picture he wrote: “To Hubert: ALWAYS THINK BIG”
Once you better understand who you are, what your genius and unique talents are, what you stand for, what your long-term intentions are, and what type of relationship you would like to have with others, it will be much easier to channel your energy in the right direction, to achieve a dream which is worthy of your effort. Also remember what Bill Clinton said: “We need a more unifying, more inclusive vision. Once you know where you’re going, it’s a lot easier to decide what steps to take to get there. If you don’t know where you’re going, you can work like crazy and you would be walking in the wrong direction”. To be successful in life you must know the meaning of your life and take the responsibility to define your dream and to write it down. Defining your dream is about working out your destiny. Also remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams’
Everyone has the responsibility to identify his/her own dreams and to respond to it with love and passion. In this way you will become a visionary soul. Visionary people are imaginative, idealists, innovators, and creators. They know their genius, dream, higher calling, and know what the meaning of life is. They make the world go ’round. Since everything starts with ideas, everything comes from them and begins there. Remember what George Bernard Shaw said: ‘The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them’. You have to be able to dream outside the box. Also remember what Walt Disney said; “If you can dream it, you can do it”. Here are some individuals who defined and implemented their authentic dream successfully and whom I admire enormously:
Bill Gates’ dream about 30 years ago was— A PC on each desk in each house. Recently he said, “When I was 19, I saw the future and based my career on what I saw. I have been right……Personal computers have become the most empowering tool we have ever created. They are tools of communication, they are tools of creativity … and they can be shaped by their user“. The richest person in the world knew his dream at that time, namely developing and marketing PC software. Since then he is doing related work with love and passion. Years ago he left Harvard, dropping out because he was too busy fulfilling his own dream to wait around for a Harvard degree.
Oprah Winfrey’s dream was/is—Female empowerment. This dream is the guiding principle of her brand, the emotional connection with her audience. She said: “Create the highest, grandest dream possible for your life because you become what you believe. ….Hold the highest dream possible for your life and it can come true …. Go for your highest and greatest dream for your life and align your purpose with the flow of your life. …Follow your passion…Sooner or later, your passion is going to win out and nobody can stop you’.
JK Rowling’s dream was— to become a professional writer. She is the genius behind the Harry Potter series. As she later said: “I was very low, and I had to achieve something. Without the challenge, I would have gone stark raving mad.” Having reached her lifelong dream, she encourages children who want to write to read as much as they can.
Henry Ford’s dream was— “I will build a motor car for the great multitude . . . constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise . . . so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one—and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God’s great open spaces.”— This dream reflected his Personal Brand and the Ford Motor Company Brand. He was the first to introduce the assembly line in 1914, and to mass produce cars, which made them affordable for the general public. He was a technological genius who followed his passion and was the creative force behind an industry of unprecedented size and wealth that in only a few decades permanently changed the economic and social character of the United States.
Walt Disney’s dream was– Making life more enjoyable, and fun. His dream came from his unique ability (his genius) to see the entire picture and from the fond memory of the past and persistence for the future. He was a pioneer, innovator, creator, imaginative, and aesthetic person who followed his dream with passion; the possessor of one of the most fertile and unique imaginations the world has ever known. He built his brand by pursuing his dream with passion. He said: “I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s dream is– Transforming Dubai and the UAE into international hubs for commerce and finance. The ruler of Dubai holds his country up as an example of extraordinary development based on his dream. He said:..Every man should have a vision and objectives and set himself a certain time in which to achieve them. .. When a man knows the way to the future, he should take the reins and advance, for this is our duty towards our people and our nation…..We are very realistic, despite our big dreams, and we work hard to be the best, relying on God and our citizens. ..”
Konosuke Matsushita’s dream was to balance Western rationalism with the spiritualism of the East. The founder of Panasonic had no money and no real business experience, but he did have drive and a dream. Matsushita started with nothing but an idea for an electric plug, and created a vast business empire that spread around the world. His management objective was: “we will devote ourselves to the progress and development of society and the well-being of people through our business activities, thereby enhancing the quality of life throughout the world.” He admitted that his futuristic dream was responsible for his success— “I have tried to envisage intuitively rather than analytically, the changes that will occur in our society and I have tried to create what life will be in the next century.”
Akio Morita’s dream was to change the world’s image of the term ”Made in Japan” from one of shoddy imitations to one of high technology and high reliability in miniature packages. His passion was innovation. As a result of his passion he helped steer Japanese industries toward creation of new technologies and introduced various innovative products to the world. The co-founder of the Sony Corporation developed innovative products people don’t even know they want: the Walkman, the Trinitron television, video watchman, the compact disc (CD), and more. With ingenuity in the design of electronics and cutting-edge business practices, it did not take long to see how or why his dream all became reality. He said: Don’t let people hold you back with their expectations of what you should be. Believe in yourself and create your own Sony… Even though you may be facing terrible odds and are running out of money, find a way to continue and don’t abandon your dream…Carefully watch how people live, get an intuitive sense as to what they might want and then go with it. Don’t do market research. Trust your gut and going with what you think will work despite what the data and experts are telling you…Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. But make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice… If you are afraid of making mistakes, you will miss countless opportunities before you. The more mistakes you make the wiser you will become and the more successful you will be… Be different and unique. Become the expert for your niche and get known as the leading figure in your field.”
Albert Einstein’s dream 100 years ago was— Understanding the universe. His genius fundamentally changed the way we look at the universe. The gentle genius saw the universe as a puzzle, and he delighted in trying to solve its mysteries. All he needed to contemplate the cosmos was his most valuable scientific tool—his imagination. He said: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” When somebody asked Einstein what question he would ask God if he could ask one, he replied, ‘Why was the universe created? Because then I would know the meaning of my own life.”
Barack Obama’s dream is—brings about real change, change that we can believe in. Parts of his speeches: “America is a land of big dreamers and big hopes. It is this hope that has sustained us through revolution and civil war, depression and world war, a struggle for civil and social rights and the brink of nuclear crisis. And it is because our dreamers dreamed that we have emerged from each challenge more united, more prosperous, and more admired than before…….It’s change that I’ve been fighting for over two decades ago. Because those dreams – American dreams – are worth fighting for”.
Mahatma Gandhi’s dream was- Achieving freedom through the path of non-violence. He was the man who played a significant role in achieving independence for India from the British Empire with his simplicity and strong willpower. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi believed in living a simple life. He proved to the world that freedom can be achieved through the path of non-violence.
Martin Luther King, Jr. dream was– Free at last. Part of his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1964: “I have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed; ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood……And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire…… Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. ……From every mountainside, let freedom ring…..Free at last! Free at last!
Nelson Mandela’s dream was– A free and just society in South Africa. He made conscious choices based on what he truly stood for and got credit for his relentless commitment to his dream. His dream of transforming the racist society ofSouth Africa into a multiracial democracy lasted more than 50 years. His determination to pursue that dream with passion and love, to keep fighting despite intense torments to both his people and himself, carried him to a day in May 1994 when he became the president of all South Africans.
Mikhail Gorbachev’s dream was/is—Change and openness. His dream resulted in his concept of Perestroika (restructuring) and Glasnost (openness) which was a distinct break with the authoritarian past of the Soviet Union. He said: “We, our generation, were not associated with the repression. When we found ourselves active participants in life, in work, and in politics, then we began to see a great deal and see it clearly. Little by little there came the awareness that in this country, this society, this system, no matter how hard we tried, no matter how sincere our convictions were, very little good could be achieved. Therefore the system had to be changed’.
The discussed role models have proven that if someone has a clear authentic dream, responds to it with love and passion, has the courage to pursue this dream, has faith in him/herself, and lives according to their dream, this dream will guide that person’s life and will result in purposeful and resolute actions. My heroes took the responsibility to identify their authentic dreams and to respond to them with love and passion. Stop complaining and do not blame others for your failures. Take the initiative and the responsibility to develop, implement, and cultivate your authentic dream as well, and keep it at the forefront of your mind each day. Anyone can deliver peak performances and be successful in life, because all of us have the genius within us to do so. Success is not something that will come automatically or something that the world will define for you. It’s what you define in your ambitious dream and in the way you pursue this dream. Remember what Marva Collins said; ‘Success doesn’t come to you …you go to it’. You must have a dream in life, follow your heart and love what you do, if you expect exceptional success. You will surely have it, since people who ask for it, wish it, dream it, fix it in their mind, visualize it, feel it, allow it, give your peak performance to it, respond to it with love, passion and integrity, attract success. In my new book “Authentic Personal Branding: A new blueprint for building and aligning a powerful leadership brand”, I explain in detail how you can realize your dream successfully.
My related master classes are: AUTHENTIC PERSONAL BRANDING, CORPORATE BRANDING and SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING and AUTHENTIC PERSONAL BRANDING Latest article in Brandchannel: Reinforcing Employee Engagement
BA/MBA/DBA/PhD degree in Personal Branding at the Business School of the Americas Personal Leadership Branding at MIT SLOAN
Interview in BusinessWeek
Article in brandchannel
About the author
Dr. Hubert Rampersad is a leading authority on Authentic Personal Branding and Performance Management. He is co-founder at the Business School of the Americas. He holds a PhD in Management from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands and a MSc. in Robotics at Delft University of Technology. He is the prominent author of the bestselling books “Total Performance Scorecard: Redefining Management to Achieve Performance with Integrity ” ,”Personal Balanced Scorecard; The Way to Individual Happiness, Personal Integrity and Organizational Effectiveness “, “TPS-Lean Six Sigma; Linking Human Capital to Lean Six Sigma – A New Blueprint for Creating High Performance Companies “, “Authentic Personal Branding: A new blueprint for building and aligning a powerful leadership brand “, and “Be The CEO of Your Life: The Ultimate Authentic Personal Branding Formula for Standing Out from the Crowd“, which have been published globally in many languages. His views on happiness in work-life and on personal branding were published in Fortune Magazine and BusinessWeek. He can be reached at tpsi@live.com. His resume can be viewed at this link and his lifestory at this link. His Authentic Personal Branding concept is being used in the Social Media Marketing Class at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He taught at MIT Sloan (MIT Leadership Center) to MBA students as part of the Sloan Innovation Period.
create work-life balance. By aligning your personal brand with yourself you will also create a stable basis for your trustworthiness, credibility, and personal charisma. By aligning your personal brand with your corporate brand you will create a passionate and happy workforce (Reinforcing Employee Engagement). This event is an experience that will enhance the core of your personal brand. It’s geared towards students, executives, and professionals who wishes to differentiate themselves, set themselves apart from others, position themselves strongly in relation to competitors, and build credibility and a solid reputation in a sustainable way.
Dr. Hubert Rampersad is an Authentic Personal Branding Pioneer, founder of the Business School of the Americas (www.bsa-edu.org), and president at TPS International Inc. in Miami, Florida He holds a PhD, MSc and BSc from leading Dutch universities; a PhD in Management the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands and a MSc. in Robotics at Delft University of Technology. He is the prominent author of the bestselling books “Total Performance Scorecard: Redefining Management to Achieve Performance with Integrity ” ,”Personal Balanced Scorecard; The Way to Individual Happiness, Personal Integrity and Organizational Effectiveness “, “TPS-Lean Six Sigma; Linking Human Capital to Lean Six Sigma – A New Blueprint for Creating High Performance Companies “, “Authentic Personal Branding: A new blueprint for building and aligning your brand “, and “Be The CEO of Your Life: The Ultimate Authentic Personal Branding Formula for Standing Out from the Crowd“, which have been published in 15-20 languages. His books have been endorsed by Professor Paul Bracken (Yale School of Management), Professor Dorothy Leonard (Harvard Business School), Professor Marshall Goldsmith (Harvard Business Press, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author), Professor Dave Ulrich(University of Michigan, Harvard Business Press bestselling author), and many other leading management gurus in the US. Dr. Rampersad is member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the journal Training and Management Development Methods (UK), member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the journal Measuring Business Excellence (UK), member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the TQM Magazine (UK), and editorial advisor to Singapore Management Review. His views on happiness in work-life and on personal branding were published in Fortune Magazine and BusinessWeek (read also). He has conducted presentations, workshops and seminars for leading companies such as: Nokia, Philips Electronics, ABNAMRO Bank, and Shell Oil Company. He conducted a workshop at MIT Sloan (MIT Leadership Center) on Personal Leadership Branding to MBA students as part of the Sloan Innovation Period. From 1987 on he has been successful as an international management consultant and coach: guiding and training leading organizations in the areas of his professional interest: personal & corporate branding, personal management, organizational behavior, organizational learning, performance management, TPS & Lean Six Sigma, organizational transformation, and leading complex change. Dr. Rampersad can be reached at tpsi@live.com His Linkedin profile can be viewed at this link. His recent articles on personal branding in Brandchannel: Reinforcing Employee Engagement and Authentic Personal Branding 
“In Authentic Personal Branding, Hubert Rampersad has provided a sorely needed guidebook for knowledge workers. He shows us all how to build our own personal brand – and just as important – how to persuasively communicate this brand to the world… I love his focus on authenticity… My request to you, the reader, is – make this book part of your life. Don’t just read this book for its ‘interesting’ content. Don’t be content with a few ‘aha’ moments. Make it part of your life planning – and ultimately part of your life! If you do, you can become a more integrated and successful person – and better enable your company to help you make a positive difference in our world!” – Marshall Goldsmith is Author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, a New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal #1 business book and the Harold Longman Award winner for Best Business Book of the Year for 2007. He is recognized by the American Management Association as one of 50 great thinkers and leaders who have impacted the field of management over the past 80 years.
They all identified and leveraged their personal brand and responded to it with love and passion. …. What about you?
