| 1. Employees are resource-oriented. Entrepreneurs are | | | | as Superintendent of Education-he tried his hand at |
| opportunity-oriented. | | | | entrepreneurship. He purchased a national ice cream |
| A person with an employee mindset might say, "I | | | | franchise that failed in less than a year. Why? While |
| would start my own business but I don't have the | | | | the reasons were many, one reason was his |
| money." Or "I'd love to invest in that piece of real | | | | leadership and management style. When he said, |
| estate, but I don't have the down payment." In both of | | | | "Jump"... no one jumped. |
| these examples the person focuses on their | | | | Instead of the military's command-and-control |
| resources-in this case their lack of money, rather than | | | | leadership style, his Rich Dad used a more cooperative |
| the opportunity. | | | | and collaborative style of leadership. He encouraged |
| In a similar situation, a person with an entrepreneur's | | | | his son and Robert to learn to lead and manage |
| mindset might say, "Let's start the business and we | | | | people who are not required to follow our |
| can finance the business from the cash flow." Or "Tie | | | | orders-people who did not need to jump when they |
| up the property and we'll find the money later." | | | | heard the word "Jump." Rather than hire people and |
| Robert Kiyosaki's poor dad was a man who saw | | | | bring them in-house, rich dad networked with other |
| many opportunities, but failed to act on them simply | | | | people and organizations, which tended to reduce his |
| because he was resource-oriented. Instead of taking | | | | costs and at the same time increase his resources |
| action, he often said, "I wish I could do it, but I can't | | | | and influence in the marketplace. |
| afford it." Or "I would go into business for myself, but I | | | | Today, The Rich Dad Company follows rich dad's |
| need a steady job. I have a mortgage and you kids to | | | | advice. Instead of becoming a stand-alone publishing |
| feed." | | | | house, they choose to cooperate via a joint venture |
| On the other hand, Robert Kiyosaki's rich dad (his best | | | | agreement with The Time Warner Book Group, as |
| friend's father, an entrepreneur who taught him a lot | | | | well as licensed publishers around the world who offer |
| about how the rich think about money) was a man | | | | their books in 43 languages. In this way, they keep the |
| who started with nothing, but eventually became one | | | | core staff small, yet we utilize the thousands of |
| of the richest men in Hawaii. Today, when you look at | | | | employees of publishers around the world. |
| Waikiki Beach, you see some of the biggest hotels | | | | But Robert Kiyosaki Says that leveraging the assets |
| along the ocean on land his family owns. He said, "If | | | | and resources of partners is not enough. It's important |
| you do not have resources, you need to become | | | | to choose the right partners-ones who are aligned with |
| resourceful." That is why he forbade his son and me | | | | your goals and values. Choosing the right partners can |
| from saying the words "I can't afford it." He said, "Poor | | | | make the difference between success and failure-as |
| people say 'I can't afford it.' That's why they're poor." | | | | I've learned the hard way. |
| Instead he insisted we learn to say, "How can I afford | | | | As The Rich Dad Company has grown, they have |
| it?" He believed that when we said, "I can't afford it" | | | | worked with partners who have opened doors to |
| our minds were turned off and went to sleep. When | | | | opportunities that were much greater than what they |
| we asked ourselves, "How can I afford it?" our minds, | | | | could have been able to pursue on their own. In an |
| our greatest resource of all, were turned on and put to | | | | entrepreneurial spirit, they formed alliances with major |
| work. | | | | media organizations and international promotion firms |
| The second difference between entrepreneurs and | | | | that leveraged the Rich Dad brand with their |
| employees is: | | | | worldwide networks. |
| 2. Employees prefer to manage via hierarchical | | | | In doing so, Rich Dad Company-as entrepreneurs-stay |
| structures. | | | | small, yet increase market share by cooperating rather |
| Entrepreneurs manage via networks, utilizing the | | | | than competing... by networking rather than hiring |
| resources of other people and organizations. | | | | employees and bringing work "in-house." |
| This means that employee-type leaders would rather | | | | In 1989 the world changed. That's when the Berlin Wall |
| hire people and bring their talent "in-house." Rather than | | | | came down and the World Wide Web went up. |
| have an outside firm do their creative work, an | | | | Instead of a world of walls, Rich Dad Company |
| employee-type leader would prefer to hire the talent | | | | became a world of webs... networks of people |
| and have them under their control. While there are | | | | working cooperatively rather than competitively. It is a |
| economic reasons for doing this, the report stated that | | | | special honor for Robert Kiyosaki to be recognized by |
| the primary reason is control. This is because | | | | Amazon.com, a pioneer in the brave new world of the |
| employees gravitate to a leadership style that is more | | | | web, founded by a great entrepreneur, Jeff Bezos. |
| suited to a military command-and-control type of | | | | There are key, fundamental differences between the |
| organization. | | | | mindset of an employee and the mindset of an |
| Robert's poor dad was successful in the hierarchical | | | | entrepreneur. One of the great things about this world |
| structure of the government, eventually rising to the | | | | of webs is that the world is now open for business to |
| top of the educational system as Superintendent of | | | | billions of people who choose to think as |
| Education and running for Lieutenant Governor for the | | | | entrepreneurs-rather than employees. |
| State of Hawaii. After losing that race-and his position | | | | |