I mention this because as I wrap up my college career and get ready for the second part of my life, I look back and reflect. It's my last semester in college. I'll soon be entering mid-twenties. I've been humbled many times throughout my life, and many times this semester.

I'll be the first to admit. I'm not as smart as the best. I'm not as gifted as the best. In any shape, aspect, or form. In all honesty, my natural skills & abilities are average.

But I figured out why I can become the best.

All throughout my 23 years, I've experienced failures. I've been humiliated. I've been humbled. Life has beat me to my knees and sometimes flat on my back. But I'm the most resilient person I know. I dusted myself off and kept on moving forward. I never blamed anybody. I was too busy figuring out how to solve the problem and most importantly, move forward. And every time I failed, I got better. Sometimes, immensely better.

The best and smartest people I've met and worked with haven't experienced major failures. And they will. And when they do, it'll be a surprise. And they'll be set back.

For me, obstacles and adversities don't faze me much anymore. I've been through plenty of failures. When I experience another challenge, it only sets me back momentarily, but I bounce back harder, and I accelerate forward. I've developed a "spring" to adversities, compact and tight, that when an adversity hits, I automatically spring forward at high velocity. 

Throughout the course of my life, my competitors and I will face failures. However, upon the failures we both experience, I will spring forward harder and faster and with more vigor. That's when I'll further my lead and win.

"acute analysis, attention to detail, industry knowledge, and financial acumen."

Figure out how your manager wants it done – EXACTLY instead of ASSUMING.

4 YESes

o Put the workers' welfare first
o Train the workers - they are your assets
o Insist on the highest standards
o Build a company culture - you must be a model

4 NOs

o No compromise on standards
o No missing deadlines
o No bribery, no kickbacks
o No giving up

3 best: best productivity, best quality, and best in cost
3 zeros: zero defects, zero accidents, zero waste.

T.J. Park 's Personality & Traits

o His determination and will was unshakable.
o No-nonsense approach
o Serious attitude and strict self-discipline
o Steadfast determination and firm self-confidence
o Sincerity and commitment to doing his very best
o Penchant for thoroughness, his determination to understand the details of the problems he was working on, and his drive to excel in any assignment
o Discipline of a soldier with the creativity of an entrepreneur
o Keen analytical mind and mathematical skill
o Applying mathematics to solve practical problems
o Perfection: constant striving in a positive direction

He was disciplined and very loyal to people he respects. He is very perceptive. He knows immediately whether a man is speaking from his heart or his head. He is a no-nonsense man.

He has an earnest belief in man's ability to accomplish anything he sets his mind to. He has read widely, particularly the biographies of prominent men, and has taken ideas from their leadership.

Two personalities: "one face was the meticulous detail man with an authoritarian streak, who could make firm decisions when they had to be made, and quite often in the face of opposition." "the other face was that of the teacher, leading and educating his senior managers by example, and through questioning and testing their judgments before they come to decisions."

President Park

o "He was like a machine that never stopped and never made many mistakes. At the same time, the General was a man with hidden depths of affection and warmth."
o The President admired the way General Park always went straight to the heart of a problem.
o Objective thinkers, sharing a straightforward, action-oriented, no-nonsense approach to problems
o "President Park was a man of few words, but very effective and very proactive. he had vision and was uncompromising about his goals."

POSCO: Management & Leadership

T.J. Park had the power to change workers' habits form nonproductive to productive, from mediocrity to excellence, from sloppiness to precision from negative to positive.

Park was willing to become a role model himself. He did what he preached. He worked with his workers. He was devoted to giving his workers a role model all the time, day in and day out.

Because of his high expectations of himself and others, one rarely ever sees mistakes made twice at POSCO.

o People must be managed impartially and capital must be spent with careful planning and in an honest manner.
o Low-cost, high quality production 
o Impartiality and merit
o Lead by example.
o First-hand knowledge of the issues
o Make certain nothing compromises the reputation of this firm or any individual employed by it
o Demand quality, integrity, and thoroughness of himself and others
o Own personal diligence and commitment to quality management led most to follow his lead
o Keen sense of dedication and pride in your work
o Disciplined man with demanding expectations
o Sincerely devoted to the welfare of the company

Structure and precision to management decision making (systematic management), fairness and concern for employees' welfare to the company's personnel policy, and dedication and integrity to the job.

o Thoroughness and perfection
o Product quality and control over costs
o Strength of character and good health
o Advanced technology, scientific decision making, and creating a unifying corporate culture

"You have to be willing to work harder than anyone else. You have to be knowledgeable, more knowledgeable than your workers. You must get your workers to believe in you and to trust what you say. This means they need to understand your commitments. There must be a sense of mutual respect. This becomes a source of trust. Management must genuinely care for the welfare of the worker-their living accommodations, their children's education, their social and cultural environment-not just for the short run, but also for the long run. Your workers are your assets. And finally, there must be a sense of common purpose that you can all believe in. When you have these things, you have a much easier time of implementing your goals."

"With a heavy heart, TJ waited in the anteroom. This was one of the hardest things he had ever been asked to do- to ask the most powerful business executive in Japan to put a formal agreement in writing in less than one day. He felt humiliated. He knew he had no right to be so demanding, but there was no alternative.

Quotes

"Do it right the first time; otherwise it will cost you more in the end."

"A miracle is never free. It is the result of the sacrifice and dedication of workers, managers, and executives, and utmost exertion when the opportunity is given to you."

"This cannot be the end. I have staked my life on this project. I will not let it be the end."

"When a worker does not have his soul in his work, his work will be poor. Product quality will be mediocre. Details will be neglected. More often than not, productivity will be low, and the worker on the factory floor will become accident-prone."

"When you do something important, you must look at the consequences in the long run. Otherwise, you will have to do it all over again, and the cost will be much higher."

"It is important to have a worker's soul and dedication, but these cannot be bought with money. A worker must believe in what he is doing. He must be motivated and inspired to work with both his mind and soul."

"All I have is my life. I want to devote my life to him, my President. I want to give my life to build this nation a successful steel mill. It is my life. I will do it."

"Money is important and helps to motivate workers for a while, but it is not the main motivating factor because it has no long-lasting effect."

"The best way to motivate and inspire workers is to give them a sense of mission that they can be proud of, one that they can throw themselves into one hundred percent."

"Workers need role models who will both inspire and support them so they do not feel they are all alone on their quest. A leader should be an example for the workers-showing the way with his own enthusiasm and dedication. The leader's behavior can have a profound effect on molding the culture and behavior of his workers. Workers do not want to be trapped into a management gimmick. They will trust management only when they see for themselves that management will do what it says it will."

"They needed diligent supervision, and therefore management had to be constantly on its toes."
"When a problem surfaced, I corrected it in such a way that the same mistake would not happen again."
"I took a dramatic approach to impress on the workers the importance of doing the job right. This approach put them back on the road to perfection."

"When Koreans are inspired, they throw themselves into their work with astounding ferocity."

"Not only must workers be committed to a project, managers must be as well. They must be emotionally involved and assert genuine leadership. I tried to set the example for all of POSCO. Charged with emotion, I burned with a desire to succeed."

"It was this 'soul,' this dedication and sense of mission, the POSCO spirit, the 'we can do it' attitude, that put POSCO ahead of its competitors. Instilling this spirit in the workers was one of the singular most important aspects of our success. Mutual commitment and dedication among workers and management.

"POSCO workers are motivated, trained, and disciplined to contribute their soul to their nation's economic development and to produce quality steel."

"No to Mediocrity" - no tolerating of substandard work
No sloppy work or shortcuts in quality

"It seemed as though I was being propelled by an irresistible force, drawn by my destiny."

"When the moment of truth comes, you must willingly sacrifice everything to solve a crucial problem."

Science and technology - recruit brilliant people and establish an organic relationship between industry and academia through research: fascination with science and engineering education and building a bridge between industry and academia through research

"Meticulous in his intimate knowledge of the steel business."

Each worker must see his own role as important to the overall mission. Making workers valuable and essential constituents for the company's success.

Newsweek: Inside Obama's Dream Machine
Respect, Empower, Include
Fierce urgency for now

A defining year... when I look back years later to connect the dots, this may be one of the most important.

o I've always done two things very well: I live a "good" life and I work extremely hard.

o I've kept the faith that things will be worth it in the end as long as you're a "good" person and you stay focused and persistent.

It's a life belief that I've sometimes doubted, but nevertheless have kept steadfast. It paid off in 2007.

Now on to 2008... and the start of my career.

Goal of 2008: Continue to live a "good life," work hard, AND work smart.

Book: One Flash of Lightning - A Samurai Path for Living the Moment