Andrew Carnegie was an excellent businessman, leader, and coach. He came to America from his native Scotland as a small boy. He did a variety of small jobs, and eventually ended up at the largest steel manufacturer in the United States. At one time he was the wealthiest man in America, and he became a great philanthropist.

At one point during his career, he had 43 millionaires working for him. In the late 1800s, a millionaire was a rare breed. A reporter once asked Carnegie how he managed to hire 43 millionaires, with which Carnegie replied, “They were not millionaires when I hired them.” The reporter’s follow-up question was a simple, yet provoking one, “How did you develop them to be so valuable that they would accumulate that much wealth?”

Carnegie’s response, “People are developed the same way that gold is mined. When gold is mined, several tons of dirt must be removed to get an ounce of gold, but one doesn’t go in the mine looking for dirt — one goes in looking for gold.”

Leaders who see their purpose as looking for the gold in their people end up with the richest outcome: a team of talented, committed individuals who will inspire all of us to go look for the gold.