Wherefore art thou, delayed gratification? We can find any answer ASAP on Google, we can order one book from among millions of choices immediately on Amazon, and we can even get physical product in my hands pretty quickly through UPS and FedEx. So we don't have to wait for much.
So why is one man purposely waiting to create billions of dollars of tangible net worth, for himself but also for his employees, investors, and others?
This was the theme behind a story in yesterday's Wall Street Journal about Facebook CEO, founder and genius Mark Zuckerberg, called "Facebook Founder in No Rush to 'Friend' Wall Street" .
In the article, Zuck (as the WSJ says he is known to most) was positioned as almost the counter-CEO. Instead of hurrying to grab profits and riches now while the iron is hot (on behalf of both stakeholders, employees, and himself), the 25-year-old Zuck has already passed over a $1 billion offer from Yahoo and an estimated $8 billion deal with Microsoft years later. While seen to be preparing for an IPO since 2008, Zuckerberg has been in no hurry to pull the trigger.
The personal value Zuckerberg seems to be holding close here is delayed gratification, something thought lost in today's workplace. In exchange for the payday wait, Zuckerberg gets control in an ever-changing medium. He gets flexibility to do what he thinks is best. He gets the gift of creativity, so he can try new things--and fail. And, he gets the luxury of living a bigger vision, rather than watching a short-term goal.
According to the article, this delayed gratification isn't without its challenges, and the company has had to arrange innovative deals with investors for employees to see some additional cash rewards when they're not seeing IPO-level payoffs. Zuckerberg also tires of "the question" every time he speaks, now telling reporters he won't comment on it.
But pressures aside, the guy named Zuck who also happens to have created something that's changed our online and sometimes offline lives, doesn't seem to be bending to the pressure. He has a vision for the future, a clear understanding of what he has and what he needs, and seeks counsel but holds his own. For those of us who aspire to be better leaders in our businesses and our lives, there's a powerful lesson in that for all of us.
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