--- description: Concentrate your effort title: These Are Andrew Carnegie's 10 Rules of Success image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0a2870f81ca8b9e5/69885c3ccd6848c4ec0a0f1f/150724_em_richestpeople_carnegie.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Careers & Workplace](/tag/careers-workplace/) ## Careers & Workplace Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # These Are Andrew Carnegie's 10 Rules of Success by [Richard Feloni / Business Insider](/author/business-insider/) ## Richard Feloni / Business Insider Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 11, 2015 8:57 PM CUT  Andrew Carnegie standing on the steps of his estate, circa 1910s. Andrew Carnegie standing on the steps of his estate, circa 1910s.Corbis by [Richard Feloni / Business Insider](/author/business-insider/) ## Richard Feloni / Business Insider Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 11, 2015 8:57 PM CUT Andrew Carnegie arrived in the U.S. in 1848 with barely a dollar to his name. By 1901, he was the richest man in the world. At the height of his power, he was approached by a young journalist named Napoleon Hill who was interested in telling the stories of successful people. Carnegie saw a special drive in Hill and in 1908 decided that Hill would document all of the strategies that made him a legendary businessman and philanthropist. Together, they helped pioneer the self-help genre, and Hill’s 1937 book [_Think and Grow Rich_](http://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Napoleon-Hill/dp/1497342406/ref=sr%5F1%5F3?ie=UTF8&qid=1400702763&sr=8-3&keywords=think+and+grow+rich&tag=bisafetynet-20 "undefined") has gone on to become one of the top-selling books of all time. When Hill began his career writing about success, Carnegie gave him his “10 Rules of Success” that provided a foundation for much of Hill’s work. Here’s a synopsis of the rules, which appear in Hill’s [_The Science of Success_](http://www.amazon.com/The-Science-Success-Prosperity-Happiness/dp/0399170952/ref=sr%5F1%5F3?ie=UTF8&qid=1400702723&sr=8-3&keywords=the+science+of+success+napoleon+hill&tag=bisafetynet-20 "undefined"): ### 1\. Define your purpose. Create a plan of action and start working toward it immediately. ### 2\. Create a “master-mind alliance.” Contact and work with people “who have what you haven’t,” Hill says. ### 3\. Go the extra mile. “Doing more than you have to do is the only thing that justifies raises or promotions, and puts people under an obligation to you,” writes Hill. ### 4\. Practice “applied faith.” Believe in yourself and your purpose so fully that you act with complete confidence. ### 5\. Have personal initiative. Do what you have to without being told. ### 6\. Indulge your imagination. Dare to think beyond what’s already been done. ### 7\. Exert enthusiasm. A positive attitude sets you up for success and wins the respect of others. ### 8\. Think accurately. In Hill’s words, accurate thinking is “the ability to separate facts from fiction and to use those pertinent to your own concerns or problems.” ### 9\. Concentrate your effort. Don’t become distracted from the most important task you are currently facing. ### 10\. Profit from adversity. Remember that “there is an equivalent benefit for every setback,” Hill writes. _This_ [_article_](http://www.businessinsider.com/andrew-carnegies-rules-of-success-2014-5 "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_Business Insider_](http://www.businessinsider.com/ "undefined")_._ _More from Business Insider:_ * [25 Simple Things to Give Up if You Want to Succeed](http://www.businessinsider.com/25-simple-things-to-give-up-if-you-want-to-succeed-2015-9 "undefined") * [5 Signs You’re Overworked — and What to Do About It](http://www.businessinsider.com/5-ways-you-can-tell-youre-overworked-and-how-to-fix-it-2015-9 "undefined") * [7 Books That Will Train Your Brain to Overachieve](http://www.businessinsider.com/books-that-will-train-your-brain-to-overachieve-2015-9 "undefined") * [15 Stephen Hawking Quotes That Reveal How a Genius Thinks](http://www.businessinsider.com/best-stephen-hawking-quotes-2015-9 "undefined") * [9 Skills CFOs Will Need to Be Successful in the Future](http://www.businessinsider.com/skills-cfos-need-to-succeed-in-the-future-2015-9 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4032147/rules-of-success-andrew-carnegie/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4032147/rules-of-success-andrew-carnegie/"},"headline":"These Are Andrew Carnegie's 10 Rules of Success","datePublished":"2015-09-11T20:57:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T10:53:21.027Z","description":"Concentrate your effort","url":"https://time.com/4032147/rules-of-success-andrew-carnegie/","keywords":["Careers & Workplace","Success topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0a2870f81ca8b9e5/69885c3ccd6848c4ec0a0f1f/150724_em_richestpeople_carnegie.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Richard Feloni / Business Insider"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0a2870f81ca8b9e5/69885c3ccd6848c4ec0a0f1f/150724_em_richestpeople_carnegie.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"150724_EM_RichestPeople_Carnegie","caption":"Andrew Carnegie standing on the steps of his estate, circa 1910s.","creditText":"Corbis","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/careers-workplace/","name":"Careers & Workplace"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4032147/rules-of-success-andrew-carnegie/","name":"These Are Andrew Carnegie's 10 Rules of Success"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: How to be Mentally Strong","description":"It’s estimated that you say 300-1,000 to yourself in a minute: keep those words positive","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/uzXSRUbM/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-08-25T17:28:45.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uzXSRUbM.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4032147/rules-of-success-andrew-carnegie/","duration":"PT1M1S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4032147/rules-of-success-andrew-carnegie/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```