Always Have a Fallback Plan

“A leader has the right to be beaten, but never the right to be surprised.” --Napoleon

The Apprentice teaches candidates to think quickly on their feet. Since they're placed under tight time constraints, they have to think, act, and express themselves without hesitation or they lose and are fired by me.

Since their ideas don't always work, they also need backup plans that they can employ when Plan A fails. If they're ready and move promptly and decisively on Plan B, they can recover without losing much time. You have probably noticed that the candidates who have no fallback plans are often the ones who hear me say, “You’re fired.”

So learn to think ahead and be prepared. Your ability to cover all the bases is essential to success.