The Ultimate Trading Strategy!
The Only Strategy that Unequivocally Works!
I saved this strategy for last. There are those who have read this book halfway, and believe they know more than I do. They probably do. But, to be successful, year after year, this is the number one success factor for all programs to follow!
Whether you take anything from this book, please take the human nature side of it and follow what one company has done, and why they are over ten times larger than they were in the 1990’s.
They are completely the opposite in everyday approaches, strategies and tactics, that are so much more ruthless than Enron’s traders or originators of intimidation tactics (yes, intimidation tactics). The opposite of Enron is the most powerful tool that will make you more successful than your wildest dreams!
This is a true story that I must share to drive home the strategies and approaches I have articulated throughout. I do not know everyone’s motives in life, nor do we of ourselves at times. Therefore, I can only comment on what I witnessed at Koch Industries.
I have received certain looks when I say “Koch.” They have become more noticeable to the public, intentionally via their own initiatives, and maybe some of it is true or just nice for headlines.
Again, in human nature, it may be mostly perception. Regardless of the one you have of Koch Industries, I have my experience, my first-hand experience to share.
I witnessed, on a nearly daily basis, Mr. Charles Koch walk into the executive lunch room.
Wait, stop, there is no executive lunch room at Koch. While at Shell I couldn’t go to the 50th floor dining room without the division president. Hmm, interesting.
Ok, Mr. Koch’s food was awaiting him – Nope.
Alright, he cut in the line, grabbed his food and didn’t pay, right?! Uh, no!
Mr. Charles Koch would walk into the lunch room like the rest of us, and he followed the exact same set of normal, social rules you and I follow. Like the rest of us, he went into different lines of fare each day.
He waited his turn.
He ordered.
He waited.
He got his food.
He skipped the cash register? No.
Mr. Charles Koch waited all throughout the process, and paid just like the rest of us!
But, he had his own table with security guards at his side, right?
I do not know how many times I must say: “No!”
He did exactly as the rest of us. And, on one rare occasion, which did become the speak of the entire trading floor one day, was that I was invited to his table to have an impromptu lunch discussion.
I got up from my seat with my tray in hand, walked over and set my tray down, and before I even touched the chair I was going to sit down in, Mr. Charles Koch stood up and introduced himself to me, as if I had no idea of who he was. “Hello, I am Charles Koch.” And, he did so with a smile! We shook hands and took our seats.
I sat down, along with two others, who I did know, and yes, I did see the prized numbers. Numbers that have never made it beyond me or my wife. And, not the point.
There is a reason why Koch is ten times bigger, if not more than that, and you now know why.
It is simple, yet hard for most of us to get in our consumer lifestyle and this is simply – be humble!
If I had gone from Enron to trading at Shell, I would have missed this point. I think it is the reason I made money five years running at Shell. Each year, I would celebrate openly for one minute of how good we were, and were very quietly becoming – a great group of people working toward the same goal. Truly I still believe that to this day.
And, I did take just one minute each year, like traders do, but only within our group, and that was to celebrate how good we were. Yes. Then, I would say ok, enough praising ourselves, it’s time to focus on this year.
Do not get me wrong. Be proud of your results! Do not hide them, but say “thank you” for the opportunity to spend someone’s capital, to whomever praises you, and to whomever you think is deserving, and then move yourself forward each day with this trading strategy. The only one I can clearly state can work for everyone. That trading strategy is a spread trade too, a spread of human nature by getting:
Long Humility
and
Short Arrogance!