Hannibal crossing the Alps to surprise the Roman army. Charlemagne’s conquest of Western Europe. The Allies’ D-Day invasion of Normandy. These are the powerful images conjured by the word “strategy” – military maneuvers using smart tactics to secure victory. But strategy isn’t just for winning wars. There’s a famous saying that goes, “Most people spend more time planning their summer vacation than planning their lives.”

“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask . . . for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.” So said Albert Einstein, arguably one of the greatest minds of modern times.

As I approach my 100th birthday, I’m often asked for advice on how to succeed in business and in life. I have a pretty standard set of advice that applies to most circumstances. It’s worked pretty well for me, and it’ll work pretty well for any other person who uses my methods. I don’t claim that they’re perfect for everybody, but I think many of them contain universal values and can’t-fail ideas.