You know that Napoleon Hill quote, “Tell the world what you intend to do…”? It’s not just about ambition. It’s a powerful strategy for building credibility and momentum by proving your concept before you make the big announcement.
Share Image Quote:The core message is brutally simple: Action precedes announcement. Don’t just talk about your big plan; build a small, tangible piece of it first to demonstrate you’re serious.
Look, I’ve seen so many people get this backwards. They announce their “next big thing” to the world on day one, full of passion and promises. And then… life happens. Momentum fizzles. And that public declaration becomes a source of embarrassment, not motivation.
What Hill is really talking about is a psychological shift. It’s about earning the right to speak. When you show first, you’re not just a person with an idea; you’re a person with results, however small. You build a track record of one. That initial proof, that tiny win, gives your subsequent announcement an unbelievable amount of weight. It’s the difference between saying “I’m going to build a boat” and showing up with the carved mast and saying “I’m building a boat.” Which person do you believe? Which one are you more likely to help?
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Career (192) |
| Topics | action (112), integrity (42), leadership (111) |
| Literary Style | assertive (142), direct (414) |
| Overall Quote Score | 75 (124) |
This comes straight from Napoleon Hill’s 1937 classic, Think and Grow Rich, published in the United States. It’s a cornerstone of his philosophy on personal achievement. You sometimes see the sentiment echoed elsewhere, but this specific, powerful phrasing is Hill’s.
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Napoleon Hill (84) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Think and Grow Rich (37) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Modern (530) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) wrote influential books on achievement and personal philosophy. After interviewing industrialist Andrew Carnegie, he spent years studying the habits of top performers, which led to The Law of Success and the classic Think and Grow Rich. Hill taught and lectured widely, promoting ideas like the Master Mind, definite purpose, and persistence. He collaborated with W. Clement Stone and helped launch the Napoleon Hill Foundation to preserve and extend his teachings. His work continues to shape self-help, entrepreneurship, and success literature.
| Official Website | Facebook | X| Instagram | YouTube
| Quotation | Tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 1937; ISBN: 978-1-59330-200-9; Latest Edition: 2020; Number of Pages: 320 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 7: Decision, Approximate page from 2020 edition: 142 |
In the book, this isn’t just a random piece of advice. It’s nestled within his principles on Decision and Persistence. Hill is arguing that true leaders don’t just make a decision; they back it with immediate, demonstrable action. That initial action is the fuel for the persistence required to see it through.
So how do you actually use this? Let’s get practical.
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Theme | Advice (652) |
| Audiences | entrepreneurs (1006), leaders (2619), professionals (751), students (3111) |
| Usage Context/Scenario | career workshop (3), leadership training (259), motivational seminar (1), performance meeting (1) |
Question: Doesn’t this slow you down? Shouldn’t you “fail fast” and announce early?
Answer: Great question. This isn’t about hiding until you’re perfect. It’s about failing quietly and quickly in the “showing” phase. You iterate on a small scale, so when you do go public, you’re not failing—you’re scaling a proven concept. It actually saves you from bigger, more public failures.
Question: What if my idea is so big I can’t possibly “show” anything meaningful?
Answer: Then you’re thinking too big to start. Break it down. Find the absolute smallest, most fundamental piece of your grand vision that you can demonstrate. A sketch, a business model canvas, a single solved equation. Something tangible that proves the thought is more than a daydream.
Question: Is this the same as “under-promise and over-deliver”?
Answer: It’s the advanced version of it. You’re not just managing expectations with your promise; you’re redefining the promise itself by making it based on a pre-existing result. You’re essentially delivering before the main promise is even fully made.
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