Bulldogs President Success Tips

By COLlive reporter

Known businessman and philanthropist David Smorgon, who is president of the Western Bulldogs, a football club in the Australian Football League (AFL), has two major duties on his agenda Wednesday.

1. Sack the coach.

2. Lecture at Chabad.

The first task got major press with the sports media and fan discussing the firing of Rodney “Rocket” Eade as coach of the Bulldogs before the finals take place in 3 weeks time.

But Smorgon didn’t have time to chatter as he spent the next 3 hours Chabad of Melbourne CBD where he was the guest speaker of the Lunch and Learn session. He was welcomed by the director Rabbi Chaim Herzog.

The subject of his talk was “My Five Rules of Success” had the crowd enthralled and they just couldn’t stop asking questions. Some members of the young audience had fathers and grandfathers who had worked for Smorgon Industries when they first arrived in Australia as immigrants.

Smorgon spent 25 years as a senior executive and Director of Smorgon Consolidated Industries which was one of Australia’s largest family companies. In 1995 the company announced a staged divestment of all it’s business interest and David then established his own investment company, Generation Investments Pty. Ltd.

The insights and experiences David gained through working in the Smorgon family business led to his becoming the Inaugural Chairman in 1997 of Family Business Australia, a position held for five years.

So what are his rules for success?

1. If you aim for the moon you might make it to the sky, so always keep trying.

2. Write things down in black and white (your dream or business plan).

3. Get the right people into the organization (the backbone types of people not the high flyers).

4. Work hard. There is no substitute for hard work and persistence, so never give
up.

5. Always back your own judgement and decision.

Asked for his thoughts about Jewish education, Smorgon answered that everyone should have some Jewish education in order to guarantee continuity of the Jewish way of life.

“Jewish education should start in the home,” he stated. “I know that I am a Jew and proud of it and never tried to hide it even in Football I never experienced any Anti-Semitism.”

Mincha followed David’s talk and he davened Mincha with the rest of the crowd, he also fulfilled some other Mitzvos which aren’t a part of his daily agenda, he put on Teffilin and said the Brachot and said Shema.

All in attendance were left with a feeling of lightness and hope for the future in more ways than one.