Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) arrived in the USA as a poor immigrant and went on to become one of the world’s wealthiest men, having a profound influence on the development of thinking in areas as diverse as the conduct of business in the age of industrialisation and the role of the industrialist in wider society. Admired as he is for his undoubted achievements, Carnegie’s business methods and legacy raise important questions. By exploring key aspects of his life, it’s possible to gain a greater understanding of what success in business actually means and the benefits of knowing how to pursue that objective wisely.

Carnegie had little formal education, leaving school aged 12 when his parents migrated from Scotland to the USA, but as a teenager he read avidly and widely, often making use of public libraries set up with the help of local benefactors. This reading laid the foundations of his innovative mindset, because he gained a clear grasp of the principles underlying the industries in which he was later to operate. Carnegie’s example shows that a desire to learn and grow can open doors even in the absence of a formal education. In today’s world, this message is especially powerful, though his example would be hard to replicate in societies that rely so heavily on formal qualifications.

One of Carnegie’s most valuable skills was building strong relationships. Early in his career, he benefited from the mentorship of a man called James Anderson, who granted Carnegie access to his private library. Later, connections with influential railroad executives helped Carnegie gain various opportunities, and he seemed adept at finding ways to work with powerful people. In today’s world, networking is just as important, but building meaningful relationships can be harder in an age dominated by digital communication. Carnegie’s example shows that focusing on genuine connections, rather than just collecting contacts, can make a real difference.

Carnegie was responsible for initiating major advances in certain key industries, but it’s clear that his decisions to invest in new processes and products weren’t made lightly. Steel, for example, had the potential to replace iron in both construction and manufacturing – but investing in this untried product on a large scale could have been an enormous gamble. Only having convinced himself by painstaking investigation of its technical and business potential did Carnegie make this decision, however. His eventual success in the steel business shows the importance of acting boldly when the time is right, but that success doesn’t rely on that boldness alone.

The darker side of Carnegie’s success is perhaps most visible in the Homestead Strike of 1892. Workers in one of his steel plants protested against wage cuts and poor conditions, leading to a violent clash. This event shows the ethical challenges of focusing on profits above all else. While nobody can dispute the fact that Carnegie achieved incredible business success, his attitude towards his workforce maybe highlights a slight contradiction in his legacy. This tension between achieving big goals and treating people fairly remains an issue for businesses today. Carnegie’s example serves as a warning that ignoring these concerns can leave a lasting stain on an otherwise impressive legacy.

However, it’s important to stress that by the end of his life Carnegie had become a great philanthropist, making sizeable donations to fund education, libraries and scientific research, and these left a lasting impact on communities around the world. However, his legacy remains as controversial as it is inspirational. Perhaps Carnegie clearly hoped that his wealth should be used to improve society, but didn’t seem to apply the same principles to the way that wealth was amassed in the first place. Nonetheless, you could say that through his creation of over 2,500 libraries across North America and elsewhere, Andrew Carnegie’s life had come full circle.