A true leader is not one that keeps talking out of their you-know-what and barking orders, but one that leads by example. One Australian multi-millionaire takes that saying to heart, and is offering himself as an example of how anyone can be a millionaire.
He does it in the most unusual, potentially controversial way, too. James Leon Donatossian, an Armenian migrant who is now a very successful Australia-based businessman, parks his very expensive cars inside his Sydney office, as a means to motivate his staff to do their best – and also to show them that they too could, one day, drive one such vehicle to work.
It’s ok if you rolled your eyes at that: this is like decking yourself in all your gold jewelry to show people how successful you are. It could actually be seen as worse than that, since this multi-millionaire is putting a spin on it by claiming he’s doing it for other people’s sake.
It’s ok if you thought all of the above, and then some: Donatossian knows that his method is not without critics, and he doesn’t mind it. Speaking with the Daily Mail earlier this month, the businessman chooses to put whatever controversy there is in very simple terms: you do or you don’t, you’re damned either way. So at least he’s staying consistent with his approach to life, and in the process, he’s showing others that success is not impossible (*as long as you work hard).
Photo: Facebook / James Leon Donatossian
If you think about it, presenting a successful image is conducive to success. Real estate agents and brokers have been doing it for far longer than Mr. Donatossian, often taking out loans to buy a better, flashier car just so they’d make a memorable impression when they showed up for work. Today, we call this “manifesting,” and even your regular influencer is doing it. Manifesting is feigning success to make success happen. You might call it “faking it,” but it’s manifesting if you put a karmic, optimistic vibe to it.
Donatossian wants to manifest success too, but not in himself. Speaking with the British publication, he says he grew up with a Lamborghini poster on his wall, like many kids from average-income households. Who could blame him for wanting the real thing, now that he can afford it? So, instead of posters, he brings his prized collectibles inside his offices in Sydney, whether that’s a Lamborghini or a Bentley.
Donatossian is the owner of Printech, one of Australia’s leading office solutions businesses, but he owns other successful businesses across a variety of industries. He started all of these himself, after fleeing Baghdad as a teen and arriving in Australia with just $9,000 in his pocket. He worked for various businesses and performed well enough in these positions, which allowed him to raise capital to launch his own business – a move that some people in his life advised him against, since they deemed it too risky.
Today, Donatossian has an estimated net worth of some $20 million, and a car collection of about $3.5 million, which includes Lamborghinis, McLarens and Bentleys. Some of these cars he shows off on social media, and some he brings to work, parking them inside the office as a reminder to his staff that anyone can have a rags-to-riches kind of happy ending.
There are two requirements to that, though: you have to work hard and you have to have a plan, Donatossian explains. You also have to believe that you can achieve anything you set your mind to – so make that three prerequisites for success.
Photo: Instagram / James Leon Donatossian
As for critics saying Donatossian is just a shameless show-off… eh, critics be damned. “People get motivated with what they see,” he says, shrugging off the haters. “I'm easy going because once upon a time I didn't have any of it, I'm just a hungry person and I want to achieve more.”
At the end of the day, regardless of how unusual or even annoying Donatossian’s method of motivating his staff might come across, if it works, who are we to hate? This profile in Red X Magazine shows that Donatossian isn’t just blowing smoke with his talk about being a down-to-earth kind of guy who essentially wants everyone else to succeed as well: he’s a savvy businessman recognized for his generosity and leadership, and a passionate philanthropist.
His motto in life is “work hard,” and he lives by it. It just so happens that he’s also showing the results of said hard work by means of his flashy rides. Maybe this is just the kind of example the younger generation needs: seeing is believing, and all that.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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