Today marks Gustave Eiffel’s 182nd birthday. Of course, he is known for the obvious – the Eiffel Tower. His life story is fascinating … it gives lessons in determination, steadfastness, education and success, in spite of circumstances and setbacks. Lessons that we can use in our own lives as we seek to add more, be more and do more with the skills and knowledge and opportunities we have. Here are the lessons gleaned as I’ve studied Eiffel’s life history. Life isn’t a bed of roses, but good can come out of every circumstance. Gustave Eiffel was born in France and spent his childhood living with his grandmother, even though both of his parents were alive.

A dislike of school isn’t an indication of failure … it’s often a sign of genius. He was not a studious child … he was bored in school.  His uncle played an important role in his education by spending time with Eiffel and teaching him about everything – from chemistry and mining to theology and philosophy. Eiffel had his hopes set on attending one college, but he didn’t qualify for entrance to this school. Instead he attended another school in Paris where he received a vocational.

Do what you can, from where you are, with what you have. After he graduated with plans to work in his uncle’s workshop, it didn’t happen due to a family dispute. So, he worked for free for his brother-in-law in a foundry until he sought employment with railway engineer Charles Nepveu who hired him as his private secretary. All was well until the company went bankrupt.

When things fall apart … another door will open. Although Nepveu’s company went bankrupt, he helped Eiffel secure a job with a company for whom Eiffel produced his first bridge design – one of countless bridges he is noted for. Soon, Nepveu was appointed to managing director of two factories in Paris and offered Eiffel a job as head of research.  A new contract for a railway bridge was secured and Eiffel eventually took over the management of the entire project. Following the successful construction of that bridge, Eiffel received more work – he was gaining attention and developing a reputation for his skills and knowledge.

Be independent – create your own economy. When business began to decline, Eiffel set up as an independent consulting engineer. He set up his own workshops.

Find a need, figure out the solution In Eiffel’s time, bridges were monstrous projects and the man labor required was enormous.  Plus, transporting all the materials across land where there were no roads, or very poor roads for travel, getting the materials to the project site was a huge problem. Eiffel started work on a system of standardised prefabricated bridges.  These used a small number of standard components, all small enough to be readily transportable, reducing the need for the man-hours used to carry these supplies to the site.

Do good work – you’ll attract more work. This is a little known fact about Eiffel. In 1881 he was contacted by Auguste Bartholdi who was in need of an engineer to help him to build the Statue of Liberty. The entire statue was erected at the Eiffel works in Paris before being dismantled and shipped to the United States.

Do what you love and create residual income. Initially, Eiffel was not much interested in the Eiffel Tower project.  It wasn’t until engineer Stephen Sauvestre added architectural embellishments of the decorative arches, the glass pavilion and the cupola at the top that Eiffel got on board. He bought the rights to the patent on the design and on January 8,1887 signed a contract to receive 1 ½ million francs toward construction costs PLUS he was to receive all income from the commercial exploitation during the 1889 World’s Fairand for the following twenty years.

Ignore the naysayers – keep the vision.  The Eiffel tower was a subject of controversy and criticism. Headlines such as “Eiffel Suicide” and “Gustave Eiffel has gone mad: he has been confined in an Asylum” appeared in the press. Today the Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic structures in the world.  The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world; 6.98 million people ascended it in 2011.

Leave a legacy.  Eiffel was ready to adopt innovative techniques first used by others and he was a pioneer in his insistence on basing all engineering decisions on a base of thorough calculation of the forces involved, combining this analytical approach with an insistence on a high standard of accuracy in drawing and manufacture.

For more information on Gustave Eiffel’s legacy in the Industrial Revolution Era, go here. If this article inspired you, share it with others. If it helped motivate you, leave a comment below.

And do this … read biographies of great people. Their stories will be filled with tragedy and triumph, failures and successes, courage and determination – just like Eiffel’s story has demonstrated.

You are no different than Eiffel, than Einstein, than Lincoln, or Emerson, or Napoleon Hill. You are endowed with the same connection to the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient power to create whatever you desire in life. Here’s to your discovery of your
amazing greatness!

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Trisha Barnes

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