My Bottom Line: Sir George Buckley, Arle Capital

Sir George Buckley is the former Chief Executive of 3M, the US company behind the Post-it Note and Scotch Tape, and is now chairman of private equity firm Arle Capital.

He says you can never get anywhere in life without hard work. Make yourself a tool of the corporation - complete tasks early and try to exceed expectations.

Try to find a way to get along with people and never let an ethical violation be the end of your career - make sure you are always trustworthy and thoughtful about how you use the company's resources.

Sir George appeared on The Bottom Line which is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service. Listen again via the download or watch it on the BBC News Channel.

Find more business wisdom from other chief executives on the My Bottom Line website.