Emmitt Smith didn’t get to be the all-time leading rusher in the NFL, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and winner of season three of Dancing With The Stars by brawn alone. These days, Emmitt’s victories come in the form of inked deals at E Smith Enterprises. Last week, Emmitt shared some of his wisdom at a luncheon co-hosted by CCIM and SIOR at Brook Hollow Golf Club.

Leave the community better than you found it.

Emmitt mixes work and philanthropy because, to him, they share a common goal. Whether he’s closing a deal with E Smith Legacy to bring multifamily space to the growing urban market or bringing education opportunities to kids through Emmitt & Pat Smith Charities, both better the community and make them more economically viable.

Respect the process of success more than success itself.

As a newbie to the commercial real estate world right before the crash in 2008, Emmitt saw the uncertainty as an opportunity to observe how people react in a crisis. He said this gave him time to understand the business and to analyze what it takes to be successful. By doing that, he and E Smith Enterprises survived the downturn just fine.

Share your success with others.

The concept of a team has stuck with Emmitt through his CRE career. Emmitt says his teammates need to know everything that he knows, and he needs to know everything they know. That way, they can lean on each other and share in their successes together.

Surround yourself with wisdom.

Walking around with a know-it-all attitude won’t benefit you in the business world. Surround yourself with experience and soak it in like a sponge. Especially when you’re first starting out, spend time with wisdom, Emmitt says.