Napoleon had his Elba and Sandy Weill his cramped office in Manhattan.

Both built empires, one geographical and the other financial.

And each one spent his time in the wilderness.

Sandy Weill is the recently retired chairman of Citigroup, the worlds largest financial services conglomerate. While his net worth may not rival that of Bill Gates, or even that of the once rich benefactor Warren Buffett, lets say no one will be passing the plate for Mr. Weill anytime soon.

Weill is interesting because, like Napoleon, he was a success early in his career.

He worked on Wall Street, but his upward mobility was blocked, and he decided to part company with his employers. Slowly, he started acquiring companies, generally what were thought to be underperformers, and he came in, cut costs, increased profits, and bought even more companies, after that.

The result is roughly what we see today in Citigroup.

Im interested in Weill because he was in an exile of sorts, as of course, was Napoleon, but Weills comeback was bigger and better than ever, while the Corsican conquerors reprise lasted for mere months, during which his army was destroyed at Waterloo.

What does it take to retreat into apparent obscurity and then to rebuild ones fortunes?

Probably a sense of DESTINY helps; Napoleon certainly had it, and having read a description of Weill during his obscure days, I believe he had it, too.

Great achievers make use of what theyre given, and what they can assemble, create, invent.

And when they seem to be doing nothing, or that their last victory is behind them, theres always the possibility another triumph, enduring or ephemeral, is in the offing.

So, never count anyone out, including yourself when youre in retreat, or even retirement.

The best may be yet to come!