Wisdom from a few people has greatly influenced the thinking and actions of people. Please keep in mind there are no silver bullets. But if you are willing to work hard, be patient and open your mind, you may achieve more than you ever dreamed possible, because it is said that “better little than too little”.
Following are some guiding principles used for success in a business investment.
Learn.
You have to be learning all the time. Don’t just learn about the job you are in. Learn how the business operates. Learn about the value chain your company is a part of. Learn how your competitors do things differently. Think about how technologies can disrupt your industry. Understand your learning style.
Develop an independent mind.
Don’t blindly follow what people say and do. Seek understanding and take context into account. The education system teaches things with generalities and universalities. However, life is different. Your action has to vary with the situation.
Ask a lot of “why” questions. Foster the ability to argue both sides of an argument. Most people spend their life without questioning why things are the way they are. You have a choice not to do that. Another choice you have is not to increase your expenses with your income. This has a magical effect on the mind. If your expenses grow with your income then you will always be dependent on someone or something for your lifestyle and that limits independent thinking.
Have rituals and self-discipline.
The number of distractions today, although these new technologies are helpful tools for us to accomplish things, they can also be huge distractions. Goals are a necessity to keep you on track. It is really hard to accomplish anything today without self-discipline, and rituals help reinforce self-discipline.
Try a lot of different things before you settle on any one thing.
Don’t stay with one function. If you start your career in marketing, don’t just stay in marketing. Work in different functions within the company. Understand how the company works as a system and develop empathy for people who work in areas different from your own. I have worked in innovation, product development, sales, marketing, strategy, finance, and management.
Become interesting. Have a diverse set of interests.
If you work in the tech industry and all you can talk about is tech, then you will be boring to a lot of people. Be curious about other people and ask them questions. They love talking about themselves. Be current on world affairs. If people like being around you, then you will get invited to a lot of social gatherings. This is where new opportunities originate.
Finally, it’s worth remembering that all businesses face challenges at one time or another. As it is said that: “Businesses will inevitably struggle with managing and influencing the people that they work with at some stage in their life cycle.