Got Lame-O? Start Breaking Rules
In a rut? On a losing streak? Having just a hum-drum sort of day running your business? If so, I’d like you to hear this quote:
I am sure you are thinking of typical rules that you apply on a daily basis in your business. What are they? Where did they come from? Why don’t you just break them?Kyle Lacy, Social Media – Indianapolis, Jun 2009
It’s confirmation of prior hunches that a culture of risk is ‘where it’s at’ – especially right now when a lot is at stake, a lot is changing, and people don’t quite know what to do.
People need someone to follow. Will your business lead? What are you doing to create trends?
Pop icon Madonna – of all people – is an excellent example of creating trends while she’s at the top. The italics are meaningful; because it’s one thing to take risks when everyone is taking risks. It’s another thing entirely to take what’s working really well and trashing it beyond recognition to produce something better.
This is the only way people discover something cool and new: it’s unique and it’s better!
Once we thought we had Madonna pegged, she completely recreated her image. When we thought she was just a singer, she started acting, selling fashionable clothing, and writing children’s books.
Keeps us guessing right? Do we all think she’s sane? NO. But that’s prerequisite for Breaking From The Pack!
So add a little nutso into your coffee tomorrow morning and break a few rules. Make some people angry enough to get out of their chairs and scream ‘what the hell are you doing?’
That’s how you’ll know it worked.
Jun 09, 2009
This reminds me of something I was once told by a racing instructor and mentor of mine.
One of my racing buddies was complaining of not being able to find the speed out on the track to be competitive. John (my racing mentor) told him, “You’ve gotten comfortable in your racing line, and you just need something to knock you outside of it. Then, you’ll find the speed you need.”
Or, as Mario Andretti said, “If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”
Sometimes we gotta break out of our comfortable racing line in order to win the race.
Jun 09, 2009
Thanks Shawn. Great stuff.
Jun 10, 2009
Another great article Jeff!!
This one is hard to do because it requires REALLY getting out of your comfort zone big time!! However, I don’t believe you can grow and improve without stepping out! That is the biggest challenge to success. Most of us can see it, we are just afraid to try that other “groove”, as Shawn so perfectly described. Because there is not any rubber put down, we are afraid we will slide up and hit the wall (continuing the race theme)!
This is something CDI has really been working on and we will continue to see what rules we can break!!
Thanks for the weekly reminders to keep working on our business and for challenging us to be different!