We do better with rules. The system works better with laws and regulations. Nobody wants to change that. Who wants to change what works. Everybody is supposed to fit in, to be like the others, to belong and to share values. But sometimes when things are predictable and safe, they get boring and stifles innovation. We have come this far because of a few people who were bold enough to step up and make new rules.
Related: Don’t Fit In If It Hurts
“If you obey all the rules you will miss all the fun.” – Katharine Hepburn
You can’t change the world if you want to fit in. The system will reward you for your efforts. It always does. When you are in a comfort zone, you have no desire to rock the boat. The magic always happens outside your comfort zone. But what if it get’s ugly outside my comfort zone? The answer to the what if question is, it will get ugly. You will fail. You will stumble. Nobody can promise you a safe path. There are no safe routes if you want to be different. Strive to be remarkable and different any way!
Don’t wait for approval. Ask for forgiveness, not permission.
Well, if you’ve chosen well, after you fail you will be one step closer to succeeding, you will be wiser and stronger and you almost certainly will be more respected by all of those that are afraid to try. There’s no such thing as failure, only feedback. Take a chance if you can. You will learn what doesn’t work in the process if you fail. You are not your failure. Move on when it happens.
“If you’re not failing at least 90% of the time, you’re not aiming high enough.” – Alan Kay.
Don’t fail to exercise your right to try something new and change routines to make things better, faster or smarter. There is always a better option. Get into the habit of questioning the rules, of becoming curious about where you could try something different and where you could throw the windows open. You will be surprised at you are capable of. Things can only get better.
“I think you should rarely follow the rules. I think you should write the rules. I think if you do follow things in a formulaic manner, you will wind up at best being the same as everybody else, maybe you miss something and you’re a little worse. If you want to excel, you can’t do that.” said Tim Cook.
First rule of taking the world by surprise? Do something the world will actually notice.
In a world where everybody follows the rules, nobody has time to notice. People practically do the same thing over and over again. What is there to notice: nothing. Nobody cares that you are working your heart out to get the work done. Did you get it your part done? That’s all your superior or immediate boss want to know. You are part of a process and if it works, you are supposed to stay there and do your job.
Related: Start. Make. Create. Do. Move. Just Start Already!
People who take the world by storm created their own rules with huge resistance. But they still did it any away. Consumers will always have options because somebody somewhere is thinking through new ways to get things done. The reinvention continues. It always will. In a changing world, there is no constant.
“You are remembered for the rules you break” -Douglas MacArthur
Only companies that are ready to adapt and change can survive. Nobody cares if you are the giant. Change or die. It’s that simple. Change fails when companies treat it like an emergency room visit. Run the sirens a bit, stop the bleed, send everyone home. New ideas aren’t only able to change a business, they are the glue that holds a business together.
Business creativity promises nothing but can give you everything. The problem most businesses have with creativity is the first part. They are just not ready for the long haul. Creativity is a department not an assignment. It’s a process. Every creative product we see has evolved. Product evolution is a must, unless you are Craigslist you risk dying once you stop evolving.
Start. Move, make, create, change, ship, do. Just start already. That’s what entrepreneurs do. They start. They start something. Sometimes it is something big. Sometimes it is a big failure. Either way, they got sh** done.
1 comment
Hi Thomas, I tendered my resignation last week to start a social enterprise and and Human capital consulting company. I found one client but I am very very scared since I am going to take a 60% salary cut. This article is so on point!
Comments are closed.