lag

“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten.” That’s what Bill Gates allegedly said.

Looking at technology, the time between invention and commercial success often spans numerous decades. Revolutions, invoked by television, telephone, the internet… took twenty to thirty years to catch on.

The above quote wasn’t quite finished. Bill Gates went on by saying, “don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.”

There is time. Embrace new technology calmly and craft a strategy around it to execute meticulously.

ticket weight balance

Score one big deal or a hundred small ones to meet your targets for the year?

Big tickets may have longer lead times than small ones; however, the effort to land a big client or the equivalent (expressed in revenue) for numerous small clients may be relatively similar.

What, if there is such a thing, is the ideal balance then?

Like a gearbox to a car, you need the smaller cogwheels to get going. Shift up once you reach the red line.

environment dictates attitude

We’re all a product of our environment. Depending on where you grow up, the nature and nurture aspects of our personalities are heavily influenced by that same environment.

The environment isn’t limited to a physical location. Your environment is composed of the combination of the (five) people you spend the most time with.

You can train your attitude. Work towards a different mindset, day in, day out. However, without occasionally moving in the circles you aspire to be in, it’s tough to reside in said circles permanently.

The environment you operate in determines your attitude.

local value

Some people in Belgium and the Netherlands are protesting against covid measures for different reasons. Even though the extent to which liberties have been limited are fundamentally different, both in severity and duration, some protesters claim the measures are too draconian.

Driving through the entire region (Belgium and the Netherlands) takes but a couple of hours. Regardless of the region’s small size, cultural differences occur logically.

In business, as in life, your service or product’s desired effect may be perceived differently within different subsets of your population, even in a tiny geographical region.

If a can of Coke tastes different around the world, it’s recommendable for all businesses alike to continuously ask for feedback throughout different segments of your customer base.

free lunch

There is no such thing as a free lunch. There are, however, very cheap lunches that, in theory, could be very costly.

Smart people, and the ability to be surrounded by them, have the potential to save your business or take it to the next level.

Imagine spending two bucks on pizza slices, one for you and one for your meeting partner. If you then calculate a reasonable hourly fee that you’d otherwise have to spend on consultancy, you end up with a lot of money saved.

Being surrounded by smart people is a privilege. One that should be cherished and nurtured. Additionally, the quest for adding said people to your circle is always rewarding.

A good mentor is priceless.

wait and see

When leading a business, some things will be presented to you. Some of these things that will be presented to you are hard to come up with by yourself. Other things aren’t.

Suppose your accountant only presents you with a quarterly overview. In that case, there is a substantial chance a (un)pleasant surprise took place throughout the past three months. Typically not something you want to be confronted with once every three months. Ideally, you enable you and your company to consult a real-time overview at all times.

Control what you can control.

overdeliver limit

Underpromise, overdeliver. The famous adage is presumably a solid principle to abide by. How much ‘overdelivery’ is too much, though? Is there an upper limit, or should one try to deliver as much as possible, regardless?

When a customer orders a car with a hundred horsepower engine, is providing the customer with a two-hundred horsepower alternative desirable? Unlikely.

Customers have a clear vision on what it is they precisely desire. If they don’t have a clear idea, it’s your job to help them define the (scope of the) solution.

When you consistently overdeliver, chances are a lot of time and effort is going to waste. Delight customers with tiny extra’s left and right. Sometimes good is good enough.

bumpy road

When you expect a smooth road, you’ll feel every bump.

En route to a successful business, many bumps, potholes, deviations… are bound to show up. Anticipating and hoping for a smooth trajectory will not only cause disappointment but the difficulty with which roadblocks should be dealt with increases.

Expect a bumpy road.

shared struggle

When you share a struggle with somebody you look up to, the struggle instantly becomes more bearable.

Recently I heard an established writer say: “writing the first draft is pure torture. I hate every second of it.”

Undoubtedly, many people can relate.

Being open about – and sharing vulnerability is powerful and underrated.

maybe

Once upon a time, a farmer had a horse, until one day, his horse ran away. When his neighbors found out, they passed by, expressing their sympathy, saying, “such bad luck.” The farmer replied, “maybe.”

The following day, the horse returned with three wild horses. “Fantastic!” The neighbors said. The farmer replied, “maybe.”

The next morning, the farmer’s son rode one of the wild horses, fell off, and broke his leg. The neighbors passed by, offering once again their sympathy for the farmer’s misfortune. The farmer replied, “maybe.”

The following day, military officials passed by the farm to draft young men into the army. Given the farmer’s son’s broken leg, they passed right by him. The neighbors congratulated the farmer. The farmer replied, “maybe.”

For ancient Taoist farmers and modern-day business leaders alike, life will throw you curveballs. There are no two ways about it. You can fight against it or accept and make the best out of every situation.