“Just be yourself” – Every Mom
Yes, every mom ever said these same words to their pre-teen child, “Just be yourself.” Stop trying to be someone you are not. Stop copying XYZ, that is going to get you in trouble.
We are different
Isn’t that the beautiful thing about life? We are all different. Diversity (with trust) is so beautiful. We have different experiences, resources, positioning, and passions. This applies to us as professionals and also companies.
Copying others = average
While best practices or following the wide, broad, path is often efficient, it’s also average. Want proof? Take a look at the 8,500+ companies that are publicly traded in the US. Only 1/3 of them are profitable here.
So copying your competition is the road to average, or worse.
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist – Pablo Picasso
Learn the rules like a pro
Of course, we need to learn the basics. Without a baseline competency, you are faking it. Idiosyncrasy without content is just juvenile and annoying. There are good reasons to:
- Study the canon; understand the first principles of your craft
- Yes, be smart and lazy; don’t re-invent the wheel
- Develop a network of professions to learn, push, and share with
- Identify the key drivers, regulations, competitors’ positioning, and consumer (fickle) trends
- Learn the “words” that resonate with employees, customers, suppliers, and investors
So you can break them like an artist
As professionals, this is the goal. A goal that we can energetically scramble to. Not a straight line, but a fun trip that we take. Learning as we go. Curiosity. Rewarded financially and emotionally, as we help others. Making some friends. Get feedback from trusting (and generous) people. Saying no (in a polite way) to things that take us off track. Being known for something specific; not a walking generality.
What helps?
- Financial independence – Spoiler alert, money matters. Enough to provide for yourself and those you love. Preferably even more to create margin, space, oxygen in your life.
- Community and comfort – Are you mentally, psychologically, emotionally taken care of? Is it a spouse, family, friends? When you feel comfortable in your own skin, it’s easier to “step out” into the light.
- Feedback loops – It’s fun to “win” and you can’t win if you are too early on a trend. So, the ability to test what your are doing and have paying customers tell you a) this is great, do more b) this is okay, should be cheaper c) this is so average, I am not sure why you are even bothering to do this. Listen to the feedback
- Crazy patience – Before you put in your 10,000 hours of deliberate practice and get good at something; stay humble and hungry. The chances that your customers LOVE your work in the early days = zero. Why the cynicism John? a) you’re not that good b) you’re not that visible c) you don’t have a track record d) you don’t references (previous customers who share word-of-mouth marketing d) you’re desperate, and it shows
- Set of activities – This is straight from Michael Porter’s “What is Strategy”, but strategy = set of activities that gives you a sustainable competitive advantage. It’s not one thing. Ergo, you should shape, trim, bend your activities (think: topiary) to conform to your work and art.
- Friend up – Develop a network of professional friends who will love on you. Give you great feedback and a hand-up in life. I got my first mentor when I was 28 (way too late), then not another one until I was 37 (why the gap?) Now, thankfully, there are a handful of friends and professionals who I get to swim with. . .