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Success Advice

Competing At The Next Level And How To Get There

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Joel Brown

Ask me who I view as the most entertaining entrepreneur around and I don’t have to think twice about it.

Mark Cuban.

I love watching this guy surveil and engage at Maverick games, on Shark Tank, at celebrity events and motivational seminars—wherever. Even with that “made for the Mafia” scowl of his, he’s all passion and charisma. A cheetah-quick mind; wit as dry as breakfast cereal before the milk. And the transparency of a junkyard dog about what he thinks. He’ll tell anybody who’ll listen that they can replace him as “the world’s luckiest man” and then warn you that he’ll fight to keep the title because he loves the competition.

So what if this Mark Cuban came to me and said, “I’m ready to take competing to a new level. What comes next?”

I would tell him this:

The idea of competing is in big, big trouble. And people who think like a shark are mainly the reason why. Cheating is all too commonplace and too seldom punished. And the playing field available to everyone else is getting smaller and more uneven.  Today’s avaricious, power-hungry sharks are getting bigger and bigger. Anyone who gets in their way is seen as bait fish. And each of them wants to be the last shark swimming—to at last have everything for themselves.

But, you ask, isn’t this the way the great Scottish economist Adam Smith and the other framers of free enterprise intended competition to be?

 Absolutely not.

And isn’t this the best way to get the creative “churn” that fuels innovation and keeps the system, the organization and the individual dynamic and questing and fresh—at the top of their game?

Unfortunately, it isn’t.

If you want to take competition to the next level, Mark, my advice is this: I think you ought to give up thinking like a shark altogether and start thinking like a dolphin. Why? So you can see and understand competition in a much different light.

You will begin to realize that competition’s role in free societies is much greater than simply helping to keep the pots of commerce and technological innovation fresh and bubbling.

In its most important sense, competition is what We, the People, use to compensate for the fact that much of the time this brain of ours is wildly inadequate for determining the most suitable actions we can take to assure ourselves a viable future.

That’s because our brain is constantly cherry-picking the evidence and dismissing anything that doesn’t fit our preferred personal story line. The experts have given the name “brain biases” to these subjective processes in our heads. Wikipedia describes several hundred of them. Without us even realizing it, our brain is ceaselessly distorting reality, trying to make it to fit our beliefs and prejudices and automatic (sub-conscious) cognitive processes.

But even before psychologists and neuroscientists began to realize just how big this problem is, some very bright people had already sensed the danger.

That’s why we’ve set up one institution after another in the past three centuries where you and I can argue about what is true and right, what is smart and needed. Can argue tooth and toenail, with fur flying. We call these “arenas of competition” marketplaces and democratic governments and law-based judicial systems and scientific laboratories.

So don’t think of human competition just as a sporting business, Mark. (I know you’ve even used that idea as a book title.) Instead, think of it as the greatest incubator of human improvement ever devised. Viewed this way, competing becomes a sacred trust. The idea and the ideal must be protected at all costs. And the means to compete must be kept vibrant, accountable and as fair as possible.

Some years ago, I began to sense that protecting the ability to compete in rapid-change times was going to require at least some human brains to rise to the occasion—to, indeed, move on to the next level. Their brains were literally going to have to experience a “rapture of the neurons” and wire themselves differently.

You can imagine my delight at discovering research like that of the late American psychologist Dr. Clare W. Graves indicating just such a phenomenon was already under way. Vibrant new world-views—systems of beliefs—were a’borning in inquisitive, changing brains. They were the product of a vigorous competition within the brain itself that our best researchers into the mind are still struggling to understand.

Dolphins and Marines Find Mines UnderwaterFor years now, I’ve called the new brain-view I like best “the dolphin mind.” (Why? Because I’ve always liked aquatic metaphors—and what’s not to like about the ocean’s innovative, big-brained, sleeps-with-one-eye-open dolphin?)

When the human “dolphin” competes, it’s for the purpose of determining whose ideas are right and whose aren’t, not seeing who can destroy the other the quickest or capture the biggest slice of the pie.

Dolphins are mobilized and motivated by a fiercely pragmatic, diamond-bit-ended search for what works, what’s possible, what makes sense. And this, in itself, can make them formidable competitors.

Even when competing, dolphins tend to tell the truth as they understand it. This is because they believe truth-telling is the most effective way to avoid wasting time, energy and resources on useless, unproductive drama. Also, they believe that this is the straightest route to, and the quickest mechanism for, being trusted and being able to trust.

Dolphins like to win. But they don’t need for you to lose unless you insist on it. If there is little at stake or if they can learn something significant in doing so or if it can make important things happen, they aren’t opposed to losing either.

If dolphins have a trademark rule it is “First things now.” Relentlessly pragmatic, dolphins almost always act on “the big picture” and do it quickly. But if it helps to find the next right, smart, good thing or move, they are also capable of focusing on the smallest details.

Dolphins don’t care where good ideas come from. And they are always open to alliances and collaborations that work and make good things happen.

Dolphins are willing to retaliate to get their point across, counteract unfairness or sweep aside the obstinate, the ridiculous or the superfluous. But they don’t do so recklessly. They understand—as psychologist Jonathan Haidt has observed—“order is really hard to achieve. It’s really precious, and it’s really easy to lose.”

So, Mark, that’s what I see ahead for competition’s next generation of leaders.

It’s going to take lots and lots of Enlightenment-loving dolphins. They are going to need to do everything they can think of to protect our ability to compete. To test our best ideas and efforts vigorously but accountably. And to make sure that everyone who wants to participate gets to play on a level field using rules that are fairly enforced and methods that flag and contain the cheats.

Your leadership is vitally needed to protect the sacred trust that we’ve used to build the most productive societies in the history of civilization. So, first things now! It’s time to make the leap to the next level of competing!

 

Dudley Lynch is the author of LEAP! How to Think Like a Dolphin & Do the Next Right, Smart Thing Come Hell or High Water. LEAP! is available in print or eBook at www.braintechnologies.com or most major online book services. Dudley is the president of Brain Technologies Corporation of Gainesville, Florida, and writes the blog, LEAP!psych. His books on changing world-views and belief systems have been translated into eight languages and he has consulted on six continents.

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Success Advice

How to Alter Your Business Approach With Technological Advancements

Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner.

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Technology’s evolution has impacted everything, and business is no exception. Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner. Entrepreneurs unable to do so are being wiped out of the market.

There is no doubt that AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) have taken over the business world. These technological advancements are impacting decision-making, success percentages, and other entrepreneurial aspects.

Adapting to these developments is integral to business success. Let’s explore how you can accomplish these milestones.

Embed the strength of AI and ML.

AI has modified business operations in major ways. For instance, companies have employed bots for customer support. These bots go through an effective learning process via Machine Learning before being able to answer like humans.  

Bots can also perform detailed data analytics and make business moves with high success percentages.

ML is used more for the analysis of data chunks and generating successful predictions. This simply means that business owners do not have to worry about large-scale financial losses. 

In terms of deployment and usage, a reputed company like Netflix employs machine learning for decision-making.

Blockchain is increasing the count of business opportunities

Tampering of financial transactions is quite common and causes severe monetary damage to customers. With the rise of digital payments, this risk has increased. 

Blockchain is used to elevate your experience for monetary transfers. It combats penetrating events to extract confidential customer information. 

Most business sectors are using block chain but finance and supply chain management sections have a higher count. These two corporate sections have several monetary deposits and withdrawals taking place. 

In terms of percentage, approximately 72% and 5% of finance and supply chain firms have implemented block chain successfully.

Dedicate Yourself to Continuous Learning and Individual Development

You invest in learning some of the very important skills, including digital marketing, financial management, and how to gain customers as an entrepreneur.

You need to set up your knowledge base about doing business on Coursera and Udemy with the basics that are necessary for the business, building further by networking with experts through webinars.

Besides, Agile methodology will introduce elasticity to your company: this review and feedback system with further correction regularly will allow for enhancing efficiency and promptly reacting to the market.

Developing key skills to achieve goals

Running a business successfully is not only about having niche/domain knowledge. Business owners need to have communication / soft skills as well in addition to niche information.

Here are some key technical/domain-related areas that business owners should have a strong grip on.

Data Storage on Cloud: These days, companies do not store their data on physical servers. Therefore business owners should know how data is stored/edited/removed/updated via AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other platforms.

Data Analysis/Interpretation Qualities: These days, data is as precious as gold. Business owners with data analysis abilities make correct predictions. As a result, their ventures grow in volume.

Development/Coding Knowledge

Programming knowledge gives business owners an edge whether the application is developed in-house or outsourced. It assists in getting updates deployed and handling application underperformance without getting professional support every time.

Hacking proof framework

There is no benefit of having an advanced automated system if can be penetrated. Successful business owners have above-average knowledge of cyber security and hacking attempts. They are able to choose top-notch anti-hacking software without much of an ambiguity.

Communication Abilities/Soft Skills

Here are some key communication qualities that business owners should have:

Communication/Conversation: Business owners should use to-the-point sentences in both written and oral communication.

Issue Resolution Abilities: Business owners should be able to drill down to problems and solve them. This is done successfully only if an entrepreneur has in-depth business domain knowledge.

Agile Implementations

It is mandatory for business owners to have knowledge of iterative/agile models. With such a competitive environment, it is impossible for business owners to succeed without adopting an agile framework.

Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy

A productive business venture starts with a clear vision. The first factor making a business successful is the idea behind it. It helps with endless growth and combating competition successfully. Katherine Philips once mentioned that business goals are inevitable if goals are set concretely.

  • Goals should be based on smart achievements instead of complexity. Focus on the value that each one of them adds. 
  • Business objectives should not be vague. Key indicators should be constructed to measure the success/failure of each milestone.
  • Be realistic when setting goals. Do not aim at impossible milestones since they can be demotivating.
  • Milestones/goals need to be time-bound. Set a completion deadline for each one of them. 
  • Business goals should not be alien. Owners can think out of the box but not be obsolete / unrelated.

Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy

Business owners cannot succeed without having a network. Some tips help in this case. Attend conferences and professional gatherings to connect with other entrepreneurs.
Here are some other related points business owners should pay attention to.

  • Attend meetings and conferences to stay updated with trends and meet business owners who already have well-set ventures. This helps in enhancing the learning curve of new / growing entrepreneurs.
  • Being a part of business communities/groups is very productive. When one shares opinions and discusses decision-making tactics, it helps in preventing errors and enhancing success rate.
  • Even the most experienced business owners have mentors as learning never stops. Take part in mentorship programs so there is an assurance that you are following the correct roadmap.

Conclusion

There is absolutely no doubt that business dimensions have evolved with technological advancements. Successful entrepreneurs have grabbed these changes in due course of time and continue to evolve. On the other hand, people following old paths and conventional steps fade out of competition. In a nutshell, keep an eye on the processes and practices you follow as these factors decide success rate.

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Success Advice

Understanding the Power of Yes and No: How to Create Boundaries For Success

These words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds

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Creating legal boundaries
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The two smallest yet most powerful words in life, “Yes” and “No,” have a big impact on our growth on both personal and professional levels. In addition to affecting the choices we make every day, these words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds. (more…)

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Motivation

From Couch Potato to Go-Getter: A Step-by-Step Motivation Plan for Everyone

By understanding what motivates you, you can turn your dreams into reality

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How to be motivated
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Are you tired of feeling like a couch potato? Do you want to transform your life and become a go-getter? You’re not alone! Many people struggle with motivation, but the good news is that change is possible. (more…)

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Success Advice

10 Micro Financial Habits for More Wealth and Peace of Mind

The World Economic Forum still reports that half of U.S. adults lack financial literacy

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micro financial habits
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You’ve heard about developing financial habits, but what about micro-financial habits? Micro habits are the tiny things you can do every day with minimal effort that, together, transform your future. (more…)

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