The Six “Must Have” Attributes of Successful Business Managers
There is no doubt that the winners in business are those who break the rules and chart new and creative courses of action. I’ve seen it countless times as the CEO of major insurance companies and it’s nice to know that breaking the rules is alive and well in business. Often these pioneers lead new and entrepreneurial businesses, but just as often they head some of the biggest names in business.
Think of Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, Steve Jobs, the guru of Apple, Inc., Bill Gates of Microsoft, or Richard Branson of the Virgin empire. Entrepreneurs like these are characterized above all by breaking the rules; for defying the tradition that says, “You can’t do that.” Still, true rule-breaking mavericks are rare in the American business scene.
If you want to join these successful business rule breakers, you need to start by thinking like them. And that means you have to learn and practice those six character traits that they have.
The first sign of a rule breaker is unrelenting curiosity. The man or woman who “cheats” with the old and outdated rules of business is constantly asking questions and challenging the way things are done. Established procedures and customs always matter. Just because a company has always done things a certain way is no reason why changing times and conditions require new tactics.
Successful business managers often exhibit other attributes as well:
1. Willingness to adopt new perspectives whenever possible
2. Openness to try new things and do old things differently
3. Compelling drive to act on ideas to prove their true value
4. Desire to listen to others and take advantage of their input, regardless of who gets the credit.
5. Respect and support for others when they propose new courses of action
Rule-breaking behavior requires openness and a willingness to look at the world in new ways. Rule breakers know that new ideas need nurturing and support. But they know that coming up with a new idea is not enough. The true value of a good idea lies in its implementation. As management expert Peter Drucker has stated, “Ideas are cheap and plentiful. What is of value is the effective placement of these ideas into situations that are turned into action.”
On the surface, breaking the rules doesn’t require any special skills. You don’t have to have an MBA from an Ivy League university. In fact, you don’t need a degree at all. But if it’s so easy to break the rules and the potential for rewards is so great, then why isn’t everyone doing it?
The will to cheat is wrought in us
When we’re young, we’re much more likely to break the rules for the simple reason that kids don’t know any better. Children commonly exhibit an inclination to question why things are done the way they are. It’s natural. As soon as babies can talk, they ask, “Why?”
Schools only exacerbate the problem. The educational system is based on the pedagogy of answering questions, not asking them. Students are rewarded for correctly reproducing answers from memory, not for their ability to question the reasons for the answers or, sometimes more importantly, the assumptions behind the questions. No wonder a child’s willingness to question and break the rules is exorcised like a pesky evil spirit.
Rulebreakers on the margins
We have to recognize that daring to think and do things differently exposes us to both risks and rewards. But you know what? Even if you risk ridicule and tsk-tsk from your friends, teachers, parents, business associates, bosses, and an endless array of others; although there is a risk that he will come up with a silly idea for which he will be punished; even if some perceive you as a braggart or a know-it-all; While all of this may be true, when you finally do succeed at doing things differently, the reward and personal satisfaction is so much better than the punishment, it’s not even a contest.
The only reason exposure to handicap exists is simply to control you: intimidate you into not being willing to break the rules and be a creative thinker. The result? Many potential rule breakers are afraid to engage in behavior that could create waves. Instead, they are kept hidden and avoid the possibility of embarrassment and pain in the future. The bottom line is that even though we started out in life as rule breakers and cheats, most of us became timid diners in a sea of ​​conformism before we landed our first job out of college.
Fortunately, even if you’re not born a creative rule breaker, you can acquire the talent, and it’s worth learning and practicing. To develop and nurture this talent in yourself, you must first get over how your psyche has been bullied for so long and start asking questions. Has it always been done like this? Because? Is its a better way? To achieve real success in your life and career, it’s essential to recondition yourself to defy convention. I know this is easy for me to say. I’ve made my millions, and have little to lose now by rocking the pot. But I insist that you can do it too.