Enduring The Road To Success: Staying One Step Ahead Of The Competition

Image courtesy of Ross Mayfield

We are in the final ‘leg’ of our journey as I talk about the twists and turns that we encounter as we try and endure the road to success.  But we’re not here to just endure, but to conquer.  We’re on this road because we want to be more than average and rise to our greatest potential.

This final leg is just as important as the first.  It is here where we are not just trying to stay on track.  It is this part of our journey where the 5 percent is separated from the other 95.  It’s the innovative and creative that succeed past this point.  Anyone can fallow a plan to succeed, but few blaze their own trail and make their own rules.  But this is exactly what I’m going to ask that you do.

About a month and a half ago I wrote a guest post for Pick The Brain called, “10 Traits of a Successful Human Being“.  In point #4, ‘A Big Imagination’ I say this:

“When I think of some of the greatest ‘achievers’ in American history I see great innovators and people of purpose.  Names like Henry Ford, Walt Disney and Bill Gates come to mind.  From cars to cartoons to computers, their personalities were as diverse as their pursuits.  But one thing they share is the wonderful ability to see what’s not yet visible to the naked eye.  It was the imagination of Henry Ford that first painted the picture of a car in every garage, and Bill Gates, a computer in every home.  And it was Walt Disney who continues to inspire millions with the idea that ‘anything is possible’.  Those with inevitable success can see the unseen.  They’ve become successful in their minds before they laid their first brick.“

Seeing the unseen.

My first year of consulting was filled with the commonalities of a new business.  I was just trying to get to the point where the training wheels could come off.  The thoughts of innovation were non existent as more pending concerns like building a client base filled my mind and imagination.  But after I broke through ‘The First Valley‘ and made my way along the winding road of success, I found that a barrier would soon make itself known.   Kind of like a fallen tree laying right across the middle of the road, I was stuck.  Sure, I was making money and paying the bills.  My clients were multiplying and the word continued to get out as my services were above average and readily accessible.  But I wasn’t growing.  At least not in the way that could be considered exceptional.

I mean, that’s what we’re after, right?  A sort of uncommon success that only comes from innovative thinking and is near impossible without the ability to see the unseen?  I’d go as far as to say that without forward thinking, we will never make it past the back seat.  It has always been the person in the driver’s seat that steers the vehicle, and only those with this ‘forward vision’ that are positioned to take the wheel.  So by year two I was forced to break free from the ‘playbook’ and start looking for the answers to this riddle.  I decided that ‘uncommon success’ was what I desired and that no ‘textbook’ could paint my path.  Here is what I started doing differently:

• Look around you. The first thing I did was open my eyes to my competition.  What were they up to?  How did they deal with their clients?  How did they advertise and what image were they attempting to project?  And most importantly, how (if at all) were they preparing for the future?
• Look at yourself. Next, I took this information and compared it with my own policies and philosophy.  How did I compare?  What did they know that I didn’t and vice versa?  Interestingly, I found that most of the other consultants in my area, including the big names, were doing things just the same as myself.  I didn’t see much innovation, nothing that set apart the wheat from the chaff.
• Look at the business/niche. After realizing the lack of creativity going on in the computer service industry, I realized a great need to analyze the business itself.  What I realized was that the state of this particular industry allowed for ‘lazy’ imaginations.  The need for these services was much greater than the amount of those addressing them.  And the willingness to pay top dollar only added to the problem.  I realized that I was in a great position for seeing the unseen, as most were too caught up in the now to compete for this future space.
• Look at what the business/niche is NOT. Now was the time to figure out where these technology tentacles had not yet tainted.  It was time to figure out where ‘tomorrow’ would position the industry and how I could position my business to monopolize most.
• Listen to the clients. Now that I had gained an accurate perspective on the position of the industry, I was ready to start building my own understanding of the future.  I started asking a lot of questions and then REALLY listening to the answers.  I tried to figure out what the average computer user was in need of, but not receiving from ‘Joe Consultant’ down the street.  What needs were not being met and what needs were not being met effectively.
• Test the waters. By now I had a strong understanding of what needed to be done to blaze a trail of my own.  Now it was just a matter of figuring out what ideas worked and which ones did not.  It’s now time to start throwing things against the wall to see which ones stick.
• Stretch your imagination. Finally, it was time to really dig deep and start seeing the unseen.  I had to break free from the mold that had been created by following the lead of others and take that scary step of independent thinking.  But it was only after letting go of this ‘security blanket’ that I could clearly see the road ahead.  I had stopped looking to the industry for answers and started using my own abilities and imagination to dream of the next path to pursue.

As I mentioned above, some industries are positioned for ‘lazy innovation’.  The housing market, before the ‘bust’, was in just this situation.  Everyone and their granny was selling real estate and everyone, including granny, was making money, hand over fist.  But now that the bubbled has popped we finally see an industry that actually REQUIRES innovation and forward thinking to succeed.  It is through these hard financial times that we will watch the likes of a Bill Gates-esque innovator, rise from the rubble.  Now is the time when imaginations will be rewarded and thoughts of tomorrow, necessary for success.

One final note. You may be wondering, “How can you fallow a post about leaving your consulting business with one chanting tales of innovation in this very industry?”  The fact is, as I started building up steam in my business, I also began to realize that I was in an industry that appealed to me less and less.  But instead of looking at this as a waste of my time, I realized that it was just a stepping stone to get me where I wanted to go.  The lessons learned were/are completely transferable.  The secret to success is a universal ‘recipe’.  It is only in the fine details that the differences become known.