As an adviser to new businesses, I’m a strong believer that no one succeeds alone in business.
Yet I find that many entrepreneurs struggle and fail with the transition from personally developing an innovative new idea to building all the relationships necessary to transform their idea into a successful business. These relationships include investors, an operational team, and customers.
I encountered this challenge, reaffirmed and magnified, in an inspiring book titled “No One Succeeds Alone: Learn Everything You Can From Everyone You Can” by Robert Reffkin. The book recounts his journey through numerous companies, filled with both successes and setbacks, culminating in his triumph at the real estate platform Compass.
He credits his own rise to this strategy, and I certainly agree with his key guidelines on how to get there:
1. Dream big — this inspires strong people to join you.
You won’t learn much from a small dream or an idea that has minimal risk, and you won’t inspire the people you need to help you. Thinking small won’t stir their passion, create meaning, or spur creative thinking. Strong people love an “impossible” challenge with a large opportunity.
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2. Move fast — speed highlights energy and impact.
Moving swiftly entails transitioning from uncertainty to knowledge as rapidly as feasible, a process that everyone strives to optimize. In today’s fast-paced world, failing to keep pace with the evolving landscape may hinder your ability to succeed alongside the people and customers you depend on.
3. Learn from reality — test new ideas and get feedback.
Learning from reality takes humility, courage, and really listening to others, but it allows you to change quickly for the better, and you will enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Study what has come before, capture what works right now, and ask customers what they want in the future.
4. Be solutions-driven — to drive success and learning.
Ideas and problems are the opportunity, but collaboration with the right people gives you the energy to achieve great results. This will give you the confidence to surface breakthrough ideas, proactively attack impossible challenges, and lead others to leverage what you and your collaborators have learned.
5. Obsess on opportunities to improve customers’ lives.
Listen to others for more opportunities. It leads to quicker business responses. To find a more meaningful path, embrace a customer-centric higher purpose, like addressing social needs or environmental improvements.
6. Build relationships with respect and without ego.
Check your ego at the door, since outsize egos make trust and teamwork nearly impossible. Inspire everyone you interact with today to feel like they want to work with you again tomorrow and learn more from you. Give credit and thanks freely, knowing you will be repaid handsomely in other ways.
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7. Play to your strengths and seek strengths in others.
Don’t waste time trying to fix or hide all your imperfections. Utilize your team members’ strengths and concentrate on your own to optimize outcomes while minimizing time investment. Trying to be the best at everything that needs to be done isn’t fun and doesn’t work.
8. Bounce back from every failure with passion.
The most genuine measure of one’s character is not their conduct during moments of success. It’s their actions and their skill in leveraging others’ support to bounce back when they hit rock bottom. Many individuals are prepared and capable of assisting you in rising even higher if you display resilience, the ability to learn, and unwavering determination, refusing to remain defeated.
Steve Jobs serves as a renowned example of a person who rebounded from failure. Following his initial departure from Apple, Jobs recognized the importance of relying on the assistance of many others. He then made a remarkable comeback, playing a pivotal role in transforming Apple into one of the most prosperous companies of recent decades.
The key takeaway here is that, regardless of your skills and determination, you can only achieve a limited amount on your own. The most significant challenge in business is establishing those synergistic and supportive partnerships that can magnify your enthusiasm and talents, propelling you to new heights. Together, the possibilities are boundless. So, begin forging those alliances today.
MARTIN ZWILLING