Yesterday, I attended an online company meeting in which the Chairman of the company addressed us. After the formalities of presentations were done and dusted, the floor was opened to make comments or ask questions.
During this time, the Chairman made some off the cuff remarks as he responded to comments/questions which got my attention and made me ponder. This time I had my notebook open and scribbled down my key highlights.
The following are my top 3 statements and some possible lessons from them:
i. “….. 5-10 years from now the whole world will be driving electric cars…..”.
And here I am thinking about the big diesel propelled car which I can’t wait to buy in that time frame once my fortunes greatly improve. It didn’t bother me to factor in the general trend in that industry and how the world is more likely to change by then.
It made me ask what other things in the world maybe changing:
What careers or businesses will become obsolete?
What changes can you make starting today to put yourself in a great position for the future?
With so much technological advancements today including AI and explosion of the internet it is not a bad idea to pay attention to what’s happening just beyond the curve of your industry or career.
ii. “……the pump has evolved from being the oldest machine used even before Jesus’s time to be one of the most popular machines in the world today”.
There is no way I could have known that. I thought to myself, what does it take to read beyond what am required to know. And the 1st word which came to mind is passion. It takes great passion to go further and deeper on your craft.
For most people, if something is not part of their job description then its good luck knowing what the other tasks surrounding their roles are.
The following questions are worth considering;
In which activities do you find yourself doing more than what is required of you?
In-depth knowledge is what makes the difference between an amateur and a professional, owner and employee, a trend setter and a follower.
iii. “…….honor your commitment, stand by your word”: We spent half of the meeting with him asking for problems or challenges we faced. He was relentless in asking about the issues on the ground.
How come he is focusing so much on the problems, I introspect. In my case, challenges are to be avoided most of the time. After all dwelling on problems negatively affects your mood, hakuna matata approach sounds better to me.
Are you avoiding your most difficult challenges in your business, marriage, relationships or life in general?
How often do you sit down to get to the bottom of your problems that may be negatively affecting you?
Rather than keeping the problems we encounter at arm’s length, we can learn to face them head on and try and resolve them and seek help whenever necessary.
In summary, innovation, passion and turning obstacles into opportunities are vital to the long term success of any individual or organization.
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