The fastest path to irrelevancy

Charles Darwin said “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.”.

Of course he was talking about evolution — but I think the same thing is true in business. Maybe even more so in a technology-focused industry like ours.

I don’t know about you, but the last 6 or 12 months have felt like being strapped to a rocket ship with how much technology has changed.

If Darwin’s quote holds true in business — then being stagnant is the fastest path to irrelevancy.

It’s, of course, a balancing act. As much as you can’t be stagnant, we know what happens when you just jump from trend to trend chasing the “next big thing”.

Today I thought I’d share my notes on 4 ways I plan on adapting intentionally…

1. Be a Curious Learner

It might not feel like you’re being productive if you stop doing client work to attend a webinar, sit back and read a chapter of a book, or even browse some of the latests post in the group… But those things can be opportunities to learn something new that can help you and your clients be even more successful. Keep looking for opportunities to expand your knowledge.

2. Lean In

It’s human nature to feel threatened or scared of something new. But as you look throughout history, you find that the most successful people are the ones that leaned in to new technologies or opportunities to take advantage of how they could help them succeed. It doesn’t mean everything is worth pursuing (we’ll touch on that next), but look for opportunities instead of shying away from threats.

3. Experiment, Evaluate, and Iterate

Not every new idea is going to be a home run — but while we’re on the sports analogy, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. As you experiment with new ideas, tools, and concepts, it’s important to measure and evaluate their impact so you can continue it iterate to find the gems and discard the waste.

4. Don’t Fear Failure

Some of the best lessons to learn are the ones that teach us what not to do. When we don’t take action out of fear of failure, then we rob ourselves of some of our best learning experiences. Despite what your brain might trick you into thinking, no one is standing around waiting to laugh at you. In fact, most people are envious of the courage you had to go out on our own and are actively rooting for you.

Times of rapid change, like these, are challenging, but they also present us with the most opportunity. It’s our responsibility — to our business, ourselves, and those we support — to find the opportunities and embrace them.

I shared the 4 strategies I’m using to take a proactive approach — but what about you?

Hit reply and let me know.