I have just completed Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers: The Story of Success. In the book, he outlines why intelligence and ambition are only a minute part of the story of extremely successful people. In the book, he illustrates how two different economic downturns (one a recession and the other a depression) spawned a historical opportunity gap, fueling the rise of our nation's most prominent and wealthy citizens.
As I survey today's business climate, I see another large window of opportunity. "Stimulus packages" similar to those instituted during the economic transformation of the 1860's and 1870's that brought about industrial age icons like Carnegie, Morgan, and Rockefeller. A tightening of economic resources is leading to greater efficiencies, innovative thinking, and a rise in the number of small businesses, not much unlike the Great Depression of the 1930's and the decade following. Each great trial of societal and economic resources brings with it an innovative set of opportunities.
What do you have planned for your business for the upcoming years? Have market forces brought new opportunities and visions for added success? I invite you to comment on this post and to join us for some strategic thinking on Wednesday or Thursday for The Strategy String. The free webinar will review strategy and how to measure its effectiveness. If you have a new direction that you might want to take on for your business, get a head start and join us for this webinar on February 11th at 10am Pacific or on February 12th at 7:30 am Pacific.
Keeping the world connected through issues that impact urban and regional policy and development.
No comments:
Post a Comment