Highly successful people consistently share three traits in common: courage, capability, and a willingness to break the rules. Breaking the rules is the difference between visionaries and doers. If you want that breakthrough and want to be successful in life and career, there are some rules you must break.
Doers allow the rules to keep them confined in a narrow box. No doubt you’re familiar with the rule “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” It is the best rule to break because making things better, faster, stronger, etc. always leads to success.
The Dalai Lama has said, “know the rules well so that you can break them effectively.” The rule-breakers of history knew the etiquette of rule-breaking. Who are shining examples of people who fixed what wasn’t broken? Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk to name a few.
Break these three rules to find success in life and career
It’s all about the bottom line – Jeff Bezo’s and Mark Zukerberg. Jeff kept the margins at Amazon low to build market share. He went on to offer free shipping, which further lowered margins. As a result, Amazon is now the largest online retailer. Mark did something similar in that he resisted putting ads on Facebook until the user base grew. In both cases, they stood up to shareholders and media outcries. Their focus was on growth, innovation, and keeping things running.
Stay in your area of expertise – Elon Musk had a breakthrough with Paypal, a financial services company. He then created Tesla, an automaker, and SpaceX, a company that develops space transport vehicles. Both companies are on the cutting edge of technology and now the doers (GM, Ford, etc.) are copying him. Another popular adage in business is “having a fresh set of eyes.” Going outside of your expertise allows you to see what others do not.
Stand up to the big ones – Steve Jobs refused to compromise his vision for Apple even at the expense of profit and growth. He refused to make Mac OS available on non-Apple computers. At Pixel Studios, Steve ended a very profitable relationship with Disney when they no longer agreed to his terms. Passing up opportunities to get in bed with larger companies, and standing up to them to preserve your vision, is a rule that you must break to succeed in life and career.
We all have greatness within. Unfortunately, too many people don’t unleash it because they allow the rules to keep them confined in a narrow box. They stay in their lane, focus on profit, or sacrifice their vision for short-term gain. Give yourself permission to follow the Dalai Lama’s advice and know the rules so that you can break them effectively.
