Business and the Free and Inquiring Mind
So what attitudes bring the best business results? It's more than just having a positive attitude...the bankruptcy courts are full of those that knew they could never fail. We all know people that have inquiring minds and those that have closed minds. Below are some ways we can contrast ways of thinking and gain some insight as to how that effects the bottom line:
- Free and inquiring minds chase rainbows and build dreams. The closed mind only remembers the past and somehow hopes it will return.
- Inquiring minds take more risks and subsequently fail more often. They also succeed more often.
- A closed mind has fewer headaches in the short term but more migraines in the long term.
- The inquiring mind gets more decision making practice and consequently develops better decision making skills. Successful businesses consistently make good decisions.
- The closed mind is not only more sluggish but also tends to restrict options and miss opportunities. Today those companies that don't take advantage of opportunities will eventually fail.
- The free and inquiring mind is better adapted to facing new circumstances. The closed mind is more likely to ignore the new until it becomes painful and overwhelming. In today's markets those that ignore the new rapidly become the obsolete.
- Inquiring minds tend to hire inquiring minds; close minds often hire those that are less capable and pose less of a threat.
- Inquiring minds hit upon more breakthrough strategies. Closed minds tend to trade on what they always have traded on...
- Inquiring minds become more adept at facing realities while closed minds try to make realities fit their perceptions.
- Inquiring minds seek challenge and the satisfaction of meeting a challenge. Closed minds avoid the difficult and are constantly seeking a comfort zone.
- Inquiring minds thrive on intellectual stimulation while closed minds go with the tried and true they already know.
- Inquiring minds look for potential and improvements. Closed minds look to habit and precedent.
- Inquiring minds view failure as the path to success. Closed minds avoid failure since all failure is perceived as risk.
So often it is a thin perceptual line between success and failure. One has to wonder if all those businesses that go under had simply made a few perceptual adjustments, their outcomes would have been different.
Jack D. Deal
