81. Whether a conformist can achieve lasting success or "get rich" in business
2 A0 j- Z6 |5 Z; Bdepends primarily on the type of business involved. Iconoclasts rise to the top in newer 5 T& O7 A: k/ N8 v( c
industries and in those where consumer demand is in constant flux. Conformists
f! [/ {3 R/ h% Q$ ~' r1 ?6 Jultimately prevail, however, in traditional service industries ensconced in systems and 5 ?: W/ X4 c9 U& _( J b
regulations.6 N5 @1 d( v) A/ A4 x9 a3 ~
In consumer-driven industries, innovation, product differentiation, and creativity 5 p* {) Y$ W, R5 {# X
are crucial to lasting success, in the retail and media sectors, for example, ) k1 P" ^0 T; x, \1 n* ~
unconventional products and advertising are necessary to catch the attention of
1 P. f8 }0 w/ c7 Tconsumers and to keep up with the vagaries of consumer tastes. Those who take an
( Z6 }$ j' i: q* B$ X0 Siconoclastic approach tend to recognize emerging trends and to rise above their peers. ( E5 s- b$ T! T/ P' X8 v
For example, Ted Turner's departure from the traditional format of the other television 0 Q/ L: [: y- W% x" y
networks, and the responsiveness of Amazon.com to burgeoning Internet commerce, , w, _% ~3 p; Z) j1 x% F
propelled these two giants to leadership positions in their industries. And in technology,
6 `6 F7 v- H; C/ n9 \1 C! nwhere there are no conventional practices or ways of thinking to begin with, companies
1 K0 u2 T+ c( p6 g, x1 U9 Q, T- `that fail to break away from last year's paradigm are soon left behind by the . s( r" l% `# k9 l* p3 r b
competition.
9 V& W- ~% J; V1 f However, in traditional service industries—such as finance, accounting, insurance,
# h: z$ w0 M0 ], slegal services, and health care—lasting success and riches come not to nonconformists 0 [! w4 ^3 g% M: A, t, F& @ E5 x& Q
but rather to those who can deliver services most effectively within the confines of
9 S7 T" p% e9 d7 H1 }5 M8 Z! D, Nestablished practices, policies, and regulations. Of course, a clever idea for structuring a $ O3 I K( H1 w u' a* q. k; W
deal, or a creative legal maneuver, may play a role in winning smaller; battles along the
2 Q! d r" f9 `2 P) j7 ~1 Y' d9 Bway. But such tactics are those of conformists who are playing by the same ground rules
) v6 P: G1 _& P- |1 ?5 q( Has their peers; winners are just better at the game.
5 s7 Z6 y. ^; I4 C' C In conclusion, while non-conformists tend to be the wildly successful players in 2 s: k3 `* c) q2 e9 W- T
technology-driven and consumer-driven industries, traditionalists are the winners in ( [" K7 z9 n3 P: ^) U. k+ m
system-driven industries pervaded by policy, regulation, and bureaucracy. |
发表于 2012-8-15 21:50:16
