In my 35 years of building businesses and investing in startups, one attribute stands out as the difference maker for success: self-reliance.
Never playing the victim, the most effective leaders take agency, looking inward for the answers to vexing problems. Whether it’s responding to a setback or sprinting after an opportunity, they use ingenuity and resourcefulness to find a way forward. More than IQ, pedigree, or technical skills, self-reliance is what sets history-makers apart from also-rans.
What soundtrack do we play in our minds?
Further exploring self-reliance, consider the corrosive stories we tell ourselves: “I’m too old,” “I didn’t go to the right school,” “I could never take the risk.”
In my friend Jon Acuff’s outstanding book – Soundtracks – he suggests we examine the limiting stories that inhibit our personal and professional growth by asking three power questions:
- Is it true?
- Is it helpful?
- Is it kind?
If the answer is ‘no’ to any of the three, we’re playing a broken soundtrack. Let’s make sure the stories that loop in our minds are productive, inspiring, and compassionate. Changing our internal playlist is the first step in cultivating self-reliance.
Human-like robots.
Imagine a robot with soft, natural skin that smiles back at you.
This isn’t sci-fi or just purely unsettling AI art; it’s a cutting-edge innovation from researchers in Japan.
Professor Shoji Takeuchi and his team at the University of Tokyo have developed a new way to bind living skin tissue to robotic surfaces inspired by the natural structure of human skin ligaments.
Takeuchi and his team didn’t just borrow an idea from another industry; they borrowed one from nature itself. This breakthrough is creating robots that look and feel more human, enhancing their ability to communicate and interact effectively in the future.
By questioning traditional methods and drawing inspiration from unexpected sources, we all have the ability to reimagine what’s possible. And you thought beauty was only skin deep.
The Magic Three
In 1981, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann entered the crowded nail polish market, embracing a simple yet powerful approach.
Her playbook? Three magic questions: Why? What if? and Why not?
By asking ‘Why’ competitors were selling mostly in drug stores, Suzi challenged the norms of traditional product distribution by choosing to sell exclusively through salons. This innovative channel created a refined, upscale market position for her new brand.
‘What if’ prompted Suzi to rethink how nail polish was experienced by customers. Instead of boring and utilitarian, what if they were provocative, sexy, and mysterious?
Finally, ‘Why not’ gave her the courage to rethink how polish is named. Ditching “pale pink” for playful names such as “I’m Not Really a Waitress” and “Lincoln Park After Dark,” Suzi upended a mature industry and its deeply entrenched competitors.
The brand she co-founded, OPI, was sold in 2010 for nearly $1 billion. Suzi’s curiosity changed an industry and gave her plenty of resources to paint the town red.
To your creative success…
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About Josh
Josh Linkner is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, venture capital investor, professional jazz guitarist, and a globally recognized innovation expert. To learn more or to explore a collaboration, visit JoshLinkner.com
