“How to succeed in business, breaking all the rules” - explains the book by Dan Kennedy

A lot of books and video courses are being produced, trainings and seminars are being created, dedicated to achieving success in business and personal life.

But are there any secrets of success at all, or is it all just a tricky way to get the public’s attention?
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“Anyone who so uncompromisingly believes in his rules is dangerous for society.
And yet, realizing the futility of the rules, we continue to invent new ones. ”

In the business literature there are many cliches. Authors of books on business and self-development do not get tired to derive rules for achieving success based on positive thinking, perseverance, and other common truths.

Dan Kennedy, a well-known businessman, business coach and author of such controversial books as "Hard Management" and "Hard Time Management", decided to question the most common stamps of literature on self-development.

His book calls for breaking stereotypes about positive thinking, motivation, perseverance, creativity, expert advice, the pursuit of perfection, the need for education, politeness and innate talents.

It encourages to think critically and to question many of the ideas that have taken root in the mass consciousness.

Success requires positive thinking and motivation ... Or not?

Dan Kennedy is convinced that the authors of popular books on self-development too downplay the role of negative emotions in achieving success.

"Most preach the idea of ​​suppressing, eradicating all negative emotions or getting rid of them, the theory of forgiveness and focusing on positive and bright thoughts."

However, in reality, negative feelings are frequent companions of success, and positive ones, on the contrary, can slow down the process of its achievement.

Why is motivation not enough?

Dan Kennedy refers to psycho-cybernetics, a concept developed by plastic surgeon Maxwell Moltz. She explains why most people fail to gain willpower and consciously change themselves for the better, for example, start a new life next year, lose weight, or gain some useful skill.

The fact is that willpower and self-discipline are unarmed before negative self-esteem and beliefs rooted in the subconscious, and conscious efforts will not be able to produce results if they contradict a person’s own self-image. For example, a person who considers himself ugly, will not be able to follow a diet and perform exercises in order to lose weight.

Unshakable faith in talent and innate ability

The conviction that there is no talent or ability to engage in one or another activity limits the possibilities for self-realization. People tend to exaggerate the role of innate abilities and downplay the role of effort and labor. However, as studies show (for example, Carol Duke), such a position is not only unfounded, but also harmful, because it hinders the development of potential.

Higher Education Myth

Of course, for some professions need a diploma of higher education. Without questioning the obvious opportunities that higher education provides, Dan Kennedy views it as part of an outdated career scheme and preparation for dependence on other people.

As numerous examples from life prove, the absence of a diploma of higher education cannot in any way serve as an excuse for inaction and taking a miserable existence. Therefore, if you managed to get a higher education, then you need to extract the maximum benefit from it. Or start doing what you need to get the right information and master the skills you need to achieve your goals.

"Modesty and humility are qualities worthy of admiration from a monk, but not from an entrepreneur."

Rudeness, aggressiveness and assertiveness is the secret of success.

Dan Kennedy warns that modesty and business are incompatible. In order for your talent and mind to notice and appreciate just their presence is not enough.

“If you are going to wait until you are appreciated, better stock up on food and good books, because you have to wait very, very long.
It doesn't matter who you are: a lecturer and consultant, like me, a chiropractor, a hairdresser, the executive director of a huge corporation, - people prefer to deal with VERY confident professionals who are not shy to say publicly, like Muhammad Ali: "I am the best."

Requires courage, self-promotion and demonstration of self-confidence. Business is a tough and competitive sphere, where there is no place for sacrifice, so you should not just give up or underestimate your knowledge, experience and time.

One percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent sweat

Dan Kennedy learned from his own experience that the widespread perception of creative work as something chaotic and uncontrollable is wrong. Starting work in the advertising business, he saw that the best advertising agents are not waiting for inspiration, but work pedantically, in an organized and disciplined way.

Ideas don't cost anything

Many are mistaken about the role of ideas in business and life. Any even the most ingenious and revolutionary idea gains value only in case of successful practical implementation. The importance of the idea depends on the labor invested in its implementation, that is, on what is not considered creative work.

Is it always necessary to show perseverance?

Despite the important role of effort, labor and perseverance in achieving success, the ability to deviate from the previously chosen course plays an equally important role.

Too often, on behalf of speakers, business coaches and from the pages of motivational literature, there are calls to persist, whatever the cost, and not to back down.

However, perseverance will not lead anywhere, if you do not connect it with experimentation.

Therefore, if you are unlucky, you need not only to repeat the same thing that you did last time, but also to combine perseverance with a digression from erroneous hypotheses and in no way leading to action.

Hurry up - make people laugh?

People tend to approach everything with their yardstick. But if slow, slow work is suitable for someone, this does not mean that everyone should work this way.

Moreover, many are much better and more efficiently working in an accelerated mode, in the conditions of the workmanship and time trouble. For them, this is a natural pace, and speed does not mean vanity or loss of quality.

Therefore, it is silly for such people to listen to the advice of those who are trying to slow down and relax them.

Non-standard approach to job search

A significant number of graduates of educational institutions pack up the thresholds of recruitment agencies, but refuse to take up work that they consider to be below their dignity.

As a result, they can’t find anything for themselves, and if they find it, it’s not something that could contribute to their realization. Even just starting their career path, they make excessive demands on work.

Dan Kennedy is confident that this is not the path that will lead to success. He encourages using a non-standard approach to the beginning of a career path, which is to thoroughly study the history of successful businessmen or managers of small and medium-sized companies in areas of interest, and then send letters of presentation to them for free.

“And if I hadn’t received a quick reply from them, I would call them, send faxes, offer ideas - in a word, do everything to get their attention, interest and achieve a personal interview.”

The life stories of a huge number of successful people indicate that at the beginning of their journey they did not disdain to undertake the dirtiest and most prestigious work. Regarding the issue of low pay, Dan Kennedy urged not to worry about it and assured that "it is impossible to demonstrate extraordinary results in ordinary work and not get extraordinary opportunities . "

Neither the diploma nor the resume have real value. The point is to stand out from the crowd in a positive way, showing your best and doing any work with great zeal and diligence.

The client is not always right

Many companies, especially in the sphere of sales and trade, set themselves the task of retaining any client, guided by the slogan "the client is always right."

However, Dan Kennedy questions this approach, believing that blindly pleasing the demands of any client is stupid and unjustified.

In relations with clients, he proposes to be guided by the Pareto law - 80 percent of profits provide 20 percent of clients, and 80 percent of problems and difficulties also bring 20 percent of clients. Based on this, the main task of the business is to “clear” customers from the most problematic ones and concentrate all their attention and maximum efforts on the most profitable ones.

In working with clients, perhaps the more important aspect is not quantity, but their quality.

How important is the product for success?

Based on experience in the advertising industry, Dan Kennedy concludes that the brilliant idea of ​​a unique product is absolutely not enough for a successful business. He believes that trying to protect a unique product from plagiarism is, in fact, a waste of time and effort, because plagiarism, borrowing and copying are an integral part of the business. The product is secondary to a combination of factors such as “an intriguing and exciting story, a spectacular demonstration, the support of authoritative experts and celebrities, and positive user feedback.”

Therefore, instead of trying to protect the uniqueness of your product (which will end in disappointment), it will be right to direct all your efforts towards creating a successful combination of the above factors, protecting your position in the market and competent advertising.

Marketing Illusions

Dan Kennedy questions the accepted division of marketing, advertising, commerce and distribution, and even the need for marketing departments. The author gives the following definition:

Marketing is a search for new opportunities, improved ways to form strong and stable relationships with customers. Based on this definition, many are not engaged in marketing.

“Management Illusions”

Often, corporate culture (especially in large companies) prevents the emergence of breakthrough ideas and the introduction of innovative solutions that could take the business to a new level.

The reason for the fact that innovation is not given enough attention is bureaucracy, a complex hierarchy of subordination, too strict requirements, instructions, from which you can not move a step without subsequent punishment, and the fear of making a mistake.

This leads to the fact that many improvements are implemented by employees of companies at their own peril and risk without the permission of their superiors.

Question the principle of "Works - do not touch"

Only changes are permanent. Experience and knowledge have a reverse, negative side - they become a criterion for evaluating other people's achievements, and contribute to the development of a cynical world view. In order not to overlook important changes and not to stay in the back of the story, any businessman needs to remember that sometimes it is necessary to arrange a good shake-up and revise entrenched ideas, even if everything works without failures.

In modern business, situations constantly arise that require transformation.

Be sensible, but not stubborn; Try new strategies and do not cling to old ones.

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