Your mindset, or your attitude, determines – no, predetermines – how you respond to and interpret situations.
Throughout my life, I have truly taken the road less traveled and it has made a difference.
My classmates (in a college of almost 70,000) all strangely conformed to a mob mentality. They were happy to stick to the status quo. Many of my previous co-workers were happy with this approach as well.
This ‘do-as-others-do’ mindset is something I’ve never been able to understand.
I prefer the Contrarian Mindset.
It’s a different kind of 1% club. And yes, membership is required. You must make conscience choices to be a part of this club. You must be aware enough to see what everyone else is doing and consciously choose to do something different. To find a better way.
Is it worth it? I believe it is because this is the kind of 1% club that can separate you from the pack. Think about it – if everyone is doing the same thing, there are multiple other unexplored options that will put you ahead of the 99%.
It’s a difference maker and the edge I’m always looking for.
It’s also the edge AMEND seeks for all its clients, which is what made AMEND a perfect place for me. Their desire to break away from the pack and offer unique, unparalleled services aligned with my attitude and fit my brand. They really do ‘zig while others zag’ and that has allowed them to attract amazing talent and excel as a firm.
“Every moment in business happens only once. The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won’t make a search engine. And the next Mark Zuckerberg won’t create a social network. If you are copying these guys, you aren’t learning from them.” – Peter Thiel
If every moment only happens once, then doing what everyone else does will only help you achieve what everyone else achieves. It will not help you break away. It will not help you leap over your competitors. It will not help you create what’s next. It will not help you be great.
My goal, as well as AMEND’s, is not to copy that of a Bill Gates or a Mark Zuckerberg or a McKinsey or aBoston Consulting Group. Our goal is much more simple – to forge our own paths that change lives and transform businesses. It might be impossible but it’s a mission I, as a contrarian, am happy to accept.
