Entrepreneurs: Past, Present, Future
by Miki Saxon“All great companies have a rowboat mentality. You row hard, but you’re still always looking behind you to the past.” —Howard Stringer, CEO, Sony
Many young entrepreneurs believe having no history is their greatest advantage—and to some extent it is.
But it’s also their greatest dilemma.
Having history doesn’t mean you are locked into considering only the past, instead of facing forward and engaging the future—although many companies do exactly that. (It’s called resting on your laurels and people, as well as companies, are guilty of doing it.)
By the same token, fixing your eye strictly on the future, with no consideration of past actions, yours and others, can cause you and your company to fall flat on its face.
You need a mix of past and future to know what is worth keeping/emulating and how to take it to the next level; when and how [whatever] should be tweaked for optimum performance in the current situation; and when to jettison it and what to replace it with.
Also, as with most athletic endeavors, knowing you have accomplished X in the past gives you more courage and belief that you can accomplish Y in the future.
Finally, there is much wisdom embodied in the old saying, “Profit from the mistakes of others, you don’t have time to make them all yourself.”
Flickr image credit: fosco lucarelli
