Innovator, tech-savvy, billionaire and off-beat, the real-life Tony Stark in many ways is Elon Musk. While many know him as the man who wishes to establish human settlements on Mars, few know the grit behind his actions and decisions. After all, it is not like you wake up one morning and say, “I want to go to Mars”. The dedication, discipline, work ethics and the sheer will to defy social expectations are what set some high-achievers apart from the rest of the world.
There are some significant lessons that we can learn from Elon Musk and his choices.
Dare to be unorthodox
Elon Musk has shown time and again that he isn’t afraid to try something out of the box. While many of us are often told to ‘think outside the box’, very few are encouraged to try following it up with actions it, in reality. Whether it be the innovations in Tesla, at a time which was dominated by fuel-driven vehicles, or the SpaceX, for which he was laughed at by the Russian scientists, Musk dared to do things in an unorthodox fashion.
Always keep learning
Keeping the student within ourselves, alive, can be one of the best things we can do for our personal and professional growth. Musk has gone on record to state how he had no clue about rocket designs, but simply because he is a voracious reader, he began reading and learning about the same. Reading is an integral part of the day for all the top 1% of the leaders around the world. And for good reason. Reading not only teaches us something new, but it also affects the way we think, perceive information, and make decisions. Try it!
Here are 5 subjects that successful entrepreneurs must learn.
Interact with people who know more than you
One of the strongest traits of a confident individual, is recognising and appreciating those who know more about a topic than them. It is alright to accept that we may not know everything about everything. But a willingness to listen to those who know about something on which our knowledge is limited, will gain positive observation, and will uplift your status in the concerned circle. Besides, it gives people a perception that you are someone who listens keenly and this, in turn, gets more people to listen when you speak.
Follow your interests
Ever noticed that Musk has always pursued what he found interesting? Whether it be transforming digital payments with PayPal or taking on Artificial Intelligence with DeepMind, Musk has set a good example to follow one’s interests. Your general interests may vary with time, but there would a very few that stick in your mind, whether you act upon them or not. These are the ones which, when followed, will give us a different kind of satisfaction.
Learn to connect the dots
We often have ideas that seem like they have already been done before, or simply would be laughed at (sometimes even by us). That’s okay. Write them down. Write all of them down, as they come. You never know when you might be able to connect one idea to another, in a manner that you had never thought of when the individual ideas came to mind. The connectivity between all of Musk’s ideas is the that he strives to make human lives easier. That way, he tries inculcating ideas into one another, to see what clicks.
Like, with the Boring Company (whose name was coined because to him the idea seemed slightly lesser interesting than flying into space), he brought in the electric, zero-emission technology into underground tunnelling.
Get an awesome team
One thing the tech giant has always been glad about is the team he works with at every company he is invested in. He takes absolute pride and pleasure in pointing to the fact that he wished (and will continue) to be involved in the hiring of team members.
Since these are the people who you shall be spending most of your day with, working, brainstorming, maybe conflicting, celebrating and innovating, it is very critical to the survival and growth of your business that your team be in line with your (and the company’s) vision. Hire people smarter than you and let them work with the freedom they deem necessary to perform best.
Constructive criticism
There are always going to be nay-sayers who may disagree (or in some cases) ridicule your ideas. Well, let us not forget that Elon’s SpaceX idea was laughed at by Russian scientists, too. But it is a chance to see why those individuals disagree with your ideas and try to bridge the gap. In such attempts, you may end up honing your idea in ways you could not fathom. Criticism is powerful feedback, if taken constructively. While it is smart to keep our ears deaf towards negativity, criticism from those whose opinions we value, shall go a long way in helping shape the final structure of our idea.
Reason, and start from zero
There is a concept called “First Principle”, which many leaders, including the leader of Tesla follows. When trying to solve a problem, try to let go of any assumptions that we have always been taught to consider. These are times when it is better to not follow the regular system. Once you forget the heavy theories you have been taught, it becomes easier to strip the problem to its basics. Once the problem is simplified, finding a solution is going to be a relatively easy task.
Put in more efforts than you think you can
Yes, pushing boundaries to how much you can work towards your goals, is not easy. But then again, nobody said being successful was going to be easy!
Musk has been a workaholic, so much so, that he has stated having worked 100 hours a week. Putting in more efforts towards what you dream, will get you far ahead of where you would have been if you put in the regular amount of time, you expected yourself to put (or what you see others doing around yourself).
When you feel you can’t work any longer, do it a little longer. Then a little more than that the next day. And so on. Before you know it, you will have exceeded your own expectations, and be much closer to your goals.
Embrace failure as a part of innovation
It is no news that Elon has been close to failing a couple of his companies a few times. But it was his sheer will to do something for the betterment of humanity, that brought him back from the jaws of shutdown.
Failure is no shame. It is a valuable lesson. Many renowned innovators have failed and, in the process, devised technologies that changed the way humans moved forward. Edison failed hundreds of times before he perfected the light bulb, Walt Disney attempted multiple times before his ideas became icons for generations to come.
Failure is a part of the learning process and should be embraced. How you react to it, will determine how you shall fare in the glory of success.
With hard work, dedication, eccentricity, and a purpose to making human lives easier, Musk has set examples for innovators, entrepreneurs, and businessmen at many fronts. You do not have to share his vision to applaud at his efforts towards achieving what he believes in.
With such belief, tenacity, and commitment, who’s to stop you from becoming the next giant in your own industry?
Which lesson surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below.