Politics aside good business advice is good business advice: Malcom X profile

Regardless of how you feel about Malcolm X’s politics or religious beliefs you have to admit he had a great mind. Mobilizing and influencing so many people is not the work of a simpleton; there is an obvious understanding of people, business and life in the mind of someone who accomplished so much.

The story

In “The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley” there is a story regarding a rabbit hunting trip Malcolm took as a boy.

He relates to Alex Haley how on this particular trip the farmers would send in a dog knowing that the rabbit would naturally freak out and run in a big circle, eventually returning to the place where it started. So they would wait there and shoot the animal as it came back. An almost sure-fire way to get a shot at the animal.

Malcolm, being the cunning person he was, took the initiative of moving to a position that he knew the rabbit had to pass first before coming full circle and the result is obvious. He shot many more rabbits than everyone else did.

In his own words “…all I had done was improve on their strategy…Any time you find someone more successful than you are, especially when you are both engaged in the same business–you know they are doing something that you aren’t.”

This example of a strong business mind struck a chord deep in my “business soul” as it were. It’s an extraordinary example of how business owners have to think and be innovative at all times.

Imagine if every time you saw someone doing good business you sat down and developed those ideas and incorporated them into your own company. You would be the most innovative person in business, which is what entrepreneurs must strive to get good at.

In this day and age of tough competition you need to make sure you are watching your competitors. Find out why customers like to go to them and improve on their successes. If they are making money they are obviously doing something right.

I’m not saying copy what anyone else is doing exactly; just use their systems and ideas as a platform for your own creativity and innovation.

Your mind loves to be creative why not turn that creativity into sustainability and income?