From Ivory Towers where greed was good, to pop up trucks, crowd sourcing, cafe hipsters, and where hanging out in ripped jeans, converse and designer headphones are now laying the platform for big business and the new currency…
The world is changing at break-neck speed, since the iPhone launch in June 2007 through to the current day, everything is in the palm of our hands …I mean literally anything and it’s only going to get even more amazing. According to Peter Diamandis (Founder of X Prize Foundation and Singularity University) over 6 billion mobile phones are active which is pretty much 95% of the entire planet. He shared with me that there has never in the history of man been such a spike in technology and connectivity. On top of this, the mobile phone as we know it is about to take a shot of steroids making it go from skinny mini to Mr Olympia…
What does this mean for the business community? Wow where do I start ?
First of all I feel that it has equalled the playing field. It’s not just the ultra wealthy or the MBA hard core executive that has the knowhow of how to start , run and scale a 6 , 7 , 8 or 9 figure business. It has given rise to the dreamers and once frowned upon “unconventional” that not that long ago would have been shot down with a “that idea’s never gonna make money, just keep dreaming” attitude.
Today 23 year olds Kevin Systrom and Mike Krueger, Founders of Instagram built their business in under 5 years to sell for a whopping $ 1 Billion dollars pretty much from their bedroom…amazing right? Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh built a monster online company simply by focusing on the customer experience and striving to take things to the next level. CEO and Founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma built Asia’s monster e-commerce site in record time where he combined the likeness of Amazon and Google to connect manufacturers with the world…
Closer to what is considered a small to medium business, International blogger Seth Godin, Vlogger and Marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk, Genius network CEO Joe Polish, Investor, Philanthropist & Author of the 4 hr workweek Tim Ferris, all do 3 things really, really well that have captured the “new” economy and how you’re able to do exactly the same thing if you follow these principles…
Here’s what Im talking about
- Be Transparent and Vulnerable – By this I‘m not saying that you become a big cry baby and let everyone walk all over you. I’m saying be open to show that you’re not superman, that you’re actually a human being trying to make things happen. It’s important to not appear as invincible and most importantly that you’re approachable. Gone are the old school days where the CEO of the business was nameless and shameless. Today the story of the company is all about the backstory of the the people behind the company. People want to know what it took, the struggles and the triumphs that led you to where you are right now…Being Vulnerable is about doing your best with all faults if any. It’s about showing transparency and being connected at a personal and emotional level. It makes you “human” and people can say “hey, he is just like us”. It allows your community to create a support mechanism that doesn’t chop you down the instant that something you said or did didn’t resonate with them. Being transparent and vulnerable speaks volumes on the level of connection you are looking for and ultimately what your tribe are looking for in a leader.
- Share your best material – In order to really build a community based on trust, giving or sharing needs to be the ultimate focus. Be it giving of self, or giving of content. It’s no use saying that you’re a giver if you withhold all the really good stuff and only the VIP’s in your life get the best of you. People today have their B.S. radar tuned into this and can spot either the “same old-same old” or content that just has no substance. Giving it all away allows you to be fresh and creative and most importantly shows that you have depth, not that you have just read something in a book and now you’re the expert! A community is a living entity with many moving parts which influences each other. In order to keep that alive, constantly delivering high levels of content really sets you apart from the pack.
- Build currency by building a feedback loop – We’ve heard the old saying “birds of a feather flock together” well I can tell you it’s no different today. Humans still use the same mental emotional patterns to make a purchasing decision. One of them is credibility, often asking themselves prior to the purchasing decision “ is this person of good credibility and stature”. If the answer is yes then nine times out of ten the transaction will take place. Especially in todays economy where there are a lot of charlatans peddling all sorts of promises and get rich quick schemes. Feedback from others is just good business. What others say is important not only for you, but also for the community and the person giving the feedback. I want to also add that you can also use case studies which puts the client right into that scenario so that they are able to connect at a deeper level not only seeing you as a knowledge source and a problem solver but also positions you as a subject matter expert. Each member has a lot to do with the health of the tribe itself and when they see that others are contributing, sharing and making the space more habitable, you know you’re on a winner
Putting these key elements in place will certainly grow your community and allow you to grow an orchard of great people wanting to support and grow themselves with your leadership. The end will result in continued financial security and a growing, happy tribe.
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