zero sum game Archives

Bad news is the news. We hear a lot about the scarcity. We don’t hear so much about the abundance.

That’s why we’re talking about steps you can take to live abundantly. We’re ready for Step 4:

___

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More

___

Eliminate "zero-sum" thinking

One of the reasons we don't feel more abundance is because we've bought into the mindset that everything is a zero-sum game. Somebody has to lose in order for anybody to win.

Hollywood says so.

Our media tells us that it's the case.

Politicians don’t get it.

Successful entrepreneurs get it.

Bigg success is life on your own terms. Implicit in that definition is that you are the entrepreneur of your life.

You own it. You are in charge. There’s something successful entrepreneurs understand that many people – including the elite in our society – just don’t get.

Entrepreneurs know that they win second.

In order for them to win, at least some portion of society must win first. They create fortunes because they understand that there are very few zero-sum games in the world.

Think about it. In most cases, we do business with people because it's mutually beneficial. If it weren't, we would stop doing business together.

So if we take the "zero-sum" attitude, we won't create value. If one party has to lose so the other party can win, nothing is added to society.

Bill Gates got it. He became the richest person in the world because a large number of people felt that Microsoft’s products made their lives and / or their businesses better.

Some argue about his contribution. That will be true of your contribution as well. You will face critics if you do anything of any significance.

But you won’t care.

You will let the market vote. You will know that you have helped people win because they will vote with their dollars. They choose to work with you because you make their lives better in some way.

Warren Buffett got it. Like Bill Gates, he has ascended to the top of the list of the richest people in the world. He did it by delivering returns to his investors that they couldn’t achieve on their own.

To live abundantly, we must first discard the zero-sum game mentality.

___

Get the tips and tools you need to be a BIGG success. Subscribe to the Bigg Success Weekly – it’s FREE!

___

Create wealth by creating value

The best way to do that is one relationship at a time. We must adopt a win / win attitude in every relationship we have. When we do that we create value.

The value of any relationship is the emotional goodwill you have created in that relationship. The sum of the value of all of your relationships is the value of your network.

Now and in the foreseeable future, the greatest wealth will be created by people with the best networks. Create value – and therefore abundance – for other people and you'll find abundance in your own life.

Now, please understand that it doesn't happen instantly. In the economy of a previous generation, you had to plant in the spring if you wanted to harvest in the fall. It may take days, weeks, months, or even years for you to see the result.

However, if all you see when you look at people is dollar signs, you won't harvest the opportunities presented in the years ahead. You won't create wealth. You won't feel abundance.

Put other people first. Look for a win for them with all the fervor you look for a win for you. That’s a mindset that leads to bigg success.

We’re thrilled that you checked in with us today. Thanks so much.

Please join us next time as we wrap up this series on abundance. Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/biggsuccess/00507-102109.mp3

Related posts

2267]

2274]

2283]

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” ~ Ancient Proverb.

“Begin with the end in mind. Then put first things first.” Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People*.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More

In business school, we’re taught to define our goals, given our available resources, and then find the critical path to reach them. This is called causal or predictive reasoning, according to Saras Sarasvathy.

She teaches entrepreneurship at the University of Virginia and is the author of Effectuation: Elements of Entrepreneurial Expertise* and recently released an updated version of this book in paperback.

She says that successful entrepreneurs don’t think like MBAs. In fact, they do the opposite. They use effectual reasoning. Entrepreneurs who reach bigg success use the resources available to them. They let goals manifest themselves over time given their creativity, direction and connections.

Entrepreneurs think differently than MBAs

There’s a great article on Harvard Business site about Dr. Sarasvathy’s research. It asks if MBAs or entrepreneurs are better suited for today’s business realities. Bill Taylor, the author, says it simply:

MBAs focus on the upside; entrepreneurs focus on the downside.

MBAs assume it’s a zero-sum game; entrepreneurs think win – win.

MBAs thrive on certainty; entrepreneurs thrive on uncertainty.

___

I’m even more confused than usual. I just don’t know what to think since I sort of fit into both categories!

___

Do you feel like you’re getting pulled in both directions at once, George?

___

I feel like I’m getting stretched like Stretch Armstrong!

___

Well, there is an answer. You just have to know when to use causal reasoning and when to think effectually.

___

We define bigg success as life on your own terms. You are the entrepreneur of an incredible enterprise – your life – whether or not you’re an entrepreneur in the traditional definition of the word.

That’s why we think this research is so fitting not just for business owners, but for everyone:

When things are uncertain, think like an entrepreneur.

It appears that, in the years ahead, we need to expect more of the unexpected. Entrepreneurs don’t bother trying to predict the future; they create it.

How do they do that?

They act and adapt.

They use the resources they have to try something. If it doesn’t work, they take the knowledge they gained and try something else.

If it does work, they keep pushing it. As their enterprise grows, when there is more at stake, they may switch to more causal reasoning. Or they may jump ship and start the whole thing over!

Because to many entrepreneurs, the journey is the reward. That mindset often leads to bigg success.

Thanks so much for reading our post today. Please join us next time as we discuss when the dream becomes a nightmare. Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/biggsuccess/00447-072809.mp3

A link with a * denotes an affiliate link. That means if you click that link and make a purchase, we will make a nominal fee for making the referral.

Posts

Step 4-Find Abundance in a World of Scarcity