Here’s one of the most common questions I get asked:
“What is Maverick?”
According to Dictionary.com, a maverick is a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates. Therefore, a Maverick is a nonconformist, an individualist; a free thinker and a loner.
If by any chance you are rebellious in nature or like to disrupt conventional policies or ideas, chances are that you are a Maverick!
So when we Add “Think” to the word Maverick to make up Think Maverick, we literally want every individual here at thinkmaverick.com to Think Like A Maverick!
Why Think Like A Maverick?
The World’s Best Entrepreneurs, Artists, Actors, Actresses and Athletes are Maverick Thinkers…. Just think about it!
- Steve Jobs wouldn’t have made a comeback after being kicked out of his own very own company…
- Bill Gates, Will Smith, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Bruce Lee, Anthony Robbins…. Just To name a few.
I won’t go into details here as I’ve dedicated a special article on “So what is a Maverick?”
Among all the successful Maverick Thinkers, Elon Musk intrigued me the most. That’s the MAIN reason why we choose Elon Musk – the world’s most maverick billionaire as our ThinkMaverick Magazine Logo on Itunes!
I truly believe Elon Musk is a Game Changer for your business and dreams.
If you believe he is, the price of admission to get to the top of your game is just a few minutes of your time.
Follow my series as we unravel the secrets to his universe.
Day 1: How to Stay Motivated Like Elon Musk
Day 2: How to Learn Like Elon Musk: 4 Tips to learn faster and better than everyone else
Day 3: Elon Musk Leadership Model: 5 Tips to Manage an Effective Team for Your Business
Day 4: Elon Musk’s Advice for Starting a Business
Day 5: How Elon Musk Overcomes Challenges
Day 6: How to Work as Hard as Elon Musk in a World of Lazy Dreamers
Day 7: How Elon Musk Work 100 hours a Week
Day 8: 9 things I learned from Elon Musk
1. Show Appreciation:
Whether you are making a rocket or producing a one-inch micro-nut that fits into it, you are really nothing without your customer! They are your backbone and the lifeline for any company to survive.
Always express your gratitude to the customers even if you have reached pinnacle levels. Even a simple email or a tweet can go a long way in showing your appreciation to the buyers who have bought your product.
They are not buying your product but your trust. This was impeccably defined by Elon with one of his actions.
Elon tweeted his gratitude to all the customers of Tesla from his own handle when no one expected. Talk about getting a personalized tweet from the man himself!
2. Apply Physics:
Physics is one subject that is not just betrothed to only the intellectuals. You would be amazed to find that we can apply physics in every walk of life.
Physics is one subject where the output solely depends on the input that we give. In a business perspective, we can apply the same logic- not in a scientific/ theoretical way, but in the act of visualizing something.
Elon’s one strategy is to boil down things to their fundamental truths as much as possible. In many instances, this can predict the outcome – whether the target can be achieved or not.
Get your inputs correct and by inputs we mean every possible ingredient needed in a business, starting from the business principles to the location to the employees to the customers. This will have a major say on how your product is going to perform, once in the market.
Physics depends a lot on foreseeing. This is something which is solely the responsibility of the founder and it is only his/her visions and their practicality that can take the company forward.
3. Love Your Work:
No matter how passionate you think you are, love your trade more than anything.
Elon’s success in his fields would never have materialized had he failed to love his work. He was enchanted with books from his childhood days and this love for books opened up many avenues for him.
His equation is quite simple!
With enough love, you get persistence to attain what you love. Love with persistence will lead to abundance or victory as he sums it up.
One more thing which we can learn from Elon is that once an achievement has materialized, he simply does not stand still to bask in its glory. He moves on to love other things/ invent other things. This fairly sums up his attitude.
You have to learn to deepen your love as in some cases, if things go haywire, only this simple factor of “love” would keep you going. Be extremely obsessive about what you believe in and this will set you forward in the right direction to get results.
4. Be The Change You Want To See In Others:
As an entrepreneur, often you would come across life-changing ideas and thoughts. But how would you make others understand the value of such ideas? How would you make the idea worthwhile to others?
Great ideas with great visions have simply disintegrated because people refused to rally behind it. So what is needed for such a fan following? – A convention where people become your fans and embrace your product?
The answer starts with “you” as per Elon Musk!
During his college days, Elon wanted to involve himself in things that would eventually be benefitting mankind. This was, however, easier said than done.
The biggest aspect which he believes is that for a community or a group to change, you have to spearhead the change yourself. You have to change your personality, your attitude, and the way you look at every aspect of life.
This doesn’t happen overnight of course. It takes its time and once people start to recognize the change, they will be more willing to follow you. You have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone to spearhead this.
5. Don’t play nice with people:
Your humility and modesty shouldn’t mean that people can take you for granted. Be genuine to your customers but never hesitate to put the foot down when needed.
While it is true that you are making an impact in the region and your products are something that might change the facts, it should not be at the cost of your reticence. You have to be aggressive and firm among your peers, with your employees, and with your co-workers.
Behind the shadow of Elon Musk, there lies an aggressive man who doesn’t hesitate to go to any levels to make things happen. He had even taken on Governments when needed.
Recently, Elon embarked upon a massive drive to give pink slips to under-performing employees and associates. While the industry was divided by this action, his avid follower and Special Projects Director of News Network-Simon Trevor justifies it.
6. Never Have Grudges:
Grudges never get you anywhere. Life as a whole is too short for grudges.
Grudges do happen in everyday life. However, the time and dedication needed to prove the grudge wrong can be utilized in some other way.
Elon once quoted in an interview that he believes that he is the average of five persons that he spends the time with. He chooses to be in the company of the people he loves or those who love him.
With a grudge only two options are possible. Either you ignore it or you carry it with you for consequences.
Musk always prefers to ignore it and he wants budding entrepreneurs to never be in the vicinity of someone who can incite a grudge.
Grudges and bitterness are never a morale booster for any good organization. They take your productive time away for something that is not needed in the first place.
In many instances, holding a grudge might deviate you from your actual goals and can change your personality completely. There can never be a win-win situation in a grudge match.
7. Get A Sense Of Humor:
Everyone appreciates a good sense of humor and a presence of mind. While it can be argued that your product is trying to bring out a better planet, it is nowhere written that you have to do it without fun along the way.
Sometimes running a business is like walking down a long road with no one forcompany and a decent chat. Sometimes the only thing that makes the company running is the sense of humor it tries to portray.
It can sometimes make fun of its own products unabashedly.- Like how Elon does it to his work.
He could have easily chosen a futuristic name for his electric cars, but models have been named after “S”, “E” and the model “X”. Since the model “E” was already patented with FORD motors, he chose the letter “3” for his latest offering.- Talk about the man’s weird sense of humor.
Similarly, he named his Hyperloop company as just the “BORING Company” and the futuristic AI venture as “OpenAI”. Sometimes more than the work, the general public can get accustomed to the culture of a company.
The more the company is willing to break the shackles and mingle with the crowd, the more it gets into their minds.
8. Choose To Be Extraordinary:
Best brands are often associated with its founders. In a way, the founders become a brand themselves once the product gets the approval.
This is the reality of what a popular brand does to you. When you are in such a position, choose to become extraordinary and not follow the crowd.
Musk is an own brand by himself. Any product which he releases has the stamp of his authority that they will be the best product in the market. The general public has learned to accept that.
This occurs only when you choose to be an extraordinary person yourself. You need to show and advertise yourself as much as your brand to get connected with the people.
Advertising yourself might not work in every scenario but however, every product needs a face value. You can choose to be that face value or hire a brand ambassador.
Elon in his own words has stated that people can choose to be that extraordinary being in all walks of life. Though it is a lengthy process, they can achieve it with a single step per day.
9. Retirement is Just a Possibility:
In one interview, Elon was asked what his retirement plans were. Elon simply quoted that he wishes to retire before he goes senile or something.
Knowing the eccentric background of the founder of SpaceX, the interviewer assumed that Elon might never retire.
Retirement is simply not an option for some people. They keep creating new horizons and possibilities for the betterment of everyone.
There have been instances when great founders have continued to work their way- way past their prime. The experience they bring about to an organization is simply unmatchable.
Never do have a deadline for retirement. Try to go to the lengths as much as possible by achieving.
Elon Musk belongs to that rare breed!
Over to You!
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This is day 8 of 8 Days of Maverick Success Tips from Elon Musk.
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