WARNING! Please don’t read this if you haven’t watched Iron Man 3. I don’t want to give away any juicy details!
I love a good Superhero movie..the action, the stunts, the drama of it all!
When I took my son to see Iron Man 3 on Sunday, I never expected to pick up any business lessons at all! Especially business lessons that could easily lead you, the entrepreneur, to create more growth and make more profits.
Here’s the thing!
Lessons in business come from all around you, sometimes from the most likely of places. However if you seek you shall find. The answers are all around you for you to get better and grow your business into one that you desire.
Here are the 3 lessons I picked up from Iron Man 3:
1-Duplicate Yourself!
At the end of the movie, there was the famous “good-versus-evil action scene” and just when you thought the heroes were in serious trouble, Mr Iron Man himself summons his team of Iron Men robots!
Over a period of time, Stark (Robert Downey Jr) built many Iron Man suits so that he could duplicate himself.
Why is this important to you?
As a CEO you should be following Stark’s strategy of building up your support team BEFORE you need them.
No one has ever built a multi-6-figure or million dollar business by themselves so even if you’re not yet into the 6-figure range, it is time to build a team that can take you where you want to be.
Building a team allows you to duplicate yourself and will even allow you to add more credibility and build more trust, especially if you’re trying to get corporate clients, high-paying clients or bigger projects.
High-paying clients love to know that you have the support necessary to handle them with the professionalism that they deserve.
2-Release all Judgement
Many small business owners get really personal when it comes to their business decisions.
On the other hand, I believe you should work with the facts but also trust your instincts in business.
This business lesson came about when Stark uncovers his nemesis, the “Mandarin”, who in the movie is actually a British actor that’s being used by the real ‘bad-guys’ as the face of terror. What’s even more interesting is that the Mandarin is totally unaware of the terrible acts of violence that are being carried out and that he is being blamed for!
This was a strange twist in the movie and something I never expected.
Well alot of judgement happens a lot in business too!
Many times “IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU!”
Clients, vendors, prospects make decisions that don’t allow you to feel good about your services. They may take a long time to pay you. They may post nasty comments about you online or berate you or your team on the phone or via email.
Again, most times, it isn’t about you.
In the book, “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz, one of the agreements to creating peace and happiness in business and your life, is to not take anything personally.
Release all judgement in business.
3-Be Open to New Ideas.
In the movie, when Stark was desperate for a way out of his situation (to find his nemesis), his strategy and plan of action was made clear by a 10-year old boy he had just met. The boy says to him “You’re a mechanic right? Then Just Build something!”
The answer was so obvious to the 10-year old at the time but to Stark this was his blind spot. Even though the answer was always in front of him, he could not see it. He thought he had nowhere to go and nowhere to turn.
This is what new, fresh eyes would do for your business.
What’s your goal in your company? More profits? Faster growth? More clients?
Whatever your goal is right now, it’s always a good thing to have new eyes and new ideas. Many entrepreneurs are so focused on doing things in one way, that they stifle their growth and remain stuck for years!
This is why many smart and high-achieving CEO’s and small business owners reach out for a coach or a strategic adviser.
So, have you watched the movie, Iron Man 3?
What business lessons did you pick up from it?
Share below:
[photo credit: Marvel Comics]