We had the ultimate gut check a few months ago on our country’s economic paradigm. Admiral William Stockdale’s quote to Jim Collins rings in my ears:
"You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose – with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."
Thus Jim Collins coined the Stockdale Paradox. Embrace the brutal facts, but have unwavering faith that you will prevail. I encourage all Economy Heroes to embrace the Paradox this morning and keep pumping. The brutal facts of taxation, mandatory health care, and a plethora of other policies stare you in the face, but you must have the unwavering faith that you, and your “baby” will survive.
Are you now asking why?
3 Reasons Economy Heroes Will Continue to Succeed
Innovation
America depends on you to create the medical technology that cures and heals, the engineering that makes the inefficient and costly cost-efficient, and the capsule that enables a man to step off a platform and “fall with style” for twenty three miles. The Fortune 1000 no longer innovates. They buy your idea so that they can inflate and scale it with capital. Without you, nothing new happens.
Inspiration
America looks at Dave Drieling, CEO and Founder of GTM software and marvel at a guy who can create a $65 million dollar business that started out of his car trunk. Because you take the risks that change our lives, we watch and remember that entrepreneurs are our nation’s competitive advantage in the world economy.
Employment
Once you survive No Man’s Land, you create over 85% of the jobs in this country. The GEs and Microsofts create less than 3%. If you think the job market is tight now, think of what would happen if more of you pull back.
I’ve had the privilege of hanging with enough of you to know that you play to win. Don’t fall into the trap of loss aversion; don’t let today’s news tempt you to “play not to lose.” Keep knocking on the Private Equity doors to bridge your capital gap. Keep honing your Value Proposition. Keep hiring the talent that will take you to the next level. Free yourself to do what you do best.
I know I’m speaking to the choir. But I want you to know that I’m your biggest fan; I'm an Entrepreneur Activist. Going forward, we’ll have to fight for every win we get. Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody’s got a strategy until he gets hit.” You may feel like you've been hit. But don't stay down. From now on, this is truly is a Freedom Fight for Entrepreneurs.
Embrace the Stockdale Paradox, but keep pumping. Your company needs you, our country needs you. Now more than ever.
Learn more about how to survive No Man's Land in our ebook below.
Photo Credit: Freedigitalphotos.net
Brent Sapp is CEO and Co-Founder of Inc. Navigator, as well as the Founder of the Economy Heroes movement (@EconomyHeroes). Inc. Navigator serves as Newport's strategic technology provider. You can contact Brent by email at brent@incnav.com or learn more about him on the Economy Heroes website.
