Not growth, not opportunity, not investment, not customer relations or brand development. In fact I would go so far as to say that real entrepreneurship, market changing innovation can only occur in a state of controlled chaos.
Controlled Chaos is the state in which guidelines and boundaries exist at the outset... and then explode into new directions, and previously unforeseen outcomes (think of things like distribution channels, customer management, inventory management, risk profile tend to fairly common across industries).
All industries converge when it comes to operating in the consensus view of 'best model practice'. It is not until someone challenges the consensus view and demonstrates true innovation that the market evolves and a new consensus view is established.
Given this, entrepreneurial warriors need not only the appropriate temperament and skill set for operating in chaos, they actually need to be the catalyst for chaos.
A state of chaos serves two distinct benefits for the entrepreneur:
1. It necessitates flexibility, quick thinking and nimbleness
2. It unbalances your competition who are only comfortable competing in the traditional way, across traditional levers. Change the levers and watch them drop the ball on the traditional game as they try to catch up on the new one!
I will come back to chaos again shortly but be weary of the traditionalist third party service provider (lawyer, banker, investor, board member) who dismisses chaos out of hand - just make sure it's controlled....
Brilliant post Adam and a good point you raise! It's a learned skill or natural quality that I believe successful people possess.The more we embrace the uncertainty and deal with it in a reactionary and timely manner, the more we learn and grow!
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