The fifth common mistaken assumption or ‘mis-blink‘ we can easily make during a time of change is called dependency. This arises when we make our actions conditional or dependent on the behaviour of others: we know the action we want to take, but we refuse to take it unless someone else behaves in a certain way.
In many cases this is part of normal daily life: “I will allow you to use my patent on the condition that you pay me XYZ amount.” Or “I will pay you a bonus, depending on whether or not you meet your targets.”
But at other times, making our actions dependent on the behaviour of others can prevent us from achieving the goals we care about the most.
The early days of Tesla Motors provide a good example.
Back in June 2014 (when Elon Musk wasn’t even on the Forbes billionaire list, let alone at the top of it) Tesla realised something important: the royalties and licensing fees it was charging for its battery technologies were holding the company back from achieving its most important, strategic goals.
“Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport. If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal.”
Even though charging these fees as a condition for using its patents was normal business practice, the company decided to allow other organisations use the patents for free. This accelerated the achievement of Tesla’s most important goal: the advent of sustainable transport. (And it also strengthened Tesla’s strategic position, by encouraging competitors to use Tesla’s technology rather than developing their own.)
When Airbnb and Uber let go of their need to own and control hotels and taxis they freed themselves to transform entire industries.
Letting go of dependency enables innovation and new business models to flourish.
In this time of churning, the old rules are breaking down. This presents us with a choice: either to restrict ourselves with the old dependencies, “Because we’ve always done it that way.” Or to do what matters most to us anyway and put ourselves fully in control of what we choose to do and not to do, no matter what anybody else might think or say or do.
Since 2014, Elon Musk has clearly taken this principle of doing what he wants, irrespective of anybody else, to new extremes. But the point isn’t whether you agree with his actions. The point is whether letting go of your dependency on what others might think or say or do would help you to achieve more of the goals that matter most to you. And how would you feel if someone else decided, “Dammit! I’m just going to do it anyway”?
Adapted from The Churning, Inner Leadership: a framework and a set of tools for building inspiration in a time of change.
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Photo By Tesla Club Belgium via StockPholio.net