Rebel, Rebel by David Bowie is an all-time great song.
It leads with a brilliant intro that hooks you.
Then, a repeating rhythm gets into your head.
Play it loud, your mood lifts, and you want to start moving.
Well, that’s how it works for me.
You may feel differently. However,
The thing is, rebels, as the song highlights, see things differently.
Usually, this makes them unpopular with someone.
British Airways wanted to crush Freddie Laker.
Later, their target was Richard Branson’s Virgin Airlines.
They succeeded with the first but failed with the latter.
Rebels are threats because they want to change things.
They want to upset the status quo.
Therefore, they must be squashed by those who have things the way they like.
History is full of would-be change-makers, many of whom came to sticky ends.
Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasants Revolt, would be one example.
He had an excellent cause for the rebellion he led, but the power structure of his time prevailed.
Poor old Wat (Walter) was killed, and the rebellion ended.
However, in business, rebels are often the people who succeed.
That’s because they break rules and challenge norms.
They ask, “Why do we do things this way?”
They also ask, “Could we do things a better way?”
Think Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jamie Oliver or Richard Branson as examples here.
How do you become more “rebel” minded?
There are many different ways.
Deep thinking and questioning would be on that list.
One powerful method is to talk with and listen to clients and prospective clients.
Their views on the market, their problems and what they need can be a guide to the changes your business should be making.
Bringing those views back to senior management may not always be popular.
It may make you seem like a rebel, but rebels with facts and market insights get listened to and, in time, get promoted.
Or they start their own business.
One of the fastest ways to start getting those market insights is to exhibit at trade shows.
As your business already does that, you have a distinct advantage over rivals that don’t use events.
Our training and consultancy can help you attract more people to your stand and enterprise.
If that sounds interesting to you, email david@theexhibitionagency.com
I’ll explain how we can help.
Very best,