Develop the shark mentality

21 Jan, 2022 - 00:01 0 Views
Develop the shark mentality

eBusiness Weekly

Arthur Marara

Keep moving, and stay focused!  This is how I would summarise the first two principles that we discussed last time as we explore, “how to develop a shark mentality”.

You need to keep wearing the learning hat, as life has never stopped learning. Once we keep our minds open, we will never be the same. There are a lot of things that we write on these creatures from the marine world. I have to abbreviate the principles so that we can be able to exhaust what we intend to cover. If you missed the first part please get a copy of last week’s Business Weekly or search it online at www.businessweekly.co.zw

  1. Sharks are always curious and always learning

One of the habits of effective people is their commitment to continuous learning. The habit of successful people is that they do not stop learning. It is Alvin Toffler who once remarked that, “The illiterate of the 21st Century are not those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”

Sharks have a natural curiosity. They are always learning and eager to know more. Your personal and professional life will never be the same if you commit to this habit of learning. You even become more valuable.

Once upon a time a certain king had a steamship which he loved so much. It developed a fault. He looked for technicians who could help him within his kingdom. To his dismay, no one could match up the task. After all the dismay one small man passed through after getting wind of the grief. He came and said, “I can fix your steam ship. I want $300,00 for my services.” The payment was promptly made.

The little man asked for a small spanner, and turned one bolt. The steam engine was resurrected. The king looked in utter dismay, and wondered why he had been charged $300,00 for just turning a bolt. A breakdown of the charges was requested. The gentlemen’s reply was profound, “I charged you $20,00 for turning the bolt, and $280,00 for knowing which bolt to turn.”

What are you being paid to do? What innovative solutions are you bringing to your community, to your workplace, to your family, and to the people that are around you.

You are not paid for ignorance

No one is ever rewarded for exhibiting ignorance. You are paid for the quality of solutions that you bring to problems. The quality of problems you solve determines the quality of reward you get. Enhance your capacity to solve problems by enhancing your intellectual capacity. People who do not want to add value to themselves, will always pay the people who add value to themselves.

Come to think of it, we are paying for ignorance at various levels. If you do not know the law, you have to pay a lawyer to explain the law for you, if you do not know how to balance your books; you have to pay an accountant to do that for you, the same with dentistry or any other industry.

It is not enough to just have knowledge in any area of life, have knowledge that you can convert into value. Be so good at what you do, such that when an assignment arises, they can only but think of your services. Be valuable, be rare!

Commit to learning

Perhaps someone who understood this principle and reflected on it earlier was Eric Hoffer who remarked that, “In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

Eric Hoffer is an interesting figure, and perhaps also shows a character who valued learning and development. Hoffer was an American social writer and philosopher. He produced ten books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983 by the President of the United States Ronald Reagan.

Eric Hoffer was born in the Bronx, New York City in 1902 (or possibly 1898), the son of Knut and Elsa Hoffer, immigrants from Alsace. By the age of five, he could read in both German and English. When he was age five, his mother fell down a flight of stairs with Eric in her arms.

Hoffer went blind for unknown medical reasons two years later, but later in life he said he thought it might have been due to trauma. (“I lost my sight at the age of seven. Two years before, my mother and I fell down a flight of stairs. She did not recover and died in that second year after the fall. I lost my sight and for a time my memory”).

After his mother’s death he was raised by a live-in relative or servant, a German woman named Martha. His eyesight inexplicably returned when he was 15. Fearing he would again go blind, he seized upon the opportunity to read as much as he could for as long as he could. His eyesight remained, and Hoffer never abandoned his habit of voracious reading. This explains his quote about learners inheriting the earth.

  1. Sharks always respect their environment and recognise other sharks

Sharks recognise and respect other sharks, even if they’re not the same species. Being different should not make me your enemy. Respect is what makes us humans. The word “respect” has its origins from the Latin word “respectus” which means “attention”, consideration, or regard. The term can be defined as “regard for or of a feeling of the value or greatness of an individual, an individual’s quality or capacity, or something considered as an appearance of an individual quality or capacity”.

You must respect other people’s work ethic and success. When you give and show respect to yourself and other people, you begin to see it reflecting in your life. Even the people you are involved with start to react peacefully and in a respectful manner. Respect allows you to start developing a better understanding of yourself and the people around you. People are inclined to work and embrace people who have respect. This will improve your connections; be it in your professional or personal life. Learn from the sharks.

Arthur Marara is a corporate law attorney, keynote speaker, corporate and personal branding speaker. commanding the stage with his delightful humour, raw energy, and wealth of life experiences. He is a financial wellness expert and is passionate about addressing the issues of wellness, strategy and personal and professional development. Arthur is the author of “Toys for Adults” a thought provoking book on entrepreneurship, and “No one is Coming” a book that seeks to equip leaders to take charge. Send your feedback to [email protected] or Visit his website www.arthurmarara.com or contact him on WhatsApp: +263780055152.

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