Why Thinking Out of the Box Will Not Give RealSuccessAnymore![Article 3]

This article is the third in the series of 20 articles by Santosh Sharma.An article I recently read was titled, “He is a poor man. He only has money!” and I somehow found it apt and intelligent. The spirit is very similar to the Harvard Business Report which found increasing number of budding leaders and entrepreneurs adding more variables into their decisions than their older counterparts - this includes environment and social factors to mention a few.

Yes, inclusive and sustainable growth is something entrepreneurs can work for, for a lasting value proposition. This would also guide them to socially relevant innovations – products and services designed for the people at large. And this won’t happen just by thinking out of the box. One has to ‘dissolve’ all the mental boxes.

Let’s understand the difference between “Thinking Out of the box” and “Dissolving the box altogether” through this famous analogy:

If you ask a thief to think out of the box what will he do? Probably he will steal better. He will find smarter ways to steal and manipulate laws because he still responds from his image of being a thief. The reference of “being the thief” (mental box) still guides all his decisions. But if the same person dissolves his boxes he realizes his true self (not just of being a thief) and simultaneously will get the designing intelligence to reposition himself. It is not just an incremental but a radical shift.

Just like the thief, individuals and organizations still respond from their deeper boxes. And so do entrepreneurs. It’s time to dissolve the mental boxes to actually lead the hot, crowded and dynamic flat-world.

When we dissolve our boxes we see deeper, wider and faster into situations. This allows us to add many more variables into our decisions which we miss when we simply think out of our boxes. It provides the universal edge and helps entrepreneurs to be seamlessly integrated with the Universe. This creates the platform for world class organizations.

Majority of the entrepreneurial journey still is for the dominant factor – to make money, more money and more and more money. And these are the entrepreneurs who don’t go too far. Money is certainly important to sustain and grow but it should not become so dominant that it infects all our decisions, ignoring the other factors.

Entrepreneurship is not about “getting” from people. It is about “giving” to the people. When you give solutions you will certainly get the return back and believe me it’s much more than what you give. And when this becomes the guiding factor for entrepreneurs they get the Universal support to achieve their mission.

Certainly “giving” is the mission for the TATAs providing them the edge over the others. When the other organizations come and go, the TATAs continue to bat consistently beyond the century, still very fresh and vibrant playing the bouncers, body lengths and the yorkers effectively. The sustainability report of HUL also shows how environment consciousness and social relevance is guiding HUL to innovate products that are more in line with the needs and requirements of the society. They have innovated shampoo and detergents needing less water conserving water for those who are still very thirsty but can’t afford to drink.

The Narayan Murthys and Azim Premjis all started small but they had a big purpose in life. So what about you my friends? Take your step ahead. Let nothing hold you back. Add more intelligence to your enterprise by dissolving all your mental boxes. The world needs many of you - a handful of responsible corporate citizens are not enough. You have a role to play.

Play your role, right now. I am excited to add many more case studies to my list with you as the real hero.

If you've not read the previous articles, read them here and here.