Marvel’s latest movie release “Black Panther” is being discussed all over America and it has at least three lessons for savvy entrepreneurs. These lessons are:
1. Don’t get ready, stay ready
2. Work with the future in mind
3. No man is an island
Don’t get ready, stay ready
One of the storylines in the movie Black Panther is that a son becomes king after the death of his father. The father and son had prepared for this moment all their lives. This meant when the father died, the son was prepared and ready to take over the throne. When it comes to your business, it is important to prepare in advance and to stay ready to handle things that arise.
For example, in business, there will be dissatisfied customers, suppliers who are late, and employees who unexpectedly take the day off or leave the company. Take time before these things happen to plan what you will do when they occur. Don’t wait for problems to arise to devise solutions. Instead, be proactive. On a regular basis think about worst case scenarios for your business and develop plans to handle them.
Work with the future in mind
The movie Black Panther takes place in a mythical land called Wakanda. The people there are keenly aware of their place in the world. While they honor their ancestors, they also know they have an obligation to the future. When it comes to your business, honor the traditions that have sustained you, but also keep in mind you want your business to have a future.
This means you cannot spend all profits as they are earned, you must learn to set money aside for future endeavors. The actions you, your employees, and your business take today have an impact on what you will be able to do in the future. It is important to keep this in mind. Reputation matters and what you do today will impact the decisions you will have to make tomorrow. As an entrepreneur, you must learn to look at the big picture and think long-range.
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No man is an island
One source of problems in the movie Black Panther was that some of the people were isolationist. They wanted to keep their country, its secrets, and its magnificence a secret from the rest of the world. There was a conflict with others who did not share this view. When operating your business, it is important to remember that even if you have a monopoly, you do not operate your business in a vacuum. No entrepreneur is an island. The rest of the world makes up your customers, employees, and suppliers.
This means that your actions impact others. You cannot operate your business without paying attention to how your business and its actions impact others. How you treat customers may influence suppliers not to do business with you. The way you treat employees will influence how customers interact with your products and services. No matter what actions you take, others will feel the vibrations.
The Black Panther movie contains these three lessons and many others. As a smart entrepreneur, you should ABL, always be learning. When you see books, movies, and television shows, think about any lessons they may provide for your business.
