I was having a difficult conversation yesterday. The Manager I was speaking with has never been through a recession. He does not know what is about to hit him and his team. Yes, times are tough but one thing is certain – Some people and businesses will come out of this stronger than others. The question, then is, Who will you be looking to emulate – the creators or the casualties? A lesson from Michael Dell from not too long ago…

It was only February 2003, in the car-wreck of the dot com bust. Recent enough for even the youngest readers of this blog to draw inspiration. Many people were fearful. Many feared the worst – and spread their fear like a virus. Then there was Michael Dell, president and CEO of Dell Computer.

He was presenting Dell’s 4th quarter results and was bullish about the future. The naysayers, the market makers, the stock analysts, the journalists and almost everyone else scoffed. Was he living in the ‘Real world’?  When Michael was asked in a meeting of important opinion makers where his projected continued growth would come from, because of the slowdown in technology spending, he grew irritated.

“About 140 million PC’s will be sold this year and Dell still had only 15 to 16 percent of the worldwide market. We see wonderful opportunities to continue to expand our business.” he replied.

Michael Dell was going after the 85 percent he didn’t have. His reality was seen through a different prism. He was living the 80/20 rule. Others only saw the current car wreck of the dot-com bust – he saw the clear road ahead. 

In tough times you have a choice; do you go with the whingers or with the winners!

Of course, you can always contact us directly to tailor a support programme to your needs.