Strange as it may sound, “Success” is one of the most misunderstood subjects today. That is why so many people desperately want to achieve “success”, but so many do not achieve it.

That is why we need to understand what actually is “success”. We can start by identifying some very common misunderstandings about success. This is important because if your concept of success is wrong, it becomes much more difficult to achieve success !

In the previous sessions, we have identified 5 misunderstandings about success. They are :

MISUNDERSTANDING 1
Many people are not successful because of their background, such as their education, their family background, their childhood, etc

MISUNDERSTANDING 2
Successful people do not make mistakes.

MISUNDERSTANDING 3
To succeed, we have to work more than 60 (70,80,90…) hours a week

MISUNDERSTANDING 4
If you always ask for help, you will not be successful

MISUNDERSTANDING 5
You need luck to be successful

In this session, we shall explore misunderstanding number 6

MISUNDERSTANDING 6
You will only succeed if you play within the rules

Sadly, many people are misunderstood. That is the PRECISE reason why they are often left behind ! There is a very important difference between “Rules” and the “Law”.

The Law is Legal. Laws tend to be more long term. Let’s all keep within the Law. Let’s not break any Laws when we conduct our business. In other words, let’s not do anything ILLEGAL. Laws are designed not to restrict. In fact, laws are to protect. So let’s keep within the law.

But Rules are another thing altogether. Rules tend to be more short term and are dependent on the current and prevailing situations. Rules tend to be the acceptable “norm” for behaviour for a certain group within a certain period of time. Rules are less permanent in nature.

Often, rules are made and changed when circumstances change. In football, we see this happening every year ! At the beginning of every new football season, we learn that the rules have been modified a little. For example… when taking penalties, goalkeepers can now move a little, what constitutes a foul, and what becomes a red card offence is redefined every season!

Even within an organization, an association, a trade body, etc, every time and new chairman is elected and a new committee is formed, the rules are modified.

Notice that the Ten Commandments are the Law, not the Rules. They have been the same since the time of Moses. The Ten Commandments did not change with time, did not change according to fashion, and did not change when a new king / priest / pope came along. They have remained the same, unchanged all this time !

So what had all these got to do with success ??

A lot !!

If you are the one changing the rules and putting up new rules, then you and your organisation will have some “unfair” advantage, or at least some “lead time” to make some preparations.

On the contrary, if you are not part of the “rule-making” group of people, then you are just one of those who are affected by the changes. Often, this leaves you surprised, shocked, unprepared, left with outdated equipment, unsellable stock, untrained people, wrongly allocated priorities. By the time you make the necessary adjustments and changes, other people (those who made the rules, ie those who had “lead time” to prepare) would have had the first and juiciest bite of the pie, leaving you with the leftovers !!

As the popular saying goes, “Kasihan deh elu !”


Reality check : What about your situation now ?

In your organization, in your business, in your industry, in your community, are you among the small and elite group of people who make the rules or are you among the majority who obediently follow the rules of the game that are put down by your fellow human beings (in fact your contemporaries – most of whom are no better than yourself). In other words, do you dictate the rules of the game, or are you dictated by others ?

So are you amongst the suffering majority who ask in surprise, shock and despair “Who Moved My Cheese ?”, or are you among the intelligent, sharp and pro-active elite whose slogan is “I Moved My Own Cheese & Everybody Else’s Cheese !”



So what does all this mean ? This has a lot to do with your success ! Let’s review MISUNDERSTANDING 3

There are many people who work very hard, (victims) playing by the rules made by other people. Working very hard, nevertheless severely disadvantaged.

So are you just a hard worker not involved and not part of the rule-making process, or are you actively participating in the rule-making process of your company, business industry, or community ? What have you been you busy doing ? What organizations / committees should you now be joining ?


One classic example is Bill Gates. He keeps inventing, re-inventing and changing the rules of the game ! Back in the early days of the PC revolution, people bought their IBM PCs with no software installed. Users had to buy the operating system (CRM) separately, then they had to buy the word processing software (Wordstar), spreadsheet software (Lotus 123), database management system (dBase) all SEPERATELY. Then Bill Gates asked himself “Why should the end user have to go through all that trouble. He persuaded IBM to pre-install his Microsoft in every IBM PC purchased. Users then did not have to bother about the operating system, and separate application software. It’s all lumped and integrated in Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, Access, all accessible the moment you switch on your PC. No need to install separately.. etc !! Overnight Microsoft sales rocketed to the moon and Wordstar, Lotus123, dbase III sank to the bottom of the sea !!

Follow the rules, or change the rules ?

What about your business ? I know that you are saying to yourself that you are not as large as Microsoft, you don’t have the means to change and shake the industry.

That’s an excuse !!

When Bill Gates first started, he was a nobody. Just a nerd just fresh out. He did not go head on and fight the industry giants. That would have been business suicide ! He rode on and leveraged on the giant of that time, IBM.

Of course Bill Gate had the brilliance to do something most people at that time and at his age did not do. He did NOT sell the rights of Microsoft to IBM. IBM did make him an attractive offer (by the standards of the 80s, and I’m sure very tempting to a young man out of money). No. Instead, he requested IBM for a “small” royalty. That little “trickle” of a royalty is now many oceans !! But that is another story. We’ll talk about that another time.


So what have we learnt from this world-famous example from Bill Gates ? Another important lesson :


Instead of asking “How can I do better, cheaper, faster than my competitors, ask what can I do differently from my competitors ?”

This means asking 2 questions :

• Why should we keep doing this ?
• What is it that our customers want/will want that our competitors are not providing ?”

Keep asking these 2 basic questions… then think in terms of leverage.

It’s incredible what ideas and opportunities will open up before your very eyes the moment you start to change your focus ! I’ve tried it.. it works !


So follow the rules ? I don’t think so !!


Good luck !!