We all know that there’s no such thing as an “overnight success.”
It’s true in business, and it’s true in life. Nor is there a magic bullet, the quick fix, a switch you can flip or a single, out-of-nowhere “aha!” moment that changes everything.
These are the reminders I get from reading about “The Flywheel and The Doomloop” in Jim Collins’ Good to Great.
The flywheel is a heavy, massive metal disk mounted horizontally on an axle. To get it moving, you have to push with all of your concentration and effort. It might only move a centimeter in the beginning. You keep pushing. It moves some more. You keep going in a consistent direction and keep pushing, and after what feels like countless pushes, the flywheel builds momentum.
Pretty soon, it’s flying solo. And that’s the moment when everyone turns to stare in wonder, at how it has miraculously taken off and started generating its own energy.
To others on the outside looking in, it appears you’ve flipped a switch. All of a sudden, you’re “It,” the talk of the town.
As entrepreneurs, our business is our flywheel. Every time we post a blog, make a phone call, go to a networking event, attract a new client or customer, we are making a small, imperceptible push on that flywheel. And so much of it happens quietly over a long period of time.
There are those who look for the bright shiny object that’s going to break them through to success. And there are those who push the boring, heavy flywheel, day in and day out. They create the most sustainable results. Consider this shake-you-up observation by Peter Drucker that Collins shares on pg. 180: “the drive for mergers and acquisitions (ie bright shiny objects) comes less from sound reasoning than from the fact that doing deals is a much more exciting way to spend your day than doing actual work.”
Ouch!
If we’re doing the actual work, we sometimes get tired of pushing and want to stop (I call those my “Stop the world, I want to get off!!!” moments).
This is where I think introvert entrepreneurs have an edge. We have an ability to focus and drill down deep, to stick with a task over time. That doesn’t mean we don’t get distracted; I often find myself coming down with a severe case of entrepreneurial ADD. But we generally can keep our nose to the grindstone (or in this case, the flywheel) long after others have grown impatient.
Another key point to remember: make sure you’re pushing on the right flywheel. Check to see if you’re feeding the Cycle of Success and the Cycle of Failure (both concepts will be discussed in my Nov 17 podcast interview with Julie Fleming). If you’re caught in the Cycle of Failure, your pushing will cause movement, but it will never create momentum.
The take-away for the introvert entrepreneur is to use your super powers of focus and depth to push with quiet consistency. Keep in mind that all of the little steps you make, no matter how seemingly inconsequential, will add up to what looks like a breakthrough.
You can’t force or manufacture that breakthrough; it has to be the result of, as Collins puts it, a “compounding investment of effort.”
You can only keep showing up, keep pushing, and then smile in wonder as the wheel starts to carry you.
PS: Introverts, remember that you don’t have to push alone! A few well-chosen, energizing partnerships will make that flywheel much easier to get moving. BEFORE you get tired, know who you can call upon who will help you push or even push YOU.
For Your Consideration:
What tiny pushes are you making right now on your flywheel? What keeps you going when you get tired? What muscles are getting stronger the more you push?
Main Photo courtesy of foreversouls on Flickr
Great post, Beth. Makes you think a minute about your own flywheel. Am I always pushing the right one? Great insights. Thanks.
Betty, you got it! My guess is that the more "right" the flywheel, the less we feel the stress of pushing.
@Merry C McNutt, CPA, MBA, I'm so glad you mention that seeming contradiction between pushing and allowing. My thought is that since the flywheel doesn't have any resistance other than its weight, the pushing isn't *against* something, but moving towards something. It creates the ease and flow we want. Determination and persistence done from a place of prosperity and love will be more like the push of childbirth - often painful, always joyful and worth it in the end!
@Judy Dunn, yes, the merry-go-round was a staple of every playground I knew growing up... I assume it's still there! It occurred to me that it is like a flywheel, in that you have to push for a while before you get enough momentum to jump on and ride. And what you say about the diff between inside and outside appearances is so true!
And yes, choosing the right people (see my previous post in this series, http://bethbuelow.com/2010/08/26/the-introvert-en... is critical, I think esp. for introverts. The right partner can help with energy, the wrong one can drag you down. Thanks for bringing that visual full circle! :-)
Great article, Beth. I needed that message. I'm pushing and pushing through a deadline (even though pushing goes against my philosophy of allowing life to unfold with ease). I'm tired and ready to have a breather show up. What I really needed was just a reminder that with determination and persistence, the wheel will start to carry me. That's a nice way to imagine my efforts.
Beth,
Love the analogies and metaphors you use. Such a visual there.
Man, I remember that playground ride. Didn't know it was called a "flywheel." It is very true when I think about it. To others, much of what we do from day to day in our businesses is invisible. We are pushing the flywheel. Alone. I have had family members marvel at the fact that "I can do anything at any time" because I own my own business. They don't see me up at midnight typing away, or working on new blog posts on a Sunday. So, yeah, that whole "overnight success" thing bugs me.
Word of caution: Partners can help get the flywheel moving faster. Just choose the right people to get on with you. Remember that kid who would get on and then drag his foot over the edge, against the ground, delighting in slowing us all down? : )
This is very reassuring and welcome to hear right now. And I can see how it's true. I'm noticing that the people who are successful with online businesses and/or have blogs with large readerships have one thing in common: they've worked at it consistently for months, if not years.
I've been plugging away at my blog for nearly a year now. I'm putting myself out there on Twitter. I'm commenting on other blogs. And I'm (gasp) leaving the house and meeting with real live people.
When I get tired, I quit temporarily. I take a break. Then I start again. And it's true: the more I exercise my "social muscles" the easier it gets. (Any yeah, teaming up with people, joining groups and projects...really accelerates the process.)
Patty, you are so right. What I also find is that the people who are consistent also give the impression they've been doing it for years - I've sometimes thought someone's been in biz way longer than s/he actually has been, partly because I see such consistency and presence.
I'm glad to hear that you take breaks :-) ... pushing when we're completely exhausted usually ends up defeating our efforts. The key, as you say, is starting again and getting stronger as we go!
Thanks for being part of the team that helps me push... I hope that I'm supporting you in the same way!
This is very reassuring and welcome to hear right now. And I can see how it's true. I'm noticing that the people who are successful with online businesses and/or have blogs with large readerships have one thing in common: they've worked at it consistently for months, if not years.
I've been plugging away at my blog for nearly a year now. I'm putting myself out there on Twitter. I'm commenting on other blogs. And I'm (gasp) leaving the house and meeting with real live people.
When I get tired, I quit temporarily. I take a break. Then I start again. And it's true: the more I exercise my "social muscles" the easier it gets. (Any yeah, teaming up with people, joining groups and projects...really accelerates the process.)
You struck a nerve here, Beth. I work away day after day. Sometimes I seem to be pushing -- often to complete something. Often I forget how many different kinds of partners are out there that I could connect with. Tonight I met with two Biznik friends who live near me (we're north enders) for our periodic accountability group. We laughed, listened, offered suggestions and information, and I went home feeling connected and refreshed. Thank you for the powerful reminder. Working solo it is easy to lose perspective.
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