Men Who Changed Their Industries: A Different Perspective

In any field, an Outlier who breaks the norm exists. Outliers are able to do this by breaking the set boundaries. Most of the time, these men are viewed as dreamers or even misfits. They don’t follow the set path of success and the roads are often filled with hurdles. But It is through these hurdles that they learn to conquer them. Ultimately, they break the set boundaries and become the leaders of the industry.

To be an outlier is to be a different breed, and initiatives to do so will require bravery and a paradoxically uneducated approach. So as they wish to innovate, they are aware that the competitiveness filled sphere does not encourage doing so in a conventional manner as most new ideas are. They possess the foresight to comprehend that in order to make a beneficial change, there are times when they would have to look unaccompanied, especially when their thoughts are too radical or obscure. And the men who dare to reshape the entire industry are the outcasts, the innovators. With the fierce conviction in the belief of their perception and the relentless pursuit of the realm of possibilities, they are unstoppable in their quest to bring that very perception to reality.

In numerous eras, divergence has served as a great asset, but to such an extent, leaps and bounds were witnessed in history, whether it was through entrepreneurship, leadership, or visionary efforts. The likes of Steve jobs and Kenneth Lay drastically shifted the technological world and made it more intuitive and user friendly. A key trait that drove them was functionality and they were harshly opposed until they found success, but success that changed the paradigm. Their goals were radical and pushed the entirely system. Steve jobs of the apple was considered to be a rogue for quite some time as his vision was not only impossible to comprehend but simply outlandish when compared to that of the contemporaries. The desire to not abide by the traditions only fueled his ambitions further more. Apple is now one of the most famous and recognized business of all time, the strategies and designs redefined everything.

Just like that, Elon Musk is In the same line a man who showed courage to be different. Elon Musk has turned the automotive world his heads with his ventures such as Tesla, as well as the airline industry with SpaceX. Back in the day when he founded tesla adventurous concept making a leap forward into electric cars was a sheer adventure. For instance, the idea of space exploration as a business for interested private investors was rather extravagant. However, thanks to Musk’s entrepreneurial genius and his ability to risk and break existing patterns, he ranks as one of the most important figures in business today. So, he did not just disregard the orthodox – he was the first to begin carving out new frontiers for those markets which had been intensively controlled by the big guns for ages.

What the past few years have also shown is that it is not just in the field of technology that outliers have steered themselves to industry leaders. There have also been those in the world of finance who went against the mainstream. Warren Buffett, for instance, is regarded as one of today’s most successful investors. However, when he first started investing, he thought the manner in which he did it, was unconventional. He was still engaging himself with the stock market but in a long term value investment culture which was unheard of at that time. He was an outlier and a maverick, and his success speaks volumes for the true principles he has and the path he has always had the guts to follow.

In the fashion world, a man who dared to be incongruous has also made a difference, Ralph Lauren. A young boy from rags to rags met during which the vision of an American style that he wished propelled him towards conquering the fashion world. Starting as a line of men’s neckties, Polo burgeoned into an emblem of lavishness. Lauren’s brand of fashion was far from what other designers of his generation were up to and his desire to depart from the fashion life as usual thinking aided him in creating what is possibly the world’s most popular brand.

These individuals have reached amazing heights but it’s worth noting that their paths were laden with obstacles. Standing out from the crowd means battling adversities from the industry and the rest of society. Most of the time, the people mocked and opposed many of the concepts which they defended. What made them different from others, however, was their courage and determination. They did not allow the possibility of failing or lack of faith from other people interfere with their progress. Instead, those challenges were embraced and in their minds they thought how if they were to change the world with their unconventional thoughts. This is how true visionaries are differentiated from the rest, who simply go with the herd.

In my opinion, a drastic shift in business philosophy moving from an outlier to an industry leader is no walk in the park. But seemingly, accomplishing such a feat entails an incredible persistence, grit, and a sharp willingness to fail multiple times in the process. Indeed, why ordinary men cling to the view that to be exceptional is a crime. While it is perfectly clear that failure is inevitable. The type of men they are: innovative refuse to see it as a blockage but rather a learning opportunity. This approach of theirs is constantly undergoing development along with new means, until success is achieved. All of this indicates a drive and determination to move further after one has faced a failure. This is very much true of any business disruptor.

These men have great vision and determination as well. They do not just want to pave their own paths; they look forward to leaving their impact on something new. It can be revolutionizing the technology era or the business sphere, and these outliers have their goals in mind, and they’re not afraid to fail trying to accomplish their objectives. Generally, their winning abilities stem from their talented eye that sees business opportunities where other people see barriers and endeavors to change these opportunities into great ventures or innovative designs.

Another common trait among these men is how innovative and unorthodox they are. Their goal is never to replicate but to reinvent. Such individuals always strive to turn business inside out through different means such as technology, business modeling and other creative recommendations for what’s been traditional for ages. This type of attitude is what gives them an edge over their contenders and reinforces them as the best in the industry. In the modern market, they are well aware of how fast things can grow and how technologically advanced consumers and tastes can become so they must always grow alongside them.

One of the greatest priorities of these men, and which they drill into their students, is to embrace authenticity. As much as it would be easy to take the road most traveled quite a few modern day outliers don’t and instead have the self assurance to sustain their principles, regardless of what society demands. Rather than feeling the need to amalgamate into society and follow the latest trend these individuals fully believe in their full values and principles. The only thing that matters is authenticity – people whom the entrepreneur wishes to reach for, not people whom he wants to appear to. Strong leaders are passionate and most importantly real and unimpressive about who they are.

Correspondingly, while it is true that every noteworthy leader begins as an outlier- they must persevere, be brave and most importantly resolute in their goals and visions. In every realm, be it technology, finance, fashion or any other field, these courageous trailblazers have proven that the only means to empower industries, break boundaries and make a difference is to disregard the conventional approach and build new standards. The ability to embrace one’s differentiation rather than belittle it is an extraordinary gift, and the tales of these leaders can only stand as an irrefutable representation of this. The respect and admiration they earned by holding onto their vision and demonstrating never-ending creativity serves as an example to many others wholeheartedly. Through their key principles, these ordinary men without a doubt altered the course of their industries forever; inspiring the dreamers and empowers to embrace their uniqueness too.