How Being a Disruptor Can Serve Your Business and the World

We’re all living through a period of significant disruption. When the seas are rough, the temptation is to hunker down, batten down the hatches, and hope you survive until it all blows over. But what if disruption represents an opportunity, an opportunity for your business? Then it makes sense to let go, expose yourself to the wind and waves, and see where the opportunity takes you. Big-time disruptors like Richard Branson sure have rocked the business world with his unorthodox approach, being a sometimes outrageous voice and defying all predictions that excelling in multiple sectors would never work. He’s grown billion-dollar businesses in finance, hospitality, and airlines, to name a few. Similarly, cryptocurrency like Bitcoin continues to grow, despite early predictions that it would never last. Instead, cryptocurrency is rocking the finance world by bypassing third parties like banks and credit card companies. We no longer have to ask for permission to transact, and neither do the billions around the world who don’t have the luxury of stable banks and access to credit cards. We can all carry on business transactions directly via our smartphones. Why would you want to be a disruptor? For the good of your business. When your business becomes a source of disruption, you create new opportunities. It can give you a significant competitive advantage: your disruption makes you unique and helps you stand out. You can innovate on a larger scale. Why would you want to be a disruptor? For the good of the world. It opens the door to people who may not previously have had access to what you offer. Your innovative ideas can change lives. You’ll want to be smart about it. Know yourself and your marketplace. Take calculated risks, not ungrounded ones. Make a difference that matters, not just for the sake of disruption. Being a disruptor is not easy. The volatility and uncertainty can be unsettling. You have to get comfortable with discomfort, as things shapeshift before your eyes in an evolving situation. Still, it may all be worth it for your business to be a nexus of disruption. You’ll open up whole new markets. You’ll be a beacon with your innovative approach, drawing people with clarity and purpose. And you’ll contribute to making the world a better place when you make a difference with all our welfare in your heart. What could you disrupt about your business that would serve that higher purpose?