When
Steve Wozniak was asked what he would have done differently if he had been
Apple's CEO instead of Steve Jobs, he said he would have been "a lot nicer to
people," but quickly added that under his leadership, the Macintosh might never
have been released. Jobs was known for being ruthless, controlling, and often
ill-tempered. His relentless pursuit of perfection and insistence on pushing
products out before they were ready created enormous internal strain. Many
couldn't tolerate working for him, and he undoubtedly missed out on a lot of
talent because of his abrasive style. Yet, this very approach enabled him to
build one of the world's most iconic and successful companies.
For
small business owners, such extreme "disagreeableness" isn't
necessary. However, many tolerate far too much from employees, vendors,
clients, and others.
One
reason the character Tony Soprano from The Sopranos was so admired is
that he embodied backbone and confidence. Tony didn't take nonsense from anyone
and took decisive actions rather than just holding grudges. While his methods
were extreme and not advisable, the underlying message is that standing up for
oneself and not being overly concerned with critics can lead to becoming a more
respected and assertive leader.
This
concept directly applies to the security of your business. If you hesitate to
take a firm stand and fail to establish clear boundaries to protect your
organization, you will be exploited. Cybercriminals and others with their own
agendas do not care about your well-being. They aim to exploit your hard work,
steal your profits, infiltrate your network, and access your data, putting
everything you've built at risk.
