In 1979 a 24-year-old Steve Jobs toured the Xerox innovation center in Palo Alto, California. 

During the tour, Xerox showed off their latest, coolest technology: a graphical user interface (GUI). It was the first time a user could manipulate a computer using a mouse to move a cursor around the screen, instead of inputting computer language. It was a monumental innovation that Steve immediately realized would make computers accessible to the average consumer, not just computer geeks.

But Xerox was just sitting on the tech, with no clear plans for implementation.

Upon returning to Apple, Jobs informed his team they had to change course completely and develop a GUI. One of Apple’s executives kindly reminded Steve that they had already invested millions in a different project, and it simply couldn’t be done.

“Steve,” he said, “if we invest in this, we will blow up our own company.”
Jobs famously replied, “Better we should blow it up than someone else.”

In his book The Infinite Game, Simon Sinek uses this specific example to describe a rare trait in leaders, which he calls the “capacity for existential flexibility.” Today we would call it the ability to pivot.

Not So Easy

Most of us think we are adaptable. Most of us are wrong. 

The ability to shift significantly in response to new information, new environments, new competition, or new obstacles requires phenomenal mental toughness and agility.

I’m not talking about adopting a new email management software for your company that takes a few weeks to get used to, or getting used to a new boss who has a different way of doing things.

I’m talking about the kind of shifts that completely upend the way we’ve always done things, posing a significant risk to our very survival, and putting us in danger of disappearing completely should we get it wrong.

Pivots, with a capital ‘P’.

The best way to understand how difficult this is to do is to observe the industry giants who simply couldn’t do it, and fell. Some obvious examples: 

Blockbuster should have become Netflix, but they couldn’t risk investing in digital streaming for fear it would fail and put them out of business. So Netflix put them out of business. 

Borders should have become Amazon, but they couldn’t risk investing in an online shopping experience for book-lovers, for fear it would fail and put them out of business. So Amazon put them out of business.

In an age where innovation and competition move faster and harder than any other time in human history, the capacity for existential flexibility, or the Pivot, is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It’s critical.

Year of the Pivot

Now I’m on a mission.

Since making my own Pivot in response to COVID, shifting my business to virtual in just two weeks and building an entire suite of brand new services, from interactive Zoom workshops, to 1-on-1 business and TEDx coaching, to virtual magic shows, I’ve become obsessed with stories of individuals and organizations who seemingly did the impossible, and continue to do so.

After watching so many otherwise brilliant and talented people let their businesses completely fall apart in 2020, I started to pay more attention to the few-and-far-between who not only survived, but in some cases became bigger, stronger, and more successful than ever before.

Were these people doing something completely different? Was there a secret only they possessed? Did they just get lucky?

I asked them. Quickly a handful of common traits and attitudes emerged among the success stories. Among them:

• Building connections
• Setting boundaries
• Openness to change
• Managing discomfort
• Setting clear goals
• Perseverance

I realized that while there is always an element of luck in success, there was clearly something more at play here.

And then I had a choice:

Do I finish writing the book I’ve been working on for nearly two years, the follow-up to Three New People, that has industry-interest and a potential publishing deal? Or do I shelve that project and start a completely new one in its place that has no guarantee of success and might end up eating up a year’s worth of my time for no reason?

Well, I don’t want to be Blockbuster.

The Pivot Project

This year I’m embarking on a massive multimedia endeavor that will comprise a podcast season, YouTube series, blog, and book. 

I’ve already conducted over a dozen interviews. Season 4 of the Beyond Networking podcast launches next Monday, February 8th. The entire season is themed Year of the Pivot and will exclusively feature these short 30-min conversations, plus deep-dive interviews with experts on topics related to the pivot project like resilience, creativity, and adaptability. 

If you want to go on this journey with us, to become more resilient and better prepared for the next big Pivot in your life or career, we’d love to have you join us.

Make sure you’re subscribed to the weekly newsletter by entering your email below, where you’ll never miss an episode. You can also subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast directly.

How would you describe 2020 in just ONE word?

What pivot have you made in your life or career?

Give us your one word, and tell your pivot story below via video, audio, or text for a chance to be featured in the pivot project this year.

All of us are stronger than any of us. Here’s to your next Pivot.