Challenging The Status Quo

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal:

it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Winston S. Churchill

I found myself in the heart of Dublin City last Saturday morning, immersed in the vibrant atmosphere around Grafton Street. I was doing an interview on Irish radio about my new book so I went in early to avoid traffic.

Grafton Street is one of the busiest shopping areas in the Irish capital, alive with people chatting, strolling, and exploring the shops.

Taking a moment to enjoy the scene, I decided to grab a coffee close to where two talented musicians were playing beautiful songs. They seemed a bit more polished than the average busker and really caught my attention.

After their performance, speaking into a portable microphone, one of them artists started sharing a compelling story about their journey.

They had started as buskers in Dublin years earlier and worked hard to build a loyal following. This paid off with them realising their dream of securing a major record deal, going to the US and selling numerous records.

However, their dream turned into a bit of a nightmare due to disruptions in the music industry which meant not getting paid well for their music.

To overcome this, they decided to be disruptors themselves and went on the arduous journey of unwinding themselves from restrictive legal contracts and opting out of the major streaming providers.

Now they sell direct to their fans via their website, social media and concerts.

I was captivated by their story, and it got me thinking about why it resonated with me.

I believe it’s because they refused to accept the status quo, rejecting the mindset of ‘this is the way it has to be’, which I’ve always been attracted to.

Reflecting on my own journey, I’ve learned the pain of feeling stuck in a situation. I’ve also seen the importance of changing before it becomes a necessity. It’s not always easy, often uncomfortable and requires bravery but in the long run, it leads to less pain.

In my work I’ve also observed this mindset in the best leaders and teams i.e. the willingness to change before it’s imposed upon them.

I also see what this band is doing as quite entrepreneurial and admire them for carving out their own path. There’s a pureness of integrity about it.

So, as you navigate this week:

• Where are you currently accepting the status quo? (Consider your health, your circumstances, your relationships, your team, your business, your industry and community)
• Where can you challenge it? (There’s definitely somewhere…)
• Where is an opportunity to change before the real, painful need arises? (It’s really worth ‘thinking’ about this…)

Here’s to disrupting!

Shane

PS – The band is an Irish one called Keywest, and I’m a new fan.

PPS – The radio interview was on one of the biggest shows in Ireland for leaders, Down To Business with Bobby Kerr. It’s 9 minutes and if you’re interested you can listen here.

My New Book: The Inner CEO

What’s it about? Becoming the boss of your mind and thriving.

What’s different about it? It’s very digestible and relatable. Using stories, metaphors and memorable frameworks you will get insights on your own inner game you hadn’t considered before.

Find out more here at www.theinnerceo.com

The Inner Edge Podcast: Short, bite-sized nuggets designed to give you motivation and plenty of inspirational food for thought. Listen on my website here or on all major podcasting platforms.

This week’s episode, Ep 153: The Blind Spot Challenge