If there is one TV series that has the whole world going crazy, it’s the Game of Thrones. It’s an American television series produced by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Thousands of people from all over the planet have developed interest in this action-packed, suspense-filled medieval drama – and for good reason. It has amassed amazing reviews notably from IMDb (9.5/10), Rotten Tomatoes (95%) and TV.com (9/10). The show has also offered some strange business lessons about which your bosses, mentors and college professors probably never told you.
As a business owner, you might wonder how a television series is supposed to teach you how to make more money. However, the lives that the characters in the show live, the decisions they make, and the people that eventually end up dead because of this may be far more relatable than you’d think for a fantasy series. The show illustrates some pretty interesting life-lessons from which every business owner can learn a thing or two. Below are four business lessons every entrepreneur can learn from the Game of Thrones.
Winter Is Coming:
This is one phrase that was mentioned a lot in the series. Used by the Lords of the North, these words serve a kind of warning and call for vigilance. They must prepare for the coming harsh winter and possibly the coming of the White Walkers. While there may not be any White Walkers coming for your business, every business goes through struggles. Preparing for this is important for the business’s survival. Most startups might take months before they can sustain themselves, break even and then generate a profit.
Difficult situations will undoubtedly shake your confidence as an entrepreneur. Build up your confidence and then create a strong support network. Create an emergency savings account for your business and then scan your site for vulnerabilities that may be accessible to hackers. Planning ahead is a necessity for the survival of every business.
You Can’t Do It All Alone:
There is a famous quote from the book. It says “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.” Every business owner wants to feel in control the affairs of their businesses. You need help in making decisions. You also need to trust in the people you hire to delegate and run your business. This is very important for every business’ survival.
Your Family Name/Brand Name Matters A Lot:
Ned Stark is known as a man of honor. The Lannisters are one of the proudest families in the series. Tywin Lannister (the head of their family) had made rash decisions, fought and killed many just to uphold their family name. They say “The Lannisters always pay their debts.” Creating a brand for your business, having and standing by a motto is also very important. Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota, has a distinct logo recognizable anywhere in the world with their cars having durable engines. Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia, is renowned for making highly durable mobile phones with long lasting batteries. Let your business be known for something great, something your customers can talk about, a legacy, that people will remember for years to come.
Things Don’t Always Go As Planned:
Surely, you’ll want to have a great business idea, save up some money to bring it to reality and expect a lot of money to fill up your entire living room afterwards. Well, that’s not going to happen right away. Sometimes in Games of Thrones it’d look like all is going well, but then everything would fall apart. The world is a cruel place they say, so prepare your business for unexpected things. If you haven’t seen an episode of the TV series, it’s never too late. If you have, I’ll leave you with a quote from Cersi Lannister: “When you play the game of thrones you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”
This article was written by Emmanuel Ozigi, a biochemist in the making from Nigeria. In his spare time, he’s a science, health, and fitness blogger. He also specializes in graphic design and photo editing. He has an insatiable hunger for information and the desire to learn new things. Visit his blog at http://sciencehealth24.com.
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