Have you seen the ad for Velvet toilet tissue with the baby boss? Some people find it cute, personally it makes me cringe. That was until last night when I realised the truth of the concept.
The natural behaviours that are instinctive to babies are the very same ones we need to be successful in business:
Assertiveness: Babies will tell you that they don’t like something and why. They are definite in their decisions.
Fearlessness: They see the goal and they go for it and they do not worry or even consider the obstacles.
Determination and perseverance: Every development a baby achieves is the result of constant perseverance and determination. Babies need to sleep a lot because their brains are so tired from absorbing all the new skills they need to learn. Just imagine what we could all achieve if we continued to push ourselves in this way?
Pushing the boundaries: Babies never just accept the limits imposed upon them. They will constantly test and push these boundaries to work out what is actually possible.
As children become socially aware, the fear of failure and reprimand gradually tames these instincts. Perhaps we are all protecting our children too much and suppressing entrepreneurial spirit?
Are we trying too hard to mould our children into society instead of giving them the confidence to stand out from the crowd?
Babies have better business characteristics and perhaps we should step back into what is instinctive to all of us.
Nice article, Rebecca! As I was reading this through I must say it sounded like you where reading my exact thought about the subject. I myself have thought for years that social conditioning and fear of failure is what squashes entroprenerial these instincts. Nice to see, i’m not the only one who thinks this.
Although I’d never of thought of babies being good bosses, but then again babies like there sweets and go after them with such drive I suppose its no different from an entropenuer chasing after money making opportunity.
Comment by michael — July 25, 2010 @ 4:20 pm