5 Lessons From Game Of Thrones That Will Make You A Better Entrepreneur

Anindita
Anindita
Jul 25, 2017 · 4 min read

It’s that time of the year again — the Game of Thrones time. The power, leadership, loyalty, intrigue and above all, ambition, keeps you firmly in your seats. As an entrepreneur, I’m always on the lookout for business lessons, even when unwinding in front of the TV. And every time I watch GoT, I realize there are so many things to watch, observe and learn.

Keeping the exotic locales and fire breathing dragons aside, you will notice that the stories and characters are grounded on age-old themes of politics, struggle for power, tactical insights and strategic decisions. These are the same elements that we must master to get professional success.

Here’s my 5 top lesson from GoT that will help you to become a better leader.

Lesson 1

“What is dead may never die!” — The Ironborn

We all have been there — working for a deal really hard, going through many hoops, showing many demos and establishing a relationship of trust with the prospect. Then all of a sudden, the deal is dead for something totally out of your control. May be a sudden budget freeze or a sudden departure of your key contact.

Don’t fret — those deals though ‘lost’, are not dead forever. If you have worked hard and reached that stage, it means that your prospect truly believes that your solution can help. I have personally seen many cases when the “dead” deal suddenly materializes or the contact opens up an opportunity in another organization. Hard work is never wasted.

Lesson 2

“The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.” — Ned Stark

Or in other words, be honest and accountable. As manager and leader, if you are not accountable for your actions, how would you expect your team to be accountable? Lead by example. Encourage your team to be the best by being perfect yourself, by holding up to scrutiny anytime. Don’t’ be the leader whose words are not mirrored by his actions.

Lesson 3

“Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder” — Littlefinger

As an entrepreneur, you might get thrown off by the confusion in your prospect’s mind. Take this as an opportunity to help them understand what their problems are, how they are solving it now and how your product can help to solve them better. Ask the right questions. Direct the conversation skillfully. Help the prospect to realize the features and benefits of your product. Use the confusion as an opportunity to gather more information.

Lesson 4

“When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.” — Ned Stark

We have all seen the lone wolf — that superstar programmer who can create a whole app overnight from scratch; that great sales guy who can close six figure deals all by himself. But if I’ve learned something in my 15 years of experience, it’s that a lone wolf cannot make a good team player. And you need a team of great people who can work together for a common goal to succeed in business.

So don’t be a lone wolf and don’t encourage others to be like that. Create an environment where knowledge is shared freely, where there is interdependence between team members. That’s the secret behind great teams who deliver super results.

Lesson 5

“Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.” — Tyrion Lannister

Truer words were not spoken. As an entrepreneur, It’s vital to know and accept your flaws. Identify your flaws, understand how that can be used against you, and map a way out of every situation. I think this is when the role of a co-founder in a startup becomes very important. Trying to find a co-founder with complementary skills after analyzing your own shortcomings can sow the seed for a solid business.

The bigger the dream, the greater the deal — the harder we have to strive to make things happen. As Cersei Lannister aptly says: “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.” Make sure that you play well.

Anindita

Written by

Anindita

Founder, SmartWinnr.com — gamified enterprise knowledge management platform

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