As the Ides of March is here, the great historical implication of this event is well known around the world as the day that the Brutus and the other Senators stabbed Julius Caesar made famous by Shakespeare’s play. The political ideologies and government institution we know today are largely beholden to the Romans and Greek Empires accordingly.
It is true that modern technological world has little in common in terms of ancient Roman Republic but their governance and the leadership are often sought facing the onslaught of an ever-changing marketplace and the knowledge from those who had gone before can be a source of education. Here are some quotes to take to heart from Roman Republic’s greatest Gaius Julius Caesar.
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Experience is the teacher of all things.
In the face of ever-changing technological world, one has to have the ability to adapt fast in an organic way. As one is to their own, experiencing these changes and acting swiftly teaches an entrepreneur the organic pace that is sustainable to their business and financial model. This also avails them to the plethora of knowledge on how to act in times of direness and shows how experience often trumps book knowledge when it comes to take fast and effective decision for their venture.
No one is so brave that he is not disturbed by something unexpected.
Unexpectedness is the scorn for investors, even a whiff of unexpectedness sends stock markets downhill around the world. This is especially true in the entrepreneurial ventures where unexpectedness affects in a bigger sense due to the high risk factor in the business model and entrepreneur at the face may remain resilient but on the first glimpse can be unsettling. A venture can face existential crisis due to unexpected factors introduced in the mix, but the resilience and effective decisions can save the venture in the face of crisis.
It is better to create than to learn! Creating is the essence of life.
As entrepreneurs are trying to making their concocted and well mulled ideas into reality, they are giving their ideas life. The ability to do that is great responsibility and one has be diligent in their process. In the process the entrepreneur learns the reality can often be different, this hit of realism often help the entrepreneur to learn valuable lessons about adapting the resources available and the market demands.
The greatest enemy will hide in the last place you would ever look.
In terms of managing a venture, an entrepreneur has to be on top of it and encompass every corner of it and maintain a ‘sail-worthy’ environment. Even with remaining ever-vigilant, there are going to be blind spots that will elude and often these turn mammoth problems if overlooked over a period of time. Be it security loopholes in a website or un-calculated performance issues in a tech hardware; often these can cost heavily for a venture. Fresh perspectives are as a result very important and changing tactics to foresee hurdles like these are crucial for the success of a venture and the entrepreneur as well.
Let the die be cast! (alea iacta esto!)
Caesar famously said this when he crossed the Rubicon river onwards to Rome and defied the Senate starting the civil war that lead him to the apex of the Roman Republic. His leadership during this period is said to be faced an ‘dreadful hesitation’ but eventually commanded those words that resounds even today.
At times, entrepreneurs will face intense pressure in situations where risk calculation is an important trait of a leader. This is what separates everyone from the leaders in any industry; in face of intense pressure, they will be able to calculate risk and defy expectation that have been placed upon them. Probability of failing should not stop a leader in their progress but the strive to say these word “Veni, vidi, vici” as Caesar proclaimed.
