I remember exactly where I was when my billion-dollar idea came to me. I was in my usual spot in the garage, sitting at my desk. A mound of homework was piled in front of me, but for once I was ignoring it.
Earlier in the day, I had a new spark of inspiration and it had carried me through my classes, all the way home. It seemed like everything was finally falling into place. I had even seen an advertisement for a company specialising in video animation explainers that confirmed that I was on the right track. Even if my idea seemed a little complicated at first, I could narrow it down myself and then get the professionals to explain it through an animation. I knew at that age that although I had passion and creativity, I was still a newcomer to the business world and if I was going to succeed I would have to employ the talents of many other people. It would be egotistical to assume I could do it all myself.
There are a few sayings I would like to share with you. They’re almost cliches at this point, but I think they ring true. The first one is “many hands make light work”. Long before I had heard the first advertisement from that company claiming to be a high-quality corporate video production company operating in Melbourne, I understood the importance of teamwork. It’s one of the most fundamental concepts in the business world, and I truly think it’s the most important skill to grasp if you aspire to start your own company.
You might consider yourself intelligent, or creative, or professional or a brilliant public speaker, but the truth is that nobody can have it all. To make a business succeed, you need marketers, you need administrative professionals, you need finance and human resources and managers and so much more. Acknowledging your weaknesses is something every leader must do.