There are not a lot of advantages to living in a place with plenty of traffic, especially when it can take two hours to drive twenty miles during rush hour to visit a customer. But one is the chance to listen to a book on tape or a favorite podcast. I often think that when traffic stalls learning can happen. Another is the opportunity to have some “alone” time after a busy day, surrounded by thousands of “close” strangers who are in various stages between enjoying their own “alone” time and road rage. And a third is the chance to see, and think about, some odd but occasionally inspiring bumper stickers. It’s a perk that is particularly engaging when stuck within a few feet of the car ahead.
A few days ago, as I got stuck rounding the Capital Beltway here in Washington, I happened to notice the following idea masquerading as a bumper sticker:
DIFFERENT IS NOT ANOTHER WORD FOR WRONG.
Simple enough.
Yet an important reminder of the real challenge of reaching our full potential as companies and individuals. Because try as we might, most of us–and most of the organizations we work in–have a real aversion to being “DIFFERENT.” Different people. Different ideas. Different ways of doing things. Different opportunities. Different points of view.
As a result, we tend to hang out with roughly the same people–i.e., people who are a lot like us. We tend to be most comfortable with ideas that fit our current understanding of the world even though the world is changing fast. We tend to prefer to do things the same way we’ve always done them–with a few minor tweaks or a few incremental changes along the way. (Okay, I always order the very same breakfast at the Parkway Deli, my favorite breakfast meeting place.) And we tend to be most interested in new opportunities that are just like the opportunities we’ve pursued in the past–similar jobs, similar collaborations, similar investments, and so on. We also tend to be less open, the older we get to different perspectives and points of view.
All because we equate “different” with being “wrong” or at best “less than equal.” Even when we should realize that different could be the real key to our success.
It turns out that no one ever did anything remarkable by being the same. And no one ever stood out from the pack by fitting in. And no one ever changed the world by daring to not make waves.
In fact, as we zoom through 2025, “DIFFERENT” should be our mantra. Being different in ways that really matter to the companies, organizations, and customers we have the privilege to serve.
We win in business and in life when we choose to appreciate people who are different than us and ideas that are different than the ones we hold dear. And when we take the time to notice a bumper sticker on the car and the world right in front of our eyes.
