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Overview

What do 10Xers do to get the most out of their luck? In 1911, two teams set off on a race to be the first explorers to reach the South Pole. One team, led by Roald Amundsen got there first and planted their flag. The other team took 34 days longer than expected and never made it home; every member froze to death.

So, why did Amundsen succeed and Scott fail? Preparation was a major factor. Amundsen put in the time to learn about polar survival from Eskimos and tried every potential food source before his journey, even dolphin. He also made sure that he had extra supplies on hand if there were delays and marked their supply depots with black flags so they would be easy to find against the white landscape. In short, Amundsen left very little up to chance.

Scott’s team carried less provisions than Amundsen’s team, and they were also at risk of starvation. Scott relied on technology that was untested in extreme conditions, whereas Amundsen used proven technologies like dog sleds. This lack of preparation led to delays and eventually death for Scott and his men.

Companies face the same environment as Amundsen and Scott did in their expeditions to Antarctica. The way they succeeded was by being prepared for anything, just like Amundsen.

In today’s unpredictable business environment, companies that are well prepared succeed.

Big Idea #1: Companies that thrive in times of uncertainty rely on discipline, innovation and preparedness.

The future is uncertain. No one can accurately predict what will happen in the coming months or years, let alone decades. However, some companies not only survive but thrive in these environments. For example, there are 10X companies that outperform their industry average by a factor of ten (10x).

There are three core behaviors of people who achieve the highest levels of success. First, they demonstrate incredible discipline by staying consistent with their plans and goals. Second, 10Xers have a fanatical focus on their work and don’t allow themselves to get distracted or discouraged. Third, they exhibit an extreme passion for what they do that drives them to succeed in any environment or situation.

Second, 10Xers use creativity to make decisions. They don’t care about opinions or the consensus; they want to find what works. Amundsen didn’t listen to other people’s opinions when deciding where to set up base camp; he studied the evidence himself and decided on a place that no one had previously considered. Similarly, 10Xers use data and facts to help them decide when it’s appropriate for them to innovate.

This is because Productive Paranoia helps 10Xers prepare for the worst. Their leaders are always careful and cautious, never at ease but constantly worrying about what could go wrong. Amundsen made sure that he was ready for anything on his expedition. In a similar way, 10Xers channel their fears to create policies that will help them survive difficult times in business.

Companies that succeed in uncertain times rely on discipline, innovation based on evidence and being prepared.

Big Idea #2: Companies that are 10X better than their competitors set goals and achieve them every year.

Amundsen was very disciplined. He walked the same distance every day, no matter what the weather or terrain conditions were like. This enabled him to conserve energy and ensured that his team would be strong enough to march on even when it became difficult.

Roald Amundsen trekked to the South Pole in an extremely disciplined manner. Every day he marched a similar distance, about 15.5 miles, no matter what the conditions. When the weather and terrain were favorable, he would march this set distance and then stop and rest, even when the team could go further. Conserving energy in this way meant that even when the weather or terrain became difficult, his team was strong enough to march on and hit their target distance. His policy enabled the expedition to maintain a steady pace.