One soldier is not a warrior

Yes, that alley's title is true. One soldier is not a warrior in the field of battle. I learned an unpleasant truth a long time ago, that I am alone in this life. Watch out. It means that I am fully responsible for everything I do and what I do not do. And I have no intention of putting the blame or the responsibility for anything on any other person.

If you look at it from the other side: In business, you can't do anything alone. There is always a need for support, a need for a strong team, and a need for the right tools.

My personal experience has shown that there are three types of individuals: The first are the active ones, the second is the indifferent ones, and the third is the toxic ones.

It is a pity to declare, but it looks like, that the first group of "active" individuals often includes a very limited number of skilled and talented individuals who will proactively and effectively support you, exchange pragmatic and out-of-the-box ideas, and help you move forward in all your efforts. No one is going to tell you where you can find such active people. It's a matter of luck. Although I am used to saying: "Positive people attract positive people." So, attract positive people! Smile!

As far as the second group of people is concerned: This is usually the largest group. And the scariest one. Because it is huge. Indifference and apathy have always been the engine of degradation and degression. It has always been so, and we will have to live with it, but not necessarily tolerate it. Remember: We said at the beginning that there are locomotives and cars. And that there is nothing bad about it. Well, there are different types of cars behind the locomotive as well. Some people do a standard set of tasks from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., get their regular salary paid, and do not pretend to do anything above that level. It's great that such people do exist, I tell you! As my father used to say many times: "Everyone should do what they are best at." So please, don't try to change such people. It will only make it worse. You might risk losing a potentially good professional and teammate. It would be fundamentally wrong to classify such people as negatively indifferent. However, you may wish that such people would be more active and motivated to do something bigger and better.

As for the remaining negatively indifferent ones - it is up to you to decide how to deal with the so to say badly indifferent people in or around your team. In my experience, you can't go camping or river rafting with such people. You can draw your conclusions and appropriate actions from that.

Regarding the third and final group: We have already talked about truth and lies previously. There's no need to deep dive into this topic any further. Let's just say that there are ultra-toxic individuals that create obstacles and problems for you, your team, your projects and ideas, and your business. Your opportunity costs in such toxic cases will be growing massively. Knowing that it will never lead to anything good, you will waste emotions and time on such toxic people. If you have managed to identify such people in time, you probably need to think seriously to stop working with such individuals and to tell them: "Hasta La Vista!"

In any case, it will be very difficult for you alone to move the icebergs and mountains around you. There is even no point in doing it alone. Do not hesitate to ask for help or advice. Do not be shy or afraid to admit that you do not know something, that you have missed something, or that you lack several skills and knowledge in some area. That's all right. And it is simply impossible to be an expert in all areas of business and life! Get proper support from your shareholders (if you're not a business owner yourself), from a friend, from your partner, and look for support in and outside your team. Don't put all the burden on yourself, negotiate everything at the very start, as we discussed in detail earlier in this handbook. Recognize and admit a simple truth: Yes, you can probably do the work on your own, but it is usually a waste of time doing it alone. If there are clever and smart people around you who can support you efficiently, ask them for support. Yes, it probably won't be for free - sometimes you need to bring an intelligent partner on board and share the cake with your partner. There is no free lunch.?

Don't forget, we live in an era of technology. I'm not encouraging you to use artificial intelligence to exchange key or classified correspondence with investors, customers, or suppliers. But for simple matters, the wide range of technology available today can certainly help you. Nowadays technology can make your life a lot easier. From professional document translation tools to presentations with breathtaking designs, that would even five years ago take you more than 24 hours to create yourself. But remember: The "heart and soul" of the content should always come from you. With the help of today's technology, you can do a little polishing around the edges.

The practice has also shown that it can be of great advantage to have a professional online profile on social networks for business. I highly assume that most of you do have it of course and there is nothing new in saying it. By sharing unclassified information or difficulties you are facing, you can get a lot of useful advice and solutions. You can also meet very smart people who can help you realize your ideas.

To sum up, here is easy to say:

Don't forget that you are not alone when doing business. It is a joint effort.?

Don't hesitate to ask for help and advice.

Don't be afraid to share your challenges and problems with others (while respecting the confidentiality of the information).

Surround yourself with active people. Don't put key functions and hopes on indifferent people.

Avoid toxic people and especially "zombies."