Be Open to the New – Embrace the New
Mark Haner
Director, North American Sales @ LinkedIn | Driving growth, culture, and value
In 2007, Netflix was thriving as a DVD rental business (anyone else remember getting those little red envelops in the mail?). Around that time, CEO Reed Hastings approached Blockbuster with an offer to sell Netflix for $50 million. Blockbuster laughed them out of the room. After all, their business model had worked for years—why change (this is called the innovators dilemma)?
Meanwhile, Netflix was already experimenting with something new: streaming. It wasn’t perfect at first, but they leaned into it, refining the technology and betting on the future. The result? Blockbuster collapsed, while Netflix transformed into the global entertainment powerhouse that it is today.
The lesson? Success doesn’t just come from what we know—it comes from our willingness to embrace what’s next.
Growth Happens When We Lean In
In times of change, our instinct is often to cling to what we know. The familiar feels safe, predictable, and comfortable. But real growth—both personal and professional—happens when we embrace the new.
Think about the people in your career who have grown the most. Were they the ones who resisted change, or the ones who leaned into it?
Being open to the new isn’t just about adopting the latest tool, process, or strategy—it’s about developing the mindset to see change as opportunity rather than disruption. It means:
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The Choice is Yours
Change isn’t slowing down. The ability to embrace the new is what separates those who thrive from those who merely endure.
So, what’s one way you’ve embraced the new lately? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Director of Sales & Marketing at REI/ Coaching Tomorrow's Youth in Basketball
3 周This one hit home really well today, for many reasons. * Change is inevitable * You can embrace the change or be what changes Being open to new things is where real growth happens. Complacency can be the enemy to future success.