Operating in the world of uncertainty and possibility with Gidon Novick

If we want to succeed, we need to get comfortable with uncertainty. If we embrace that things are going to turn out differently to what we think, we can find opportunity and possibility in that space.

This is one of the many fascinating thoughts shared with me by impactful entrepreneur Gidon Novick , who joined me for an episode of the Willing & Abel podcast recently.

Gidon is the founder of LIFT , kulula.com , Lucid Ventures and Circle Senior Living ; former chief digital officer at Discovery; chairman at SA Harvest , a food rescue and hunger relief organisation; and an incorrigible stray-dog rescuer. (He has seven.)

In my view, he’s one of South Africa's great entrepreneurs, which means he has an inherent, burning curiosity that is common to all who choose this kind of life path. Or maybe there’s no choice; it’s just how they are.

“If there's one thing that terrifies me,” Gidon said, “It's the mundane.” He runs a mile when he gets involved in anything that becomes boring and repetitive – something that I think is very unusual for a chartered accountant.

What excites him is what many people fear the most: the unknown. “Certainty is an apparition. It's not real. There's no such thing. Appreciating uncertainty, appreciating the fact that things are going to turn out differently to what we think and hope, and embracing that and finding opportunity within that, is the way I get through life. It makes the future interesting and exciting, even when things are difficult, because in the framework of change, there's going to be opportunity. There are going to be new ideas that can be generated. I love that world.”

This is profoundly important wisdom. In life, work and everything, change is indeed the only constant; the only thing you can really rely on in the world is that it won’t stay the same. So when people seek continuity and prediction, they are actually hoping for something impossible. It reminds me of a saying that I love: man plans and God laughs.

Another aspect of Gidon’s character that shows his uniqueness in the business world is his willingness to be real. He says, quite rightly, that we are all beautiful individuals who have so much authenticity to offer the world. “The best we can do is, firstly, to demonstrate it ourselves as much as we can, and not fall into the trap of trying to present something else to the world. And then, to encourage people and give them permission to absolutely be themselves in an organisation. In a business environment, that's magical.”?

Anyone who’s started a new business will agree that “magic” is not a word that you would use to describe the early years. Gidon knows this all too well, but argues that the only remedy for the guaranteed tough times is the connections you have with the people you choose to do it with.?

“The most fun, most meaningful times were when we weren't doing that well,” he reveals, referring to when he and his partners were trying to get LIFT off the ground. “There is no guarantee of success, whatever you do, no matter how good the business plan looks. So what can you guarantee? That you're getting into this thing with people that you want to be doing this with, and then you're going to have fun. So if that's a controllable variable, I would say, yes, find people that you want to work with.”

I couldn’t agree more. As Gidon says, if you see their name on the screen of your phone and you want to press the green button, not the red one, that is all the sign you need.

I encourage you to listen to the full episode – and the rest of the Willing & Abel series – to hear hopeful ideas that might challenge your perspective, as well as great advice for working and living. And click the subscribe or follow button on our profile to make sure you don't miss more episodes.

Season 1 of Willing & Abel Podcast is brought to you by M&C Saatchi Abel , a proudly South African award-winning creative company founded on the principle of Brutal Simplicity of Thought.