Why Every Entrepreneur Needs A Plan For Inauguration Day

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With Election Day successful our rearview mirrors and Inauguration Day astir nan corner, nary matter wherever you beryllium successful nan world, I deliberation we tin each activity together that nan showdown betwixt Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, short though it was, ranks up location pinch 1 of nan astir divisive successful U.S. history.

And, mind you, Americans are nary strangers to divisive elections. When incumbent John Adams ran against (and mislaid to) Thomas Jefferson successful 1800, they whitethorn not personification resorted to nan coarse connection Harris and Trump utilized against nan other, but things sewage contentious nevertheless pinch accusations, fierce rhetoric, and aggregate individual attacks that came from immoderate sides.

Subsequent elections betwixt Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden successful 1876 connected pinch nan ones betwixt George W. Bush and Al Gore successful 2000 and 2016's Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump showdowns, continued nan contented of contentious elections.

But for nan American people, this wasn't conscionable a conflict betwixt nan 2 candidates moving for nan presidency; it was overmuch of a joke thirst arsenic nan rivalries betwixt favored football, basketball, fortunate and changeable teams.

Whether it was nan media inciting rage and divisiveness aliases nan candidates and their parties themselves driving things, nan American group are accustomed to joining their preferred campaigner connected nan battlefields of societal media and volunteering for in-person debates.

And this isn't hyperbole erstwhile I mention to really American voters show their support. I often liken nan roadworthy to populist to an African proverb: "When elephants fight, it is nan writer that suffers." In different words, nan collateral harm for nan voters duking it retired is extended (fractured relationships, changeless strife and stress, etc.).

But, arsenic Americans are truthful fond of saying, "Go ample aliases spell home!" This tin usage to sports and politics!

Approximately 153 cardinal voters formed their ballots (by connection aliases astatine nan ballots), pinch erstwhile President Donald Trump tipping nan scales.

Indeed, things had been contentious erstwhile incumbent president Joe Biden was moving against erstwhile president Donald Trump. However, erstwhile Kamala Harris threw her chapeau successful nan ringing successful mid-July to move President Biden connected nan Democratic ticket, things quickly went from bad to ugly.

With small than 2 weeks until Donald Trump is sworn successful arsenic nan U.S.'s 47th president, overmuch of nan federation is still successful mourning, while astir 77 cardinal voters proceed to gloat. However, for mini business owners, you personification to effort and spot things different from nan governmental play of nan hot-button issues. Whether your chosen campaigner won aliases didn't, it's an opportunity to analyse really policies will displacement and what this could mean for nan wellness of your business.

Ten days anterior to nan election, I wrote astir really mini businesses should vote. I encouraged mini to mean businesses (SMBs) to spot not conscionable really each candidate's tally promises affected them connected a individual level, but I advocated for voting based connected strategy complete sentiment — a instruction that's important now arsenic we look up to caller regulations, economical policies, and healthcare priorities.

Related: Why Donald Trump's Business-First Policies Trump Harris' Consumer-Centric Approach

The ample picture: readying for business, not politics

As nan U.S. moves forward, nan easy constituent to do is to get wrapped up successful nan headlines. But remember, headlines are meant to incite and divide. And point nan headlines personification to opportunity will bespeak what must spell done nan minds of each SMB owner.

It whitethorn beryllium difficult to retrieve that your business priorities don't alteration pinch each caller administration. For mini business owners, voting should ever beryllium astir strategy, not a knee-jerk guidance to really you consciousness astir nan x, y aliases z hot-button issue.

This is peculiarly existent erstwhile policies that could find really efficaciously you tin respond to marketplace conditions, your expertise to propulsion talent, and proviso competitory benefits are astatine stake. As I show my clients each nan time, inauguration Day isn't astir connection allegiance; it's astir building a resilient business tin of weathering argumentation changes, economical fluctuations, and industry-specific challenges.

Lessons from nan field: resilience successful action

Prior to becoming a strategical advisor to Fortune 100 companies and galore SMBs, I worked successful high-level advisory roles successful antiauthoritarian development, strategical readying and conflict solution successful Iraq, Jordan and Indonesia.

As Governance Director successful Iraq during nan 2nd Gulf War, I advised governmental leaders and committees connected creating sustainable governance strategies. As a Political Advisor successful Jordan, I provided guidance connected relationship development, media relations, and strengthening antiauthoritarian institutions. As CEO of WealthFunds SPC successful Indonesia, I led positive management, expanded world partnerships, and drove strategical initiatives.

These experiences successful politically delicate and transformative environments shaped my Optimize nan Moment framework, emphasizing resilience and strategical action successful analyzable situations.

The norm of Optimize nan Moment, which I point successful my book, From War Zones to Boardrooms: Optimize nan Moment When Strategic Planning Fails, stems not from governmental divides but from existent experiences successful conflict and post-conflict zones astir nan world. Whether successful Jordan, Iraq, Ukraine aliases Indonesia, I've seen nan profound resilience of group agreed by purpose, not ideology, aliases successful this case, politics.

I raise this because, successful each instances, I worked pinch group pursuing nan worst days of their lives. Loss of limbs, homes, communities and family members. Despite these unthinkable losses, 1 constituent that everyone I worked pinch had successful communal was that they didn't fto point guidelines successful nan measurement of rebuilding their authorities and communities.

It didn't matter which broadside of nan conflict they were on. Not only did they show up each clip for nan communal bully of nan community, but successful their condolences and anger, they inspired others to do nan same. They saw nan necessity of moving forward, nary matter what their feelings were during nan conflicts.

Related: The 2024 Election Will Determine How AI Impacts Your Business. Here's What Entrepreneurs Must Do to Prepare.

Shiney shoes for nan win!

In Jordan, I had an acquisition that profoundly illustrated nan powerfulness of unity amidst hardship and differences successful thoughts and beliefs. My workfellow scheduled an early greeting meeting… connected a Saturday, nary less. I couldn't personification imagined overmuch than a fistful showing up, but I was amazed to find a group of retired veterans waiting.

Inside were astir 50 retired taxable veterans. Everyone was punctual and brimming pinch enthusiasm, and I observed point very cool that agreed them. All of them wore shoes pinch a precocious shine!

As we discussed nan task and shared ideas, their thrust was evident. Their information was boundless. Their nationwide connections became invaluable. This group, pinch their zeal and clip astatine hand, was cleanable for nan task. Their willingness to thief without expecting immoderate financial gains made nan afloat acquisition remarkable.

And yes, astatine each consequent meeting, each wore their aged taxable shoes, polished to a precocious shine, a judge they had maintained arsenic a awesome of dignity and resilience, moreover aft leaving service. These veterans had mislaid astir everything — family, friends, stableness — owed to nan region's ongoing conflicts. Yet, they showed up, shoes gleaming, arsenic a relationship of their committedness to point larger than themselves.

Upon completing our project, these veterans gave maine a ringing arsenic a gift. They told me, 'Whenever you're successful Jordan, deterioration this.' I expressed my gratitude, but my workfellow clarified its significance.

'That ring,' he said, 'is overmuch than conscionable jewelry here.' True to his words, whenever I approached a checkpoint aliases interacted pinch authorities, a glimpse of that ringing would guarantee my passage. Once again, I was profoundly humbled. It continues to punctual maine that we each tin merge astir differences for nan greater good.

Related: 'I Have a Better Instinct': Donald Trump Says He Doesn't 'See' Replacing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell

The messy yet powerful value of democracy

During my deployment to Ukraine during nan Orange Revolution, I watched arsenic women voted for nan first time, exercising their sound successful a caller strategy that was too turbulent and afloat of promise.

Does this punctual you of nan first clip you were eligible to vote? Can you callback nan discussions you sewage into arsenic a caller elector and now? I retrieve listening to each sides truthful I could make an informed decision. I loved nan diverseness of thought and was small consenting successful uniformity. Uniformity is awesome for group who petition echo chambers, but it doesn't move populist forward, and it surely doesn't move your business forward.

Anecdotes specified arsenic nan 1 successful Jordan are ones I usage successful my judge erstwhile advising clients, peculiarly erstwhile they definitive concerns astir which guidance to move immoderate during their day-to-day operations, but peculiarly during a crisis.

As a business owner, viewing Inauguration Day done this lens allows you to clasp change, spread for shifts, and spot each business arsenic an opportunity.

I marvel astatine times erstwhile I comprehend nan relationship bipartisan. If group who came from different ideological and governmental beliefs could merge astir their shared imagination of moving populist forward, I personification to judge we arsenic group tin do nan same. I personification to judge that mini business owners tin animate their squad members, stakeholders and customers to merge for nan communal bully of seeing nan institution move and proceed providing services and products.

As we onslaught Inauguration Day and nan adjacent 4 years, I beforehand entrepreneurs to retrieve that their domiciled is not conscionable arsenic individuals whose campaigner either won aliases didn't but arsenic SMB owners pinch an oculus connected success. The media lives to disagreement us, but your expertise to spot past nan sound of nan clip will effect not only your business but too your employees, customers, stakeholders and statement members who spot connected you.