Big Ideas - Business of Aesop™ No. 8 - Belling the Cat
Gregg Zegarelli Esq.
Managing Shareholder at Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group, PC
We've heard it a million times, "Ideas are a dime a dozen."
Yes, ideas—even great ideas—sell at a cheap price. The reason is because every idea, almost by definition, is a statement of potentiality, rather than actuality.
Potentiality, not actuality.
Therefore, when we think of an idea, there is an implied unstated conditional clause that follows, if we can see it. And, for anyone who cannot read between the lines, trouble is lurking, ready to pounce.
Indeed, this implied conditional clause is almost always introduced by one little word that rings a bell every time it's near, if we listen for it. And this little word applies to everyone's ideas—it does not discriminate. It's there for children, computer scientists, brain surgeons and rocket scientists.
If it were only so obvious.
I was once engaged by two elderly women to read a sweepstakes announcement simply to confirm that they had won a sweepstakes. They were sure that they had won! And, my octogenarians had, in fact, actually WON MILLIONS, if they returned the winning ticket. The problem was that they could not return the winning ticket, because they did not have it.
There it was: the conditional "if" clause.
Sometimes, ideas are so enticing and beautiful in potentiality, that we forget to consider the "if," or the conditions that are required to bring something from an idea or concept to an actual reality. The "ifs" tend to be where the time, money, and effort reside, with the risk of success or failure.
Therefore, we must be wise and listen carefully for the implied "ifs" in a deal or idea.
"If" is the biggest little word in the world, and it's been around a long time. Aesop warned us—2,500 years ago—to be vigilant for the quiet stalking power of "If," provided here for you:
No. 8. Belling the Cat.
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The Mice needed a plan to protect them from their enemy, the Cat.
Many plans were being discussed. All of sudden a young Mouse got up and said:
"I have the plan! All we have to do is to hang a bell on the Cat's neck. When we hear the bell ringing, we will know that our enemy is coming."
The Mice were chagrined that they had not thought of such a simple and obvious plan before!
But, then, the wise old Mouse arose and said:
Yes, great idea! But, let me ask one question: Who will bell the Cat?
Moral of the Story: Ideas must succeed through actual implementation.
It is great plan, "if we can bell the cat!" So, next time you're in a strategy session, feel free to challenge your team members with a, "But, can we bell that cat?" And, when your team members give you that deer in the headlights look, just tell them this fable, ask where they've been for, oh, let's see, about 2,500 years, and let them know, "Wisdom, with compliments of Aesop."
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Gregg Zegarelli is Managing Shareholder of Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group, PC. Gregg is nationally rated as "superb" and has more than 25 years of experience working with entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes, including startups, INC. 500, and publicly traded companies. He is Adjunct Professor in the Duquesne University Master of Leadership graduate degree program, currently teaching, Developing Leadership Character Through Adversity. He is author of One: The Unified Gospel of Jesus, and The Business of Aesop™ article series, and co-author with his father, Arnold Zegarelli, of The Essential Aesop: For Business, Managers, Writers and Professional Speakers. Gregg is a frequent lecturer, speaker and faculty for a variety of educational and other institutions. © 2015 Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn.
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