“Every time we've moved ahead in IBM, it was because someone was willing to take a chance, put his head on the block, and try something new,” said Watson.
Watson had put his faith in the computer industry before there was even such a thing. He bet his time, his energy and, perhaps most importantly his money on his own personal hunch that the business trends of information recording and automation would only increase with time. He took a chance and, in the end it paid off.
“Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker,” said Watson. “Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of ‘crackpot’ than the stigma of conformity.”
It was with this willingness to take risks and embrace the unknown that Watson approached all the endeavours in his life. Even his decision to venture off on his own instead of accepting the traditional job offers was a risk in and of itself. With a new wife and a son in tow, turning down the security of a stable job demonstrated Watson’s ability to take a chance and challenge himself.
“Develop your initiative,” said Watson. “Do something no one else has done.” From starting up his own business to embracing and betting on electronic and digital machines, Watson was walking new ground. There was no guarantee that either strategy would be successful, but he was willing to take that risk.
“Pioneering must never cease,” said Watson. “Yesterday we pioneered for today; today, we are pioneering for tomorrow.” Throughout his career, Watson remained devoted to uncovering the unknown, which always involved a certain amount of risk. However, he refused to shy away from that risk, preferring instead to challenge it head on, prospering from his successes and learning from his failures.
It was this attitude that Watson tried to impress on everyone from the managers on down to the floor workers at his company. “Too many people are waiting for someone else to give them a push,” said Watson. “We have tried to develop self-starters in IBM.” Watson wanted people on his team who were not afraid to push the boundaries, to try something new, and to be willing to put themselves on the line.
The most important factor for Watson when taking risks was staying true to himself, following his instincts and trusting his own abilities to follow through with his actions. “Your success will be determined by the manner in which you use the tools you have been given to work with,” said Watson. “When practicing the art of selling use all your talents. Put everything you have into your efforts; above all put your personality into them. Never copy anybody. Be yourself.”
Watson was able to capitalize on his willingness to take the road less traveled and open up new paths and, as a result, so was IBM. By focusing on research and developing products the likes of which the world had never seen before, IBM was able to not only become an industry leader but to revolutionize the way the world did business.
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