If you wait until you have all the appropriate information, expertise, and time before you start something, you’ll lose. Wavering kills in today's high flux market. So what’s an entrepreneur to do? Fake it till you make it. Duh.
A few weeks back, I was listening to a talk by the world’s foremost leadership expert, John C. Maxwell, and I was flabbergasted to hear John speak about the countless times throughout his career where he would convince people he was the right guy for the job but in his own mind he was absolutely clueless on how to execute the job. He said it was only after he got the job that he’d figure out how to do the job.
John C. Maxwell "faked it till he made it."
A fellow presenter of mine at April’s Craze Conference was founder of Overture, Jared Matthew Weiss. He encouraged a roomful of entrepreneurs and leaders with: “What entrepreneur doesn’t make it up as they go?”
He was speaking from experience in “faking it till you make it."
Author and speaker, Dan Miller, recently told a story of how during a pre-recorded radio interview he was asked if he had any material that would help women entrepreneurs overcome the excuses that hold them back, he told them he did (he didn’t) and where on his website they could find that material. After the recording of the interview, Dan went to work, completed the material and posted it on his website 1 hour before the interview went live.
Nothing but fake!
I too “fake it till I make it.” All the time. But let’s be honest, in today’s flux economy where none of us know what’s next, aren’t we all faking it?
Faking it is tough. It's a twisted form of goal setting, like when you finally verbalize to your friends that your going to start a blog. Faking spurs accountability, urgency, and just-in-time learning (learning what you need, when you need it). All of which are needed traits that entrepreneurs and leaders need to have to overcome the unexpected obstacles of tomorrow.
The "faking it till you make it" strategy reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Tony Robbins: “The defining factor for success is never resources, but resourcefulness.” In an age where endless resources are at your fingertips, "faking it till you make it" has never been more feasible. So don't be afraid to commit to the unknown. Allow the fear of the fake to be your growth catalyst.
It’s important you never lie about your abilities or credentials. But never shy away from opportunities, go with your gut. Be bold, remain confident in your potential and your resourcefulness to learn on the fly and produce high quality work that’s legendary.
Those committed to "faking it till they make it" will experience real wins.
Question: Where do you fake it to make it?
