Our house is close to a secondary school, and I frequently see students walking to school or waiting for the bus. This school has roughly 1500 students, yet I see a commonality among them that identifies them as students from that school. After much thought, I came to the conclusion that the only thing they have in common is their appearance. Despite the lack of a school uniform, their wardrobe choices effectively establish one. The amount of colours utilised is usually limited to three, with none of them standing out. Almost every student is carrying a backpack. It’s unusual to see a pupil that stands out by wearing bolder colours or behaving differently.
This is a well-known example of the power of peer pressure, which has such a strong influence on the lives of children as they grow up. Ironically, the teenage years are a time when youngsters are trying to figure out who they are and how their identity differs from that of family members and role models from earlier in life. Because of the mockery and even persecution of fellow pupils, all save the most secure and bold of souls are forced to comply or be outcasts at school.
There are various sorts of conformity in the big wide world; subtle expectations and pressures that shape environments and cultures that follow ‘established patterns of look and behaviour.’
Success and notoriety, on the other hand, come to those who, by their originality, personality, and ability to stand out, stand out from the crowd.
A recent example is Alex Twe, a twenty-one-year-old Englishman. In August of this year, Alex was about to start university. He chose to exploit the Internet’s power to try to earn enough money to cover his expenses while he was studying, knowing that many students leave school with large debts to repay. His creation was ‘The Million Dollar Home Page.’ The basic idea was that website owners may pay $1 per pixel for ad placement on their front page. The smallest possible advertisement block is 10×10 pixels, which costs $100. There are a million pixels for sale, so if Alex sells them all, he’ll have raised more than a million dollars!
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On the surface, this appears to be an odd concept: why would anyone pay to place a small graphic on a page with thousands of other tiny visuals in the hopes that someone will click on it? I’m sure he would have been strongly advised not to even attempt such a foolish notion that had no chance of success if he had sought advice from Internet experts.
Alex established the site at the end of August and began seeking to spark the media’s interest right away. This technique paid off handsomely, and he has recently gained international press coverage, which has helped to spread the word about his website in the viral manner that only the Internet can deliver. Result? In just two months, Alex had sold over half a million pixels, producing over $500,000 in revenue! He’ll hit his target of selling a million pixels by the end of the year if he keeps going at this rate, and even if he doesn’t, he’ll have done very well.
What does it take to be one-of-a-kind, to stand out in a crowd, to earn credibility, and to succeed? What distinguishes inventive leaders from those who follow?
Here are some of my suggestions:
1. The bravery to trust your instincts and follow your heart.
2. The confidence and security to stick to your convictions
3. The indifference to other people’s opinions
4. Intellect
5. Willingness to be the first to try something new and take a chance
6. Willingness to take your ideas through
