Business Dragons

In my first post I wrote how I consider businesses to be like dragons, you might think it is just because I wanted it to work with my nickname, and very early on that indeed was the case. But the more I thought about it, during the course of a year I was able to find so many analogies that the concept has stuck in my mind.

According to Wikipedia, a dragon is: 

"A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that features in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the Chinese dragon, with counterparts in Japan (namely the Japanese dragon), Korea and other East Asian countries.^[1]

The two traditions may have evolved separately, but have influenced each other to a certain extent, particularly with the cross-cultural contact of recent centuries. The English word "dragon" derives from Greek δράκων (drákōn), "dragon, serpent of huge size, water-snake".^[2]"

All around the world we can find a myth or legend about dragons or creatures that resemble dragons, we have the traditional European dragon, the wise Chinese dragon, the Naga from India and even Quetzalcoatl from Mexico. The concept of dragon is world wide, and so is business, from time immemorial.

Every business can slither and slide, move and fly around in the market to grow, ensnare clients and choke competitors. Just like a reptile would do.

If not held in check, a dragon can be greedy beyond measure, as you may have seen in the recent Peter Jackson's Hobbit movies. Business can be alluring and can provide great wealth, but if we do not control the business' hold over us, we can catch the dragon sickness and allow wealth to control our lives.

Dragons can fly to great heights and go great distances to conquer other lands, a successful company can do the same, rise above the rest and expand to other markets and conquer the hearts of clients and consumers. 

Some myths talk about the great magic and wisdom that dragons posses, and your company can be magical, not in the real sense, but it can change your world, it can enthrall you, your team members and your customers in ways that go beyond a simple product or service. We can obtain great wisdom by owning a business, and we obtain it whether we like it or not.

Dragons con go in a rampage burning everything around them, business can consume us and burn us out, it let lose, a business can destroy our social life, our family life, our health and our finance.

Dragons are powerful, awe inspiring, intimidating. A company, when it grows to its full potential can be the same.

And I could go on and on, but my point is that you need to know what you are going to deal with, you have to respect your dragon, you have to respect your business, you have to know what it can do to you if you let it, it can be very good to you and it can hurt you, and hurt you it will; but you will love your dragon, you will see it as an egg, then as a hatchling, as a baby dragon and see it grow into a great wyrm. 

No matter how much you love your business, you have to be aware that it has a mind of its own and you always have to be in control, you have to be the leader, the tamer, the trainer, ultimately you have to be a dragon rider and control your dragon to where you want to go. You can and will be in control, do not worry to much about it, knowledge is power and the more you know about yourself and your dragon, the better you'll be able to control it.

Control your life, design your business, become a dragon rider.

MrFD