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The Importance of Self-Awareness in Business Decisions - 3/1/2025

  • johnregino
  • Mar 1
  • 3 min read

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Something I read this morning in the Economist talked about air cover, specifically the use of drones in the Ukrainian-Russia conflict. The idea that a formidable adversary in the field of battle, T90M Proryv Russian tank is no longer deemed a threat is astonishing. Now when a tank appears it is the equivalent of dropping a plate of food, waiting to be devoured by hungry drone operators.


What caught my attention is that in this battlefield everything is visible. In business, we don't have as much certainty, let alone transparency on the motivations of our competition or our clients. What we do know is ourselves, but sometimes that too is clouded by our own biases which reminds of me a story.


As I sat on the plane, the sun warming my face through the window, I couldn't help but feel a tightness in my collar. My stomach was in knots - I had flown out to LA from NYC to help close a critical deal for our sales team. It was the end of the quarter, and we were working around the clock on several significant opportunities that could make or break Q1. We already missed target the last two quarters.


My team and I had been building a new product feature, pitching it as part of our roadmap to our prospects. We knew we could deliver the key enhancement they wanted, but not on the timeline they were hoping for. As I rode the elevator up to the prospect's office with my colleague Phil, I could feel the pressure mounting. Phil was eager to close the deal - we would be heroes back home if we pulled it off.


When we reached the office, we shook hands with the prospect, Tom. But as we exchanged pleasantries, I noticed my handshake lacked its usual firmness. In my mind, I knew I needed to be a "good soldier" and say what Tom wanted to hear. But my intuition was pulling me in a different direction.


"Listen, Tom," I said, "I know I promised that product feature, and as much as I want this deal to close this quarter, I can't give you my word that we can deliver it on your timeline." I was ready to walk away from the deal, and Phil's face fell expressionless.


To my surprise, Tom replied, "Thank you for being honest with me. Frankly, I didn't think you could do it either. Part of me wanted to see what you would say in today's meeting." He then proceeded to sign the contract. "While you're here, let's use this as an opportunity to meet the rest of the executive team."


As we left the meeting, Phil said, "I've been working this account for over three years, and I see a real opportunity to help other parts of their organization. Let's celebrate at that great taqueria near the pier." Sure enough, within 18 months, that account grew from zero to over $1M in annual recurring revenue.

The military analogy of the drone devouring a tank is an apt metaphor - in business, as in war, true strength often lies in adaptability and authenticity, not just raw firepower. Using your mind and heart to make critical business decisions relies on one's ability to understand oneself as well as how are you perceived by others.


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In my book, Breaking Barriers: Overcoming the Top 5 Financial Myths that Keep You Broke - A Guide for the Small-Medium Sized Business Owner, I explore how behavioral economics helps business owners understand their blind spots. In my case, true leadership, meant having the courage to tell people what they didn't want to hear, even if it resulted in not being liked or pleasing others. Being vulnerable means the potential of getting hurt but opens the door to building trust with clients and leading to deeper relationships.



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