What’s the point of following rules?

My son Jayden likes to break the rules.

When we were kids, rules were used to teach us basic right and wrong; when we got to grade school, we were taught to follow them no matter what.

By the time we become adults, playing by the rules is so ingrained in us that we never question why some rules exist, but you should, especially if you’re an entrepreneur.

Why? Because if you’re an entrepreneur, rules aren’t your friend.

Rules are designed to make you blend in, when as an entrepreneur, what you really want to do is stand out from the crowd.

The sooner you learn that, the better off you’ll be.

Just ask Richard Branson; he’s been breaking lots of rules and things have turned out well for him over the years (he runs that little company you may have heard of, Virgin?).

He believes so fiercely in breaking the rules that he thinks you should empower employees to do the same, believing it drives business forward.

Breaking the rules isn’t about being a trouble-maker, it’s about seeing the world as a series of norms and identifying places where you can disrupt things for the greater good: a better product, a smarter solution, a streamlined process.

Flouting the social order can mean innovation, change and even success.

What are you doing to break the rules? How are you going to disrupt?

Leave a comment and let me know!