A Cynic’s Business Wisdom

Book excerpt: A Cynic’s Business Wisdom is an entrepreneur’s manual from the edgy perspective that cynicism teaches us to have a healthy respect for the unexpected. It equips us to effectively deal with real-world business challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Essentially, it is the flip side of all those “instant-gratification-sugar-coated-success-guaranteed-get-rich-overnight” books. This manual is a keen reflection of converting collegiate knowledge into actions that are intended to give you an advantage in dealing with people, selling, networking, negotiating, managing, and controlling every business situation you find yourself in. It responds to questions posed and issues raised by entrepreneurs, academics, trainers, mentors, and businesspeople over all my years delivering business consulting, and expounds on my advanced business workshops, and on my very own business ventures. Business often is not pretty. Business is not always fair. People are out to win at virtually any cost. Those footsteps you hear are a constant reminder that you have a target on your back. Flexible business ethics are part of empowering you to play by your own rules, recognize that business is a game, nobody owes you a break, there are no black-and-white norms, and that business ethics are flexible. Understand how to play the game to win.