5 Things Olivia Pope Has Taught Me About Business
I hate to admit it, but Scandal is one of those shows that I’ve been watching since its pilot episode. While I may not agree with all of Olivia Pope’s life choices (sorry side chicks get no sympathy from me), there is one thing I know for sure, Olivia Pope is a powerful woman and there are quite a few lessons every business woman could learn from her on how to improve their business.
Lesson 1: A Good Reputation Is More Valuable Than Money
Olivia Pope understands that reputation is everything and that its her name thats on the business. She has worked hard to build her reputation up at being an excellent strategist/crisis manager. As business owners, you also have to be excellent at what you do. Treat your clients fairly and honestly. If you want respect, you have got to also give respect. Admit it when you have made a mistake and make the effort to correct your mistakes.
Lesson 2: Confidence is Everything
Olivia Pope is bold, driven and fearless. Even when she is terrified or uncertain, she exudes confidence even if she had to dig deep for it. She is never defeated and her only limitation to her success is herself.
Confidence is everything in business. You must learn to build up confidence even if you don’t feel comfortable with the situation. Running a business in and of itself is scary, but as business owners you have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone and tackle projects. Sometimes you may feel under qualified and face clients that you feel may be bigger than yourself, but don’t be your own obstacle.
Also dress for success. Olivia surely knows how important dressing for success is. Her wardrobe is always super chic and reflects a powerful woman.
[bctt tweet=”Running a business is scary, but as biz owners you have to step out of your comfort zone. http://buff.ly/1PtUEqe”]
Lesson 3: You ALWAYS have options
Olivia Pope is never defeated. Even when the obstacle she is facing seems impossible to overcome, she and her team are always looking for an out. It doesn’t matter if the client was caught with the murder weapon in hand. This is not a problem for the Gladiators.
When you feel like you’ve failed, be reminded of all the challenges that you’ve conquered and of all that you have achieved. To be successful in life, you cannot be a quitter. There is always a way, you just have to find a way around your road block.
Lesson 4: Always Trust Your Gut
Olivia always relies on what her gut tells her and it is the reason why she is as successful as she is. She allows her intuition to direct her and trusts in herself.
Sure, sometimes it’s not wise to only make decisions based on your gut when hard facts are staring us in the face. However, don’t rush to discount your intuition when making a hard decision. If you have a nagging feeling about something, listen to it even if it is a possible risk.
Lesson 5: Always Have a Back Up Plan
Olivia Pope always has Plans B, C and D already in her line up. Nothing is ever certain, whether her client’s information is leaked to the media or she finds out the client has been concealing a major fact. People will surprise you and Olivia knows this, embraces it and is always ready to move to the next plan of action.
Businesses fail and streams of income can dry up. Always have a plan B so you aren’t left wondering how you will survive if Plan A flops.