“I shall find a way or make one”, said Hannibal when told there was no way to cross the Alps with his war elephants. OneLeap Consultant, Billy Matthews, outlines the difference between finding a way and making a way, and shows how the “make a way” mindset is a powerful tool to overcome inertia in times of uncertainty.

If you have decision-making power in your organisation, you have probably been asked the question, “What are the risks of this approach?”. Maybe you were given the impossible task of eliminating all unknowns before your idea would be given the green light. This risk averseness is sometimes justified where resources are being put on the line. But inaction also carries risk. Too often corporates focus only on the risk of action, leading to paralysis by analysis and missed opportunities. This article will outline how the make a way mindset can overcome this decision-making paralysis to unlock massive value.

“Inveniam viam aut faciam”, Latin for “I shall find a way, or make one”. History tells us this was how the Carthaginian leader, Hannibal responded when his generals told him there was no way to cross the Italian Alps with war elephants. Hannibal did indeed make a way across the Alps, taking the war directly to the Romans to bypass their naval dominance and create the element of surprise. The story shows us the difference between finding a way and making a way. Finding a way involves using tried and tested methods - implementing best practice through a linear approach. But in environments of high uncertainty where there isn’t a well-trodden path to follow, the make a way mindset is a powerful tool to overcome inertia. The make a way approach has three core pillars:

1. Bravery. Committing to an outcome based on confidence in your team, your methods, and your ability to attract partners to build with. Hannibal’s bravery inspired those around him, generating momentum and drawing allies to support his cause. Bravery ensures we are outcome focused rather than process driven, allowing us to begin our journey without a detailed map to our destination.

"In my view, the existing childcare system was fundamentally flawed. There was no existing best practice to follow. I had to build a new system from scratch, and that required bold thinking - it was crucial that we attracted people who shared this vision and were inspired by it." - Rachel Carrell, CEO and co-founder of Koru Kids

2. Creativity. Constraints drive creativity, and should not always be feared. By committing to an outcome - to making a way - you constrain yourself, forcing creativity and ingenuity. As the story goes, in Hannibal’s case, he ordered his army to physically build new paths across chasms by using the remnants of previously failed crossings. Large corporations have significant resource endowments, which if used creatively, can be harnessed to positively impact your business’ profitability.

“Imposing limits can encourage a creative response. Excellent work can emerge from uncomfortable or seemingly untenable circumstances.” - Ed Catmull, Co-founder of Pixar, former President of Walt Disney Animation Studios, and author of ‘Creativity, Inc.’

3. Risk. Making a way recognises that risk stems from inaction as well as from action. Consider Myspace, which between 2005 and 2008 was the world’s leading social network. In 2008, Myspace had a market share of over 60%. Now the platform’s share is around 0.1%. A myriad of factors caused staggering decline, but one underlying theme was inaction in a rapidly evolving market. The company’s owners were accused of trying to over plan and “professionally manage” a system that relied on creative thinking and dynamism. Consequently, Myspace was rendered obsolete by more proactive “do-ers” such as Facebook. Let’s revisit Hannibal, who rejected the expert caution from his generals. In his mind, the risk of inaction was greater than the risk of action. And so he decided to make a way.

“Bringing Happioh to life definitely required creativity. We were essentially introducing a new product category to the market, meaning there wasn't much best practice to follow. So we had to be comfortable with an element of uncertainty and risk - if I held out for perfect information and confidence, we never would have got started.” - Soulaima Gourani, CEO and founder of Happioh

In reality, you are not trying to get elephants across the Alps. First, you do not need to commit to a destination regardless of the cost. But taking affordable risks and starting your journey will generate real time data that you can use to change direction, or stop altogether. Second, finding a way and making a way are not mutually exclusive approaches. For example, finding a way might reveal three paths that each seem plausible, but you cannot gather the data necessary to decide which way - or outcome - is most promising. Here, you can commit to one of those outcomes, and make a way. You can scope out attractive targets, but ultimately you need to take a shot. Particularly in times of high uncertainty, the make a way mindset can help you overcome decision inertia to pursue new opportunities that unlock massive value.

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