The last year has been unprecedented in the many challenges we all face, and business owners have especially struggled to adapt to the realities of the global pandemic and the growth obstacles and chaos it has created. But finding silver linings is crucial for understanding how to move forward. Easier said than done, right?
This week’s guest on the Elite Entrepreneurs podcast is Justin Copie, CEO of Innovative Solutions, the fastest-growing Amazon Web Services (AWS) partner in the world today. For Justin’s technology-based organization, the global pandemic has accelerated changes in how the world interacts with technology like nothing else ever has. During our conversation, Justin shared how he and his team have risen to the challenge and rapidly grown Innovative Solutions even in the midst of all this chaos. Justin learned quickly that finding silver linings in business challenges can be a crucial skill for moving beyond them, and his wisdom is sure to be invaluable for your own business.
Leading Through Powerful Culture
One of the things Justin is most proud of is the extraordinary business culture at Innovative Solutions. Justin sees himself as a servant to the people he leads, and he constantly pushes himself to level up his leadership and move outside of his own comfort zone. Complacency isn’t an option; because it too easily leads to stagnation. Instead, Justin looks to lead with humility and compassion, and his entire organization and the Values it holds benefits from the fact.
Justin is also very self-aware, both of his strengths and his weaknesses. Rather than trying to take on tasks he isn’t suited for, Justin surrounds himself with a capable leadership team who can manage those aspects of the organization using their own specialized skills and strengths. The culture that Justin and his team have created at Innovative Solutions is truly a hallmark of the organization and one that has served them well over this difficult year.
Finding Silver Linings
As Justin explained during our conversation, the most difficult times we face always have something invaluable to offer us. They force us to think about how we can improve our systems, processes, and structure, they demand that we innovate new solutions to solve new problems, and they push us to rise to the challenge. The difficult times we face can be the road to a brighter future if we’re willing to embrace the lessons they have to teach us.
That’s the real silver lining to the storm: it necessitates that we rethink our assumptions and look for ways to improve by creating new strategies and looking for previously unconsidered opportunities. The key is to be flexible, stay calm, and think creatively. Surrounding yourself with the right people and working together to find solutions can be a powerful growth catalyst, even when things look dark.
To learn more about Justin Copie, visit his website at www.justincopie.com. You can also visit www.innovativesol.com for more information about the powerful culture Justin and his team have created.
