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Recently I stumbled upon a television documentary that caught my attention. It described the struggles that the Wright Brothers experienced in their attempt to achieve flight. The parallels between their struggles and the struggles in business today are striking. Deciding to dig a little deeper, I read To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight by James Tobin. Reading the book, I was able to identify fifteen attributes applicable in business today, as proven successful for the Wright Brothers 100 years ago. Here are some of them:

1. The Wright Brothers did not rely on the 'experts'.
They did their own thing. There were a number of other individuals and groups also attempting flight when the brothers' project began. The brothers sought advice occasionally, yet they charted their own course; they identified and solved problems themselves. They were in "uncharted waters," and they approached problems by thinking outside the box. They soon realized that aeronautical data available in their day was mostly incorrect, and they revised this data through painfully slow trial and error.

Today there are a limitless number of 'experts' who would have us believe that they can teach us how to run our business better. On-going success requires us to distance ourselves from such experts, and to charter our own course. There are no easy solutions; the constant problems we face can be very exhausting. Long-term success requires that we solve these problems ourselves, not to rely on outsiders to do it for us.

2. They accepted help that was unselfish, rejected help that was not.
There were a few trusted individuals who genuinely wanted the project to succeed and offered assistance. There were others who wanted association with the project for personal gain. The brothers were careful of whom they allowed in on the project.

In the business world today, there are many who are short on imagination, and are quick to seize on others' ideas. As business owners, we must keep an eye out to distinguish those who truly want to help from those who are out simply for personal gain.

3. They tested methodically, solving one problem at a time.
There are no short cuts to business success. Our success depends largely on our willingness to tackle problems and to seek permanent solutions. Problems are constantly surfacing. Business owners honest with themselves are aware of problems that exist. The successful business owner is one who accepts the challenge and identifies permanent solutions to these problems. The Wright brothers succeeded when others failed because, in spite of numerous discouragements and setbacks, they worked diligently to solve the problems. Others were taking short cuts, trying to get a craft off the ground without tackling the core issues of wind, balance, and control. These were very difficult challenges at the time, and it took the brothers years of hard work to solve them.

4. They had a clear vision and knew the correct steps to follow.
The Wright brothers refused to even consider an engine for their craft until they had solved the problems of balance and control. Others were spending enormous sums to develop an engine for crafts that had not been properly tested in the air. The thinking of others seemed to be that if they could complete this last step in the process, the other steps would simply fall into place. Some thought that speed would overcome the other problems. The others were focused on being first - losing sight of the core issues that had to be solved, and failing to consider the proper order for doing so. In other words, they were unwilling to do the hard work.

How many business owners do we see start up with a "business presence," including an office, a staff, equipment and overhead, without even a core foundation of clients? Knowing the steps to follow and identifying clear (or even approximate) milestones before investing time, energy and money into future endeavors is a key element to long-term business success. We should work toward achieving key milestones, just like the Wright brothers did, before taking big leaps into the unknown and therefore taking unnecessary risks.

5. Their personal integrity and credibility was known throughout the scientific community.
The Wright brothers had a reputation of being genuine, truthful and trustworthy. There was great respect from those who knew them. This enabled them to attract others with a genuine willingness to help. It also established a culture within the organization as to who should be included in the project. This integrity caused them to be honest with themselves regarding progress and the problems they were working on. This couldn't be truer in business today. Also, consider this: Business success is not real unless accompanied by true character.

6. They did not go public until the time was right and they were ready.
Others, working on similar projects, solicited public recognition for their achievements, causing constant interruptions and distractions. The media exaggerated experimental failures. Rather than receiving positive publicity, the others were misunderstood and ridiculed. The Wright brothers worked quietly, staying focused on the task at hand, and thus they were shielded from these distractions.

We can all appreciate the value of PR--timing however is just as important!

7. Success came from hard work and creativity, rather than from large sums of money.
During this same period Samuel Langley spent $50,000 of government funds and another $20,000 from the Smithsonian Institute and others, only to result in total failure. This was a considerable investment in today's dollars. The Wright brothers spent only what was necessary; their investment totaled approximately $1,000 from start to finish.

Today, the most inept businessperson can keep a business going with unlimited sums of money. Those on a limited budget, however, are forced to use creativity, likely resulting in a more solid endeavor. (This begs the question: What were the venture capitalists thinking when they so willingly tossed funds into the dot.com world??)

Next month: Wright Brothers Business Lessons Part II

Jim Mullaney is President/CEO of EDOCService, Inc. He can be reached at (513) 829-7101, or e-mail him at Jim@edocservice.com. The EDOCService website can be found at www.edocservice.com.

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