You either hate it, love it or momentarily become fixated on it as you flip through the channels or scroll through your social media feeds. However, there’s no denying that the once forbidden underworld of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is becoming an increasingly popular and entertaining spectacle that’s captivating the world over. It’s a sport that’s slowly turning many ordinary, peace-loving individuals into hardcore, blood-thirsty fight fans—even if just for a few minutes.

However, those who practice or follow the sport will tell you that it’s as disciplined as it is chaotic. As peaceful as it is violent. Many attest to how training in MMA, even without the intent to compete, has completely changed their lives for the better. It’s made them stronger, more resilient, confident and focused than ever before. And so, what if we had to mix the carnage and grit of fighting with the daily crunch and grind that is running your own business? What can the flyweights and heavyweights in the business world learn from the gladiators of the twenty-first century? Let’s go five rounds:

Round 1 – Take calculated risks

Just like every fighter does when they step into the ring—it’s important for business owners and managers alike to take calculated risks once in a while. These risks don’t necessarily mean you have to step into some form of business boxing ring and carry out a corporate slug fest, but you do need to momentarily step outside of your comfort zone and stick your toe onto an unknown, blank canvass.

Business owners and managers often get stuck into a monotonous routine that sees them live every day exactly the same, and while these routines aren’t necessarily harmful—they are against any sort of progression or advancement. This means that the business or team may become stagnant over time and the roots of non-development grow a little too deep for discomfort. And the more comfort and complacency sets in, the bigger the chance that a competitor is going to zoom passed—while your business is seemingly parked in the tow-away zone. This is why it’s important that you come out swinging in round two.

Round 2 – Try something new

There’s an old adage that’s often alluded to in the business world—first coined by world-famous wise guy, Albert Einstein—which loosely translates into the following: If you keep trying the same thing, you’re going to keep getting the same result. When was the last time you and your company truly tried something new? And no, I don’t mean buying a different type of coffee for the wreck-room or using black pens instead of blue, I mean looking at a problem or customer pain-point from a completely different perspective. In other words, changing a rusty, creaky strategy or approach and remodelling it completely.

If you kept getting hit all over the place in one round and then stick to the same strategy in the next, you’re eventually going to get knocked out.

It’s easy to get stuck into a corner while repeating the same tactics or strategies, while hoping something miraculously flips and you get a different result. Here’s the problem though; if you kept getting hit all over the place in one round and then stick to the same strategy in the next, you’re eventually going to get knocked out. And it doesn’t have to be world-shattering blows to the head that leads to the stoppage—it’s often the accumulation of the same shots that eventually takes the legs out from underneath you. Which is why in order to take risks or try something new, you have to get off the ropes and ensure that you’re always moving forward.

Round 3 – Move forward

Let’s face it, if the blue corner simply sits back against the ropes and keeps absorbing heavy punches from the red corner—he or she will eventually crumble. This is why it’s so important for fighters to change things up between and during rounds and ensure that eventually, they are the ones who are moving forward.

There are few things worse for a business than stagnation. This is the result of the company dwelling on old, outdated processes, or getting stuck in bare-knuckled strategies and business models that were inherited from the dark ages. It’s important for every business, even antique shops, to move forward with the times and keep up with the ever-changing marketplace. Because if there’s anything guaranteed in business, it’s that the hits are going to keep coming. And it’s up to the business owner or manager to decide whether they’re going to keep absorbing them and hope for the best, or keep moving forward and adapt to the situation.

Round 4 – Believe in yourself and your ability

In press conferences and encounters between two big-name fighters in the build up to fight night, only confidence and self-esteem generally outweigh the richness on display. This is because each fighter absolutely and undoubtedly believes in themselves and their ability. And why not? They aren’t World Champions and among the most revered athletes in the sporting universe by chance. This immense belief in themselves and their ability isn’t new either. It has been with them since the start of their careers, or even long before that.

This immense belief in themselves and their ability isn’t new either. It has been with them since the start of their careers, or even long before that.

In the same way these fighters use this self-belief and confidence to deflect each other’s mental assaults, it’s important for business owners and managers to ensure that they too are aware of what the business can achieve—while acknowledging its strengths and victories. By reaffirming this belief in yourself and your business, you’re able to confidently stand up to the next flurry of blows that are undoubtedly approaching. As long as you remember to keep your hands up, your chin down, and you put in the work.

Round 5 – Put in the hard work

I’d get into the ring with Mayweather or McGregor and get knocked around for $100 million! If you didn’t say this or hear it from one of your friends in the lead up to The Money Fight in 2017, you’re in a minority half the size of those who haven’t watched an episode of Game of Thrones. Now, I’m not denying that the people who said this would get into the ring and take a beating for that amount of money, but would they put in the work and make the sacrifices necessary to get to that point?

 

Behind every successful business or idea is a mountain of determination—covered by clouds of sacrifice—and then snow-capped with hours of hard work. Too many business owners and managers get stuck at the base of the mountain and get lost staring at the summit of success, without even thinking about the stormy clouds of sacrifice or cold, hard hours of hard work that lay ahead. The fact will always remain though, if you’re not willing to put in the hard work, you shouldn’t expect the lavish reward. It’s important that you’re prepared to put in the hard work and that you have a full scope of what’s expected of you as a business owner or manager before you set out to conquer your goals. This means planning ahead and realizing the size of the task at hand. Remember; a goal without a solid plan is just a wish. And wishing for success is just as good as dreaming about it.

The only question that remains is; will you take these lessons and ensure that it’s your hand raised after the final bell, or are you going to let the fatigue slowly set in and wait to get knocked out by the competition?

While MMA and the sport of fighting certainly has its critics and detractors, there’s no doubt that it’s one of the most intriguing, fascinating and awe-inspiring sports today. From a business perspective, if we had to look at some of UFC‘s superstars—such as Conor McGregor—most of their events have the inkling of an enormous trade deal that has been tensely negotiated between two power countries. Whatever your view on these spectacles that take place, there are some valuable lessons for business owners and managers to take away from them—especially if you can appreciate the magnitude and reach they have across the globe.

The only question that remains is; will you take these lessons and ensure that it’s your hand raised after the final bell, or are you going to let the fatigue slowly set in and wait to get knocked out by the competition?