Do you remember what happened in 1861? What about who was President of the United states in 1904? Which act was the final one to lead the colonialists to rebel against the British?
Do you know? Does it have a significance in your life?
Why would you know any of these things?
Humans love stories. It’s how we process information the best, and it’s arguably the most efficient way to learn something. Facts and figures are not. So why do we focus so much on them in history class? Why do we focus so heavily on wars and politics?
Confession time: I don’t care about those topics. In fact, I don’t even really care about history. The facts and figures are just a Google search away for all that I could ever want or need. Political parties and names blur into interchangeable parts and repeat themselves–replace military technology A with technology B, leader X with leader Z. It’s all the same.
History repeats itself.
In business–what applicability does most history have to me? I argue: very little. And yet, the history is there for us to learn. Human nature does not change much. Many answers and predictions about the future are woven into the fabric of the past.
To gain a glimpse into the past–and as recommended by far too many people, I recently read the book They Made America, about the entrepreneurs who developed ideas, products, and services that revolutionized and defined what America is today. From the steamboat to Google to everything in between, it led me through the history of America through the filter and perspective of innovators. And while reading these stories, for the first time, I cared. I cared about history. The political, social, and economic movements of the time affected the innovations. The themes and trends emerging based on upbringing, environment, and world affairs all played vital roles in the innovator’s life. And what fascinating lives they were.
I admit, I found a love for history.
But that’s not all.
I started to see patterns; I could predict the future outcome of the story and see where the next iteration of innovation would/should come from–and did. I started to see history repeat itself. I started to see how important each aspect of history was. I started to see the consistent theme of enduring hardships in all degrees that had to be overcome to succeed.
Simply put, I started to see.
I consider myself a pretty smart and knowledgeable person when it comes to business-related matters. Accounting, finance, marketing, product development, culture building, you name it, I’ve studied and applied it. However, prior to reading this book, I lacked one major area of business, one that I didn’t even consider to be necessary, merely optional and a “nice-to-have” option. I couldn’t have been more wrong. As essential as business operations, as fundamental as accounting, as crucial as basic math is, this topic I was ignorant of is business history.
As if I were a novice to a craft, a virgin of business. But reading that tome, I gained so much, so quickly–a perk of storytelling’s efficacy.
And so if you are where I was, I recommend adding another subject to study, that of business history. As history repeats itself, so too will knowing the past prime you for the future. It is not just a passing fact to dazzle with at cocktail parties, but an essential aspect to doing business in any form, be it as an entrepreneur, manager, or leader. So pick up a book related to business history. The sooner, the better.
You may be able to afford forgetting about a battle or two–or even an entire war, but you can’t get over seeing–and allowing–the same thing happen to you as it did to Edison, Edwin Drake, or Farnsworth. You can ignore the war, but you can’t ignore the history, history of business.
And by the way, start of the Civil War, Theodore Roosevelt, and Townshend Act.
Now go learn about what Bill Gates did to Gary Kildall and what society did to Samuel Insull, and let me know when you do. I can’t wait for you to learn about it too!
