Vikings & Pirates

There are Vikings sailing the business seas amongst us and we tolerate them. Many even adopt their practises as valid ways of doing business. Tolerating and even copying Vikings is counterproductive to all, especially any who desire long-term success.

Originally the term which became Viking meant Pirate and not specifically a Norseman. The two became synonymous when the Norsemen realized that improving their lifestyles through thievery was easier than trade or agriculture (after the fall of the Roman Empire). I will use the term Viking to mean a barbaric pirate who "trades" with a battleaxe.

Norse Vikings lived by strength. The strongest were successful. That of course only lasted as long as they were strongest, cleverest and luckiest. As soon as there was someone stronger, more cunning or plain luckier then people got an axe to the head! Two kings could not co-exist without war. It was considered that there weren't enough resources for two groups to survive and prosper in the same area.

This sentiment still underpins much of what happens in the world of trade today. Business owners, salesmen and customers alike are prone to viewing the world though the same thinking as the Vikings:

There isn't enough for me and you at the same time. If I want to survive and prosper I can only do it at your expense. Any gain you make will be at my expense so I must strike first.

Prosperity as a Mindset

I remember having a conversation with a nice guy who ran a business. He said that it was ok to force another business to disadvantage. I said, surely that couldn't end well. He responded that every dollar he spent was a dollar less in his pocket. Every dollar he avoided spending made him richer. I don't really agree.

My view is this. If you have a dollar less in your pocket then you have a product that is at least equal to that dollar and that product should save or make you dollars elsewhere. The other guy now has a dollar in his pocket that he can spend at a restaurant. The restauranteur can afford to hire your daughter and to fix his car in your auto shop. This is a self-perpetuating win-win. What if those first dollars are withheld?

Vikings live in a mindset of lack yet the most successful people in the world (long-term) see the world as full of opportunity and every trade as a gain for the whole world.

Being a Viking is Dumb. Healthy self-interest is achieved by having a prosperity mindset.

Being Sneaky

Norse Vikings were easy to spot in their longships. When you saw a longship you ran or came about with your swords. Later pirates came to sail in the same ships as merchants (often they were merchants). The sneaky ones would sail under a legitimate flag till they came within range and then they would raise their true colors and start the shooting and looting.

Pirates hiding their true nature does an immense amount of damage to everyone. People are very wary to do business with anyone they don't already know. New ideas are discarded. Trust is low. People start to think that to survive they must adopt the ways of the Viking - even if only a little bit. These Vikings skim a bit off the top or use their size to push others into unfair terms whilst masquerading as "legitimate businessmen". Everyone thinks they are trading but in reality they are participating in a robbery.

I will say draw a very clear line between trading and looting. If there isn't a true exchange of value then it is piracy. It's your choice and it has to be absolute. Black and White are simple. Grey is where Vikings love to hunt. You might win some battles but eventually you will taste axe.

How to spot if you are a Viking?

If you seek to trade more to your advantage than that of your trading partner then you are a Viking
If you attempt to control, manage or plain bully your trading partners then you are a Viking
If you think that you deserve more than others then you are a Viking
If you do things because 'that is how they have always been done' then you may well also be a Viking