Would Vladimir Putin's Management Style Work For Your Small Business?

Image via Flickr by Jedimentat44

Russian president Vladimir Putin has been in the news a lot lately because of his actions involving Ukraine. As far as Putin and Russia are concerned, Crimea is now an official part of Russia. The paperwork was all signed and made official by Russian and Crimean leaders earlier this week.

The problem is that the United States, Ukraine, and the rest of the world do not recognize the Crimean government as being legal, which means that the annexation treaty is not valid. According to Putin, everything is just fine and the West should mind its own business.

Sounds great, doesn't it? If you have the brass cojones to ignore the rest of the world, then you can start expanding your empire at will. Wouldn't it be great if you could do the same thing for your small business? You could just go out there and claim whatever you want as your own and grow your own little empire. Unfortunately, it does not work like that in the real world.

Putin Is Not "All There"

German prime minister Angela Merkel has close ties with Putin and Russia, and she has been trying to prevent any real tensions regarding Ukraine. The problem is that Merkel describes Putin as "in another world" and that he was out of touch with reality. In other words, Putin is nuts.

Putin Is Not Your Business Role Model

As part of my daily routine, I like to read responses to big news stories on the Internet and there has been a shocking number of business professionals who feel that the Putin approach is the right approach to business. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In some political climates, an autocrat can be successful because he forces those around him to bend to his will. Putin spins information in such a way that he tries to make himself look like a hero to his people by manipulating the media. There are several reasons why Putin's approach would never work in the business world.

Negotiation Is The Foundation Of Strong Business

Putin does not negotiate; he takes things. In the business world, you simply cannot take business from a client. You have to negotiate with that client and earn that business. You cannot take a smaller company and make it part of your company. You have to negotiate a sale or merger that will allow your company to assimilate the assets of the other company into your business culture.

Vladimir Putin does not understand the power of negotiation. When you learn to negotiate properly, you can acquire and achieve more than you ever could by taking things. Work on your negotiation skills and you will earn far more than you could ever take.

Every Strong Business Needs Allies

Putin is alienating Russia and he doesn't seem to care. In the business world, you cannot alienate your company if you want to succeed. Strength and power in the business world come from what you have and who you know. If what you have attracts a more valuable class of allies, then you have a significant advantage over the competition.

Keep Your Small Business Strong

Small businesses survive by establishing strong relationships with customers, vendors, and employees. A small business grows when it is able to negotiate deals with clients and beneficial transactions with others in the business community.

The "storm the castle" approach of Russian president Vladimir Putin can seem romantic and appealing, but it is just a one-way ticket to disaster for your small business.