Is There a Right and a Wrong Way in Business? Finding What Works for You
As business owners, we spend a lot of time wondering whether there is a right and a wrong way in business.
The right way to market.
The right way to network.
The right way to manage our time.
The right way to train our teams.
The right way to grow our business.
But what if the question isn’t whether something is right or wrong?
What if the better question is whether it works for you?
Is there a right and a wrong way in business? Sometimes there is, but far more often the answer depends on the person, the situation, and the outcome they are trying to achieve.
Learning This Lesson the Hard Way
For a long time, I assumed there was a correct way to do almost everything.
If somebody else was successful, surely I should copy what they were doing.
If an expert recommended a system, surely I should follow it.
If everyone else seemed to be doing something one way, surely that was the right way.
The trouble is that life isn’t that simple.
People are different.
Businesses are different.
Circumstances are different.
What works brilliantly for one person may be completely unsuitable for somebody else.
I’ve seen this in my own life too. I tend to learn by throwing myself into something and figuring it out as I go. Tom often prefers to research first and understand the options before making a decision. Neither approach is automatically right or wrong — they’re simply different. The same applies in business. What matters isn’t whether someone else’s system works for them; it’s whether it works for you.
The Dog Training Example
I’ve seen this with Leo.
Ask ten dog trainers how to solve a problem and you may receive ten different answers.
Some approaches suit one dog perfectly.
Others don’t.
Some methods fit the owner’s lifestyle.
Others don’t.
The goal isn’t to prove one trainer right and another wrong.
The goal is to find an approach that works for the dog and the owner standing in front of them.
Business is often exactly the same.
Advice Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
This is where the question “is there a right and a wrong way in business?” becomes particularly relevant, because different approaches can produce equally successful results.
Business advice can be incredibly valuable.
But it should never replace thinking.
Someone might tell you to post on social media every day.
Someone else may recommend weekly content.
Another person may suggest avoiding social media altogether.
Who’s right?
Potentially all of them.
Potentially none of them.
The answer depends on your goals, your capacity, your audience and your priorities.
The Cost of Chasing the Perfect Method
Many business owners become stuck because they’re searching for certainty.
They spend months researching.
Comparing.
Learning.
Planning.
Waiting until they’re confident they’ve found the perfect approach.
But there often isn’t a perfect approach.
There is only the next sensible step.
Sometimes progress comes from trying something, learning from it, and adjusting as you go.
Different Doesn’t Mean Wrong
Understanding that there isn’t always a right and a wrong way in business can remove a huge amount of pressure and uncertainty.
One of the most useful lessons I’ve learned is that different and wrong are not the same thing.
Someone may organise their diary differently.
Run meetings differently.
Market differently.
Network differently.
Train differently.
Lead differently.
That doesn’t automatically make them wrong.
It simply means they’ve found an approach that works for them.
Consider Advice Carefully
Advice is precious.
Experience is valuable.
Learning from others can save enormous amounts of time and frustration.
But advice should be considered, not blindly followed.
Ask yourself:
- Does this suit my situation?
- Does this align with my values?
- Does this fit my goals?
- Do I have the capacity to do this well?
- Will this genuinely help me move forwards?
If the answer is yes, great.
If not, it’s perfectly acceptable to take a different path.
Final Thoughts
When asking whether there is a right and a wrong way in business, it helps to separate ethical principles from personal preferences and working styles.
There are certainly wrong ways to do some things.
Dishonesty is wrong.
Treating people badly is wrong.
Breaking promises is wrong.
But beyond those fundamentals, many business decisions aren’t about right and wrong at all.
They’re about fit.
The best systems, processes and habits are often the ones that work consistently for you.
So before asking whether something is the right way, ask a different question:
“Is this the right way for me?”
Because that’s often the answer that matters most.
The most successful business owners often stop asking whether there is a right and a wrong way in business and start asking whether their chosen approach genuinely works for them.