Building Blocks of Success: Five Business Lessons from Lego

It goes without saying that Lego’s legacy and mark on the world are unmatched. After all, who doesn’t love Lego? 

Since Jan 28, 1958 — when its interlocking bricks were patented — the Danish company has become an inspiration not only to kids around the globe but adults too. And one of the main reasons for this is that Lego has always strived to meet its customer’s needs.

Sure there have been lean patches in the company’s history, and once even when it was staring at bankruptcy.

But the brand has always returned to the black by remembering that while movies, theme parks and catchy songs are awesome, at the end of the day, it’s about the blocks and the people who spend hours upon hours to buy and build them.

With that in mind, and in conjunction with International Lego Day on Jan 28, here are five things businesspersons and entrepreneurs can learn from Lego and its millions and millions of fans.

What works for others may not work for you

There are generally two kinds of Lego fans: collectors, who assemble their sets based on instructions, and MOC (short for “My Own Creation”) makers, who operate sans guides and, very often, build from imagination.

Who’s better? It’s immaterial because the point is that both collectors and MOC makers are focused on the ultimate goal — getting the perfect build.

Now think about your business decisions.

Many of us in business for ourselves worry that we’re doing things wrong, especially when we stumble and especially when we compare our journey to everybody else’s.

Yet the lesson to learn from Lego’s fans is that there’s no perfect way to achieve success. And every builder, or in this case, businessperson, must decide on their own path.

All the pieces matter

Whether you’re a collector or MOC maker, one fact remains — every piece matters. In other words, there’s no Lego block too insignificant.

This same principle applies to business, especially when attempting to build a strong and efficient team.

High-performing teams aren’t created by accident but rather by design. 

And the job of business leaders and managers is to identify the skills and persons needed for tasks, create a clear plan of action, and motivate everyone to work towards common goals.

Remember, for best results, everyone in your network should do their part and work together cohesively.

Do what you love, and you’ll never need to work

Building a giant Lego set — even the…errr… titanic 9,090-piece Lego Titanic — requires dedication. 

It isn’t just challenging but can be mightily frustrating too. 

Yet no Lego fan will label this task a chore. And that’s simply because it’s something they love doing.

Can work and business be viewed similarly? 

The traditional notion of business success suggested that if you didn’t hustle or grind or complain, it meant you weren’t doing something right. However, the attitude today is that for ultimate gains, it’s more than okay to make “fun” part of your organisation’s culture and to love what you do.

Results take time

There’s a common misconception that some fields of business — direct selling, for one — offer easy routes to success. That could not be further from the truth.

Building a great business always takes time. Indeed, as so many of QNET’s superstar performers admit, it’s possible to even slip up en route to triumph. 

But if you’re serious, you need to stay the course, be patient and realise that there are no shortcuts.

Putting together Lego sets often requires a similar kind of patience. In fact, some models, especially those from the Creator Expert series, can take anything from over 13 hours to days to build.

Nevertheless, the time spent to achieve success is always well worth the effort.

Good basics translate to happy customers

One of the coolest things about Lego, which keeps fans coming back time and time again, is the uniqueness of its bricks that are designed to last through the generations.

Do you have mini-figures and blocks from your childhood? 

Lego’s emphasis on consistency has enabled kids and adults to use old toys with current ones and even repurpose bricks for new builds and projects. 

The takeaway here, thus, is that it pays to get the basics right.

Sure, times may change and even become challenging.

However, if your business principles are sound and you’ve spent time on putting together efficient systems, old is gold. Rest assured, you’ll have happy returning customers.