Did you happen to catch any of the game show Jeopardy in February? It was historic for the show. In a nutshell, two of the all time greats in Jeopardy history were defeated by a computer named Watson. Yes, an actual computer participated in the show and actually competed against humans.

As it turns out, the computer was named after the late IBM (International Business Machines) founder and first president Thomas Watson Sr. However, IBM began to emerge as a leader in computers while being led and managed by his son, Thomas Watson Jr. The late Watson Jr. has been called the greatest capitalist in history and one of 100 most influential people of the 20th century by TIME magazine.

The computer was programmed by employees at IBM in an effort to prepare for the game show competition. If you watched the series, you could not help but wonder how far we have come with technology. In fact, it is even scarier to think of what will come in the future.

So Why Does This Matter?

This competition was one to take note of given Thomas Watson Jr’s business philosophy and ties to the small business community. Several of his quotes have been inspirational in how he developed IBM into a juggernaut (..it lost luster for a while but appears to be back on track). He said, “You must guard constantly against those who lack vision. You must guard against the reactionary mind. Always cultivate and associate with persons of vision and with persons who believe that things are going to be better. When you do this, you take on the kind of vision, backed by the right kind of inspiration that you need if you are going to grow in this business or any other business.”

This speaks to the heart of all entrepreneurs with big dreams and conviction in their pursuits. As the leader of your business you must make sure your vision is embraced. Another great quote from him is “Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of ‘crackpot’ than the stigma of conformity. Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Every time we’ve moved ahead in IBM, it was because someone was willing to take a chance, put his head on the block, and try something new.”

Imagine where IBM would be if not for Thomas Watson Jr’s mindset and vision. Make it a point to manifest that vision by getting out of your comfort zone and do the things most do not in order to propel your business to the next level. If you are working a full time job thinking about starting a business and fitting in time to earn extra income, you must resolve to establish and communicate your vision before spectacular things happen.