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Wondering How To Grow Your Business? It’s A Lot Like Building With LEGOS

Olivier Chateau is the cofounder and CEO of Health Union.

When you’re both the CEO of a company and a father, the two worlds can sometimes collide, regardless of how hard you try to avoid it. Fortunately, there are some instances where that collision can be beneficial.

I was recently in a situation in which I was explaining my belief about the best approach to building a company. My mind didn’t focus on business theory or trends; it wasn’t grasping at sports, war or movie metaphors, to name a tired few.

Instead, I couldn’t stop thinking about toys—specifically, the timeless, infinite and inventive nature of LEGO bricks. There is something about those ubiquitous little bricks that inspires a logical, structured form of creativity in people of all ages. In some way, shape or form, all of the pieces fit with each other to transform ideas and creative instincts into something unique. From my perspective, understanding the beauty and benefits of LEGO provides a relevant framework for building and expanding a business in ways that are both responsible and innovative.

Start with the basic building blocks.

LEGO bricks are an intrinsically wonderful tool for building—and, by extension, an analog for expanding and trying new things at a company—because they are organized and predictable while also allowing for infinite possibilities.

There are countless LEGO sets, shapes and designs nowadays. At their core, however, they are interlocking bricks that fit together in a predetermined way. This can help focus the process and decisions for what and how you build. Likewise, expanding or transforming a company’s offerings shouldn’t be a free-for-all but should clearly illustrate how any new ideas fit into your company’s goals and address customer needs.

At the same time, possibilities can be endless. There are copious amounts of LEGO shapes, lengths, colors and other features with which to work. With a classic set of bricks, a person can build something based on instructions or something wholly different. On the business side, it is possible for a company to both keep doing what it does well while also leveraging the tools and resources available to get creative and truly create transformational ideas that remain true to its core.

Innovation and transformation require a strong “baseplate.”

Now, to start building with a LEGO set, it helps to have a baseplate—like the classic green square—that serves as both a foundation and a canvas for your build. Similarly, building out a company or expanding the solutions you offer is only truly possible with a strong foundation that grounds future ideas and growth.

When thinking about a business, the baseplate can be a number of things, including, but not limited to, a mission, structure or service. In my case, the “baseplate” has been a mission to help people with chronic conditions live better. The execution has been and continues to be, transformational as new ideas are created, yet it still draws off of the mission—our “baseplate” that keeps us grounded.

Make sure you have all the pieces you need.

It can be frustrating when you get an idea to build something out of LEGO bricks, only to realize you’re missing the pieces you need. Maybe you ran out of a certain color or size, or maybe you’re just one LEGO wheel short. Whatever the reason—perhaps you’re working with an acquired set or the pieces are buried deep within the recesses of a sofa—you may be forced to shift away from your desired result or find an alternative solution.

From a business perspective, it’s difficult to build in the desired way if you don’t have the pieces you need. These pieces, which come in various forms, from team members and experience to acquired assets and resources, all have to fit together and align with the mission. The investment in time and resources can be considerable, but the result can’t be compromised.

Interestingly, as a business evolves and transforms, as a LEGO build, you begin to realize the benefits of committing to a strong foundation. You also start to see needs and uncover problems that need to be solved. Transformation not only becomes possible but obvious when you commit to “having all the pieces in place.” The right people, the right partners and an unwavering commitment to the mission help you either find the pieces or transform because there is something else to accomplish.

Building isn’t for everyone.

A final important thing to remember is that it takes skill, desire and creativity, as well as experience over time, to build something wholly unique out of LEGO bricks. After all, many parents have been asked by their children to look at what they made and have been, well, unable to make heads or tails of the creation.

All joking aside, it can be difficult to break out of the follow-the-instructions approach to LEGO building and to do it well. There’s obviously safety in constantly building something that you know works and looks beautiful. Similarly, to truly expand your business offerings, you have to already be doing what you do well, buoyed by a confidence that comes from practice, experience, knowledge and skills.

Fortunately, as long as the metaphorical bricks—in terms of people, culture and your dedication to your mission—still fit, you can innovate and transform your business in meaningful ways.


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