Whether a conformist can achieve lasting success or get rich in business depends primarily on the type of business involved. Iconoclasts3 rise to the TOP in newer industries and in those where consumer demand is in constant flux4. Conformists ultimately prevail, however, in traditional service industries ensconced in systems and regulations.
In consumer-driven industries, innovation, product differentiation5, and creativity are crucial to lasting success. In the retail6 and media sectors7, for example, unconventional products and advertising8 are necessary to catch the attention of consumers and to keep up with the vagaries9 of consumer tastes. Those who take an iconoclastic10 approach tend to recognize emerging trends and to rise above their peers- For example, Ted2 Turner s departure from the traditional format11 of the other television networks, and the responsiveness of Amazon.com to burgeoning12 Internet commerce propelled these two giants to leadership positions in their industries. And in technology, where there are no conventional practices or ways of thinking to begin with, companies that fail to break away from last year s paradigm13 are soon left behind by the competition.
However, in traditional service industries-such as finance, accounting14, insurance, legal services, and health care-lasting success and riches come not to non- conformists but rather to those who can deliver services most effectively within the confines of established practices, policies, and regulations. Of course, a clever idea for structuring a deal, or a creative legal maneuver15, may play a role in winning smaller battles along the way.
But such tactics are those of conformists who are playing by the same ground rules as their peers； winners are Just better at the game.
In conclusion, while non-conformists tend to be the wildly successful players in technology-driven and consumer-driven industries, traditionalists are the winners in system-driven industries pervaded by policy, regulation, and bureaucracy
