Run or Fall. That’s the Whole Point!

When you read the title of this article, you may have thought of the most memorable opening line from the soliloquy in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, written four centuries ago: “To be, or not to be, that is the question!” In fact, as a result of the progress humanity has made over the past 400 years, the space between “existing and ceasing to exist,” particularly in the world of business, has gradually narrowed and undergone a transformation. Developments in the 20th century outpaced those of the preceding millennium! In our present age, where every moment brings changes and conditions different from the last, keeping pace with new circumstances—running to survive and moving with agility—has become a necessity.

In February 2001, 17 independent software leaders came together with the aim of benefiting from different perspectives and approaches, making their own workflow processes more efficient, and ultimately creating better and more successful software products, which was their core business. After a two-day meeting and brainstorming session, they published the “Agile Manifesto.” The word “Agile,” which means agile, nimble, or adaptable, thus entered the vocabulary of 21st-century business life and management circles. In this manifesto, introduced by software developers at the beginning of the century, four fundamental priorities were outlined. 1) Individuals and the interactions between them are more valuable than business processes and tools. 2) Delivering functional software is more important than a comprehensive documentation process. 3) Collaborating with the client is more important than contract negotiations. 4) Responding to change is more important than sticking to the current plan. The fact that software developers abandoned the Waterfall model in project management and began adopting the Agile model in order to act more flexibly and adaptively naturally set an example for all other industries. Depending on the content and objectives, there are different methods applied in project management. However, the common challenge faced by many of these methods is that they follow a linear process, similar to the Waterfall model; in other words, the activities in one phase must be fully completed before moving on to the next phase. However, in today’s world, where each day begins with new developments, fresh information, and changing circumstances, business development and project management processes should be divided into smaller parts. While everyone progresses with the tasks they have taken on based on their expertise or abilities, the overall process should be reviewed at frequent intervals, and necessary updates should be implemented quickly in response to changing conditions.

As seen in many countries around the world, there are also companies in Türkiye that are adopting an “Agile Management” approach. Among these, one of the companies that has particularly caught my attention is Yıldırım Holding. The company, which focuses on chrome mining, fertilizers, port operations, and energy, has built its core capital base on coal imports and domestic sales. However, the company’s achievement of its current position is undoubtedly rooted in Yüksel Yıldırım’s naturally agile and entrepreneurial mindset, as well as the Yıldırım family’s adoption of an agile management approach within their companies over the years. As the company’s CEO, Yüksel Yıldırım has been highly successful in developing a clear vision and creating long-term strategic plans. However, in my opinion, this successful businessman’s—who set out from his hometown of Sivas under the name İsmail, began his teaching career in Samsun as Yüksel, and then traveled first to Istanbul and then to the U.S. to advance his education and broaden his horizons—true success lies in his ability to navigate crisis periods effectively, thanks to his agile character, which demonstrated the foresight to add the name Robert to his own to enter the business world in America. His education, the professional experience he gained in the United States, the Japanese work ethic he learned, the American business mindset he adopted, his personal choices, his marriage, and all the experiences he has gone through from childhood and youth to the present day have transformed Yüksel Yıldırım into a “global citizen.” In these days when many people have fallen into the grip of pessimism, I recommend that everyone study Yüksel Yıldırım’s life and learn about the internationally recognized achievements of Yıldırım Holding in order to find inspiration and gain the courage to make bold decisions.

As we all know, the coronavirus pandemic is spreading rapidly, and the global economy is being pushed toward a major recession. Apart from a small number of specific industries, we are facing an unprecedented global crisis in which the entire economy and virtually all sectors have been undeniably affected. In a period when all forms of transportation are being restricted and countries are closing their borders, tourism is naturally at the top of the list of sectors expected to be impacted most severely. There is no need to look far away; even in our own country, there are business leaders operating in the tourism sector who, in my opinion, can be regarded as examples on a global scale within their industries and who have developed inspiring, creative promotions and campaigns. In our next article, we will explore a success story from the tourism sector and reflect together on what can be achieved. However, I believe it is worth emphasizing this point: remember, whether humanity wants it or not, the world continues to move and rotate beneath our feet. This is not a situation under our control; if we evaluate the level reached in technology together with people’s consumption habits and the speed at which they communicate with one another, we must fully understand that every individual, every company, and every country is on a “moving treadmill.” All of us, absolutely all of us, have to keep running. Run or fall… That is the whole point!