Want to go from being a high school chemistry teacher to a violent, millionaire drug kingpin? OK, maybe you don’t. But there are still plenty of lessons to learn from Walter White’s mesmerizing transformation in Breaking Bad.
Whatever else White is, including anti-hero or downright villain, he’s an example for anyone looking to strike out on their own and build their own business — or simply survive and advance within their current company.
Your profession may be significantly less exciting (and correspondingly less risky), but many of the same forces are at play everywhere. On the eve of the Breaking Bad fifth season premiere, it’s the perfect time to walk in Walter White’s footsteps — if you dare.
* * Spoilers ahead! * *
1) Don’t be afraid of a career change.
White is the poster child for a mid-life career change. He built up significant skills and experience in research, but missed out on a big break (or was screwed out of such an opportunity, depending on who you believe) early in his career. While his former friends Gretchen and Eliott Schwartz made millions founding their chemical company Gray Matter, White was stuck in the most dead-end of jobs, that of a high school chemistry teacher. His knowledge and background (not to mention temperament) were completely wasted in the classroom.
We live in a golden age of entrepreneurship. Not everyone can start Instagram, which sold for $1 billion without any revenue, but founding a company or switching jobs late in your career can still be a great move. That’s especially true when you can utilize specialized skills. White certainly didn’t hesitate when given the opportunity. In fact, given his rapid law-breaking change after age 50, he probably wishes he started cooking meth earlier.
2) Never settle for less than the best product, period.
Much like the Albuquerque, meth-dealing version of Steve Jobs, White isn’t satisfied unless he’s producing only the best product. Jobs didn’t work for “good enough” at Apple. That’s one of the main reasons why his computers (and now phones and tablets) became must-have items. White is the same way.
When sidekick and partner Jesse Pinkman tells him, truthfully, that a lesser quality drug will be more than good enough for addicts to come knocking, White stands firm on principle. And, ultimately, his stubborn side is rewarded. Because his “blue meth” is differentiated as the best drug on the market, White and Pinkman can charge a significant premium on the street. Moreover, his product is so good that it keeps him alive — distributors who want him dead realize that they’ll make out better if they keep him producing his one-of-a-kind product.
3) Be picky with whom you do business.
Not everybody is a good partner. White learned that the hard way — first with Tuco Salamanca, then with Gustavo Fring. White was making lots of money from both partners, but ultimately realized that each was too violent to ever let him live. When he saw what each was capable of (Tuco pounding his underling to death over nothing andGus slicing open his henchman Victor’s throat with a box cutter), White moved quickly to end those business relationships before they could end it first.
What he learned through experience, you can learn from him. When starting your own business pick your partners carefully. Your business buddies may not be deranged psychopaths or cold-blooded killers, but they can still bring down the company. Work with people you respect, who have the same mindset and the same goals as you do. That way you’re always on the same page. Although they’ve haven’t killed one another (yet), Jesse and Walter have yet to resolve all of their differences.
4) Never give up control.
I’ll just let Walter explain this one:
5) Be indispensable in the workplace.
In White’s case, being an indispensable employee is tied to one of the earlier items on the list: making only the best product. But this is a tremendously important lesson, so it’s worth a second mention.
Especially in this economy, you never want you boss to wake up one day and realize that they don’t need you. Companies are always looking to downsize and save money, so employees have to constantly be working to make themselves relevant and even more than that — essential. As long as the other people at the company know that they need you around to make everything run smoothly, you’ll be safe from layoffs.
By making himself a key cog in the process of a high-margin business, White has shielded himself from harm on multiple occasions. He also moves quickly to identify and eliminate potential replacements (Gale Boetticher, anyone?). Running a meth lab is a high stakes job.
6) Build your reputation.
Your prospects in business are only as good as your reputation. If you’re known as a sloppy, ill-prepared worker, don’t expect a raise. If you’re known for not paying your bills, don’t expect many people to be clamoring to work with you.
White’s reputation, through his Heisenberg alter-ego, is that of a master chemist and ruthless drug lord. Throughout Albuquerque, other dealers (and eventually the police) learn about this mysterious Heisenberg. They either want to work with him or get of his way — and both serve to help White get ahead. Make sure your reputation is as sturdy as White’s.
7) Sometimes you have to do a dirty job yourself.
We all like to delegate and procrastinate, especially if its a job we don’t particularly want to do ourselves. That’s only natural. But there’s plenty of dirty work to be done when building a business, and if you want it done well, maybe you should take the lead.
In White’s case, he frequently takes it upon himself to make sure a job is done right the first time, even (and sometimes especially) if the task is unpleasant. Actually, the list of things White does to get ahead in business is long and scary. Not many people would be willing to lie, cheat, poison, steal, and kill to advance their careers — and that’s definitely a good thing. But not everyone can be Walter White:
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